Inverell will once again become a football village this spring, with the Rale Rasic Joeys Mini World Cup set to run from Monday, 28 September to Sunday, 4 October. Organisers say it will be the tournament’s biggest and most exciting edition yet, but they are appealing for more local clubs to get involved before entries close.
Tournament Founder and Director Heinrich Haussler said the event has introduced a new two-stage format this year, giving every player more opportunities to learn from some of Europe’s finest coaches while easing pressure on accommodation and field availability.
The Under 8, Under 10 and Under 12 competitions will run from Monday, 28 September to Wednesday, 30 September, followed by a training camp on Thursday, 1 October, run by two elite German coaches holding UEFA Pro A Licences.
The older age groups, Under 14, Under 17, Under 15 Girls and Open Women, will compete from Friday, 2 October to Sunday, 4 October, before their own training camp on Monday, 5 October.
Organisers are expecting around 600 to 700 players, with roughly eight teams in most age groups. Teams will travel from throughout New South Wales and Queensland, with interest continuing to grow from interstate.
Despite the scale of the tournament, Mr Haussler said local participation has been disappointing so far, with only one Under 10 team entered from Inverell and no teams from Tamworth or Moree.
“It’s very sad,” Mr Haussler said, pointing out that teams are travelling from as far away as Rockhampton, Adelaide and Bundaberg while nearby towns remain unrepresented.
Mr Haussler said local families were missing a rare chance to be seen by high-level coaches from Germany.
“If you have the chance, let your kids be exposed to something like this… they will never ever get high-level coaches from Germany flying over to be present, you know, to be the selectors and do coaching clinics for the kids,” he said.
He said the tournament was designed so no team goes home empty-handed. Group games place teams into the Joeys Mini World Cup, the Shield or the Blade, guaranteeing every side a final or playoff for finishing position.
“I thought, if I start a tournament, I’d do this differently because I think everyone should leave with a sense of achievement,” Mr Haussler said.
Entries for teams wanting sublimated playing strips close on Monday, 3 August, with Mr Haussler explaining the strips need a five-to-six-week production run before they arrive.
The tournament’s rewards remain a major drawcard. This year, three players will receive a fully funded Joeys All Stars Tour of Germany, worth $9,000, with airfares excluded, along with one fully funded coaching tour. Three additional coaches will receive tour subsidies of $2,000 each, and 44 players will each receive a $1,000 travel scholarship.
Mr Haussler pointed to the experience of local boy Cooper Fleming, who spoke about what the tour meant to him in a radio interview shared on the tournament’s Facebook page.
The Opening Ceremony will be held on Monday, 28 September at 9.45 am for the younger age groups and Friday, 2 October at 9.45 am for the older age groups. Special guests include Debra Rasic, wife of the late Socceroo legend Rale Rasic, Mayor Kate Dight, German Bundesliga youth coach Jens Kiefer, and Gregor Podeschwa, a UEFA Pro Licence coach who worked at the Borussia Dortmund Academy and helped develop German international Leon Goretzka.
The ceremony will include a Welcome to Country, the Rale Rasic Song, the Australian National Anthem and an Athletes’ Oath read by a player, coach, referee, selector and parent.
Since Rale Rasic’s passing, Ms Rasic has attended the tournament each year, presenting medals and trophies at the Awards Night and helping carry forward her husband’s legacy.
Mr Haussler founded the tournament in 2010 after seeing Germany’s own Mini World Cup format, wanting young footballers from rural Australia to have the same opportunities as those in major cities. The tournament later moved to Hervey Bay and Lismore before returning permanently to Inverell.
“It was born here, and this community represents exactly why it exists, to give rural young people opportunities they might otherwise never receive,” Mr Haussler said.
From 16 teams in 2010, the tournament has grown to nearly 70 teams today, and organisers have taken almost 1,000 players and coaches to Germany over nearly two decades. The partnership with the Borussia Dortmund Academy, developed through Mr Podeschwa, began as a one-day coaching clinic last year and has now expanded into a four day academy experience, with a full week expected from 2027.
This year Theo Law secured a professional opportunity in Germany, another example, Mr Haussler said, of what is possible through the tour.
At 76, Mr Haussler said the workload of running the tournament is becoming increasingly difficult, and he spends much of the year running educational kayak tours to help fund bringing international coaches to Inverell. He said additional community and corporate support is now essential for the tournament to keep growing.
Team entries close on Monday, 3 August for teams wanting sublimated strips, with a final cut off of Monday, 7 September for all other entries. More information is available at joeysminiworldcupinverell.com.
Mr Haussler said he hoped more local families would come down and support the tournament, even if they are not fielding a team.
“I’d simply say, come and be part of something truly special,” Mr Haussler said. “When our community fills the sidelines with encouragement and pride, we create memories these children will carry with them for the rest of their lives.”
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