The National Indigenous Cricket championships are coming to Queensland for the first time, with Great Barrier Reef Arena in Mackay set to be the centre-piece of the tournament in 2025.
Mackay To Host NICC
Queensland Cricket has welcomed today’s announcement by Cricket Australia that the 2025 National Indigenous Cricket Championships will be held in Mackay this season.
It will be the first time Queensland has hosted the national titles in their current format, which have been staged on Arrernte Country in Mparntwe, Alice Springs for the past eight years.
The decision to hold the Championships on Yuwibara Country in Mackay follows recent discussions with State and Territory Governments about the opportunity to collaborate with CA about hosting events and national tournaments over the next seven seasons.
Queensland Cricket CEO Terry Svenson and Jason Smith, the co-chair of the Queensland First Nations Cricket Advisory Committee, congratulated Cricket Australia on the decision to confer the titles on Mackay.
“Great Barrier Reef Arena and the associated cricket facilities in Mackay are stand-out venues and will deliver the players with an outstanding cricket experience,’’ Svenson said.
“Along with Cricket Australia, we thank the Mackay Regional Council, Harrup Park, Mackay Cricket and the Queensland Government for their backing of this major event and look forward to working alongside them to deliver a memorable tournament.”
“Queensland Cricket looks forward to the National titles providing a further springboard to help us continue to grow Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation through the likes of the Eddie Gilbert Program.
“It will also complement the Queensland Cricket Foundation’s work in delivering community benefits through its purpose to improve Indigenous health and well-being,” Svenson said.
Smith highlighted the opportunity for the Yuwibara people to welcome and share their culture as the traditional custodians of the land with other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples during the championships.
“The chance for other First Nations peoples to meet on Yuwi country and exchange their stories and experiences via a common love of cricket is the sort of powerful cultural opportunity that these championships can provide,’’ he said.
“Queenslandis excited to welcome all the teams, staff, volunteers, families and friends in April 2025 and hope they enjoy what Mackay has to offer them,” Smith said.
The 2025 Championships will be contested at Great Barrier Reef Arena and Harrup Park which has become a regular venue for international cricket, including two of the three CommBank Women’s T20Is between Australia and New Zealand played in September 2024 and the Men’s A-Series match between Australia and India later this month.
Queensland Cricket’s support of the NICC will further strengthen their commitment to their own Reconciliation Action Plan as well as supporting existing programs including the Eddie Gilbert Program, Western Rivers Cup (Toowoomba), Stan Alberts Shield (Rockhampton), Rainforest Cup (Tully), Phillip Minniecon Cup (Cairns) and T20 Harmony Shield.
The Queensland Indigenous Women's team won the national titles in 2023 (pictured above) and were runners-up last season.
Joel Morrison Executive General Manager, Events & Operations said:
“It is exciting that the National Indigenous Cricket Championships will be contested at Great Barrier Reef Arena for the first time this season.
“We are grateful to the Queensland Government, Mackay Regional Council, Harrup Park and Queensland Cricket for their ongoing support in staging significant international and domestic cricket events such as this tournament in Mackay, which is fast becoming a regular feature on the Australian cricket calendar.
“We would also like to express our thanks and gratitude to NT Cricket, the Imparja Cup and Alice Springs cricket communities, the Northern Territory Government and Alice Springs Town Council for the significant role they have played in growing the NICC since its inception, and greatly enhancing the tournament’s cultural significance and level of on-field competition.
The NICC is supported by CommBank, a proud partner of Cricket Australia’s ‘A Sport for All’ Program, which champions inclusion and diversity in cricket and the Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC) Foundation, as the NICC’s official Inclusion Partner.