New South Wales

Samoa Teams Start Training for October Tag World Cup in Coffs Harbour

By

Emma Kelly
28 January 2026, 12:40 am

Samoa’s national squads have begun early site visits and pre‑tournament training camps as part of preparations for the 2026 International Tag Federation (ITF) World Cup, with activities linked to Coffs Harbour, New South Wales. The tournament is expected to attract up to 30 nations and more than 3,000 athletes to the Mid North Coast; the City of Coffs Harbour has published estimates of about 4,500 players and officials and roughly 15,000 people when families and spectators are included.

The competition is scheduled to run from 15 October to 18 October 2026 at the C.ex Coffs International Stadium and across the surrounding multi‑field precinct. Samoa is entering teams across 19 divisions and says early preparation camps are focused on fitness, tactical development and acclimatising to stadium conditions and the local climate.

According to the City of Coffs Harbour, the event will bring a major influx of visitors and is expected to place strong demand on local accommodation and services. Mayor Nikki Williams said the city has a long history with the sport and welcomed the return of the World Cup to Australia — Coffs Harbour previously hosted the inaugural tournament in 2018.

The event is supported by Destination NSW and Coffs Coast Events, which are working with local businesses and the council to prepare for the October surge. The Tag World Cup is one of several major sporting events on the Coffs Harbour 2026 calendar, alongside events such as the Touch Football Australia Championships (March 4–7, 2026) and the Freestyle Kings World Tour (March 14, 2026).

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