COLLEGE FOOTBALL TEAMS TOUCH DOWN IN SYDNEY

College Football stars from the University of California Golden Bears and the University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors have landed in Sydney ahead of Saturday’s historic College Football Sydney Cup at ANZ Stadium.

The match, secured exclusively for Sydney by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW, will see NCAA in-season competition football played in Australia for the first time.

Minister for Sport Stuart Ayres was on hand to welcome both sides to NSW at the Sydney Opera House this morning, and encouraged players and coaches to enjoy their time in the Harbour City.

“I know the players will be training hard this week, but I encourage them to take in everything our beautiful city has to offer ahead of this Australian first match,” Mr Ayres said.

“The event will showcase Sydney to the world, with the game being broadcast live on the ESPN network in the United States and on Fox Sports here in Australia. On top of that, we expect to welcome 15,000 visitors to Sydney for the match, which will provide a $10 million boost to the local economy in visitor spend.”

”With more than 60,000 tickets already sold, the event promises to be a unique spectacle for local and visiting fans. With marching bands, cheerleaders, mascots, specialty food and incredible athletes, there is something for sports fans of all ages.”

Destination NSW Chief Executive Officer, Sandra Chipchase said the game would promote the State in a key inbound visitor market.

“With the match being shown live across the United States, the College Football Sydney Cup is a great opportunity for our travel trade partners both here and in America to promote all the fantastic things to see and do in NSW,” Ms Chipchase said.