Australian U16 Championship Host Announced

Queensland will defend its 2020 Australian U-16 Youth Championship title on home soil after the host for the event’s return to the calendar was locked in on Thursday. Redcliffe, north-east of Brisbane, will host the 2022 tournament during the July school holidays in partnership with the Moreton Bay Regional Council.

Moreton Bay Regional Council Mayor Peter Flannery said the hallowed diamonds of Redcliffe’s Talobilla Park would be the perfect venue to watch the game’s next generation duke it out.

“Of course, we’ll be cheering on our fellow Queenslanders, but welcoming with open arms all players from across the country, their coaching staff and supporters,” Mayor Flannery said. “The Moreton Bay Region has a proud history of supporting baseball at all levels of competition - and I’m particularly proud that we’re able to host this big event after a tough few years with COVID.

“For many of the competitors, this’ll be the first time in a long while since they were able to travel and compete at the highest level - and we’ll for sure be rolling out the red carpet to make sure they can perform at their best and enjoy their time here.
“There’s plenty for the players to discover both on the pitch, and off it with Moreton Bay’s beaches, mountains and reputation as a holiday destination.

“Sport has persevered through COVID-19 and has brought everyone together stronger, which is why we’re partnering to host events like this and investing in more facilities as part of a record $743 million budget.”

It will be the first national baseball championship – outside of the Australian Baseball League - held in Queensland since 2015. Baseball Australia chief executive Glenn Williams was thrilled the U-16 championship would return to the calendar and was excited to take a national event to the Sunshine State.
 
“The Australian U-16 Youth Championship is a much-anticipated event on the calendar and we’re looking forward to its return in Redcliffe in July,” Williams said. “Redcliffe has been a terrific host of state titles in recent years, and we can’t wait for our rising stars to play at its brilliant facilities and soak up all the region has to offer.

“The Moreton Bay Regional Council continue to be terrific supporters of baseball and we’re looking forward to working with them to deliver a high-quality national championship.”

The Australian Youth Championship has not been held since January 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It has been replaced by localised showcases around the country during the pandemic and the 2022 U-16 event will mark the long-awaited return of states facing states in underage action.

Dates for the event will be locked in shortly once team nominations have been finalised.

For more information, contact David Penrose .