“Sydney will be a beneficial test for both our boys’ and girls’ squads. Our athletes will get a clear understanding of where they need to be after the tour and it will be a great experience for the athletes” Sardinha said.

Both squads met last Sunday for their second last regional training session where coach Sardinha and girls’ head coach Adam Ramage took aim at fine tuning both squads for their tour. “Capitalising on broken play and counter attacking were our focus on Sunday as we want both the boys and the girls to make the most of their opportunities,” Ramage said.

The squads were gifted the opportunity to put practice into play with match play in the afternoon against Gunnedah & District men’s football side. Both coaches were pleased with how some of the members stood up and implemented the fundamentals expressed in the training. “Some of the boys really took on a leadership role throughout the match which lifted their teammates,” Ramage Said.

The squads will be hosted by Newington College Sydney as the athletes will receive coaching seminars by head of football, Brian McCarthy, which will include match play throughout the weekend.

McCarthy has previously spent 12 years as the high-performance coach for the Irish International Football team. Sardinha is also looking forward to learning from McCarthy, “Brian will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience which will be invaluable for not only our athletes but for the coaches as well”.

Both squads will have the privilege of watching England’s Premier League power house Arsenal FC take on the Western Sydney Wanderers at ANZ Stadium on the Saturday night.

Coach Sardinha is thrilled that the athletes will be able to watch these world class athletes display their skills and composure.

Squads final regional training session on Sunday in Gunnedah before their tour on the 14th of July.