Preamble
NSJCA invites parents to submit expressions of interest (EOIs) on behalf of players who wish to attend the following carnivals in January 2027:
Age Group – Location : Dates
U11s – Newcastle : 4 – 7 Jan incl
U12s – Lismore : 11 – 14 Jan incl
U12s – Central Coast : 18 – 21 Jan incl
U13 Girls – Newcastle : 4 – 7 Jan incl
U13s – Ballina : 11 – 15 Jan incl
U13s – Orange : 11 – 14 Jan incl
U14s – Newcastle : 18 – 21 Jan incl
U15s – Orange : 4 – 7 Jan incl
EOIs will be accepted from 6pm Friday 14 Aug 26 until 6pm Friday 11 Sep 26
These are to be submitted via this link: https://www.trybooking.com/DMWXM
Players will be selected solely on a first-in-first served basis. No preference will be given to representative players. Parents are able to nominate a first and second preference carnival.
Eligibility – Club Membership
To be included in an NSJCA carnival team, players must be registered with a CNSW-affiliated cricket club in season 2026-27.
First right of refusal to form NSJCA’s carnival teams will be given to:
- players registered with one of NSJCA’s eight core clubs (Mosman, North Sydney, Lane Cove, Roseville, Lindfield, Gordon, West Pymble and St Ives)
- girls don’t play for the core clubs but play representative cricket for NSJCA
- players who don’t play for the core clubs but are in teams that play in NSJCA-administered competitions (eg teams from Kissing Point, West Pennant Hills Cherrybrook and Castle Hill RSL).
If it is necessary to recruit additional players to form viable teams, then EOIs from players who don’t meet the aforementioned criteria will be accepted.
Eligibility – Age
Carnivals mandate an upper age limit for players but not necessarily a lower limit. NSJCA recommends players play in their own age group.
Player Allocation
If NSJCA is invited to send more than one team to a carnival, has enough players to form two teams and has sufficient representative players to form a team, then a team consisting solely of representative players will be created.
Squad Sizes
To help maximise opportunity for players, while also allowing for player rotation, NSJCA will select squads of 12 players for each team.
Pace Bowling Workloads
As matches are played on consecutive days, pace bowlers may face heightened injury risk.
NSJCA asks coaches and parents of those players to review guidance from Cricket Australia about pace bowling workloads.
Parents are to advise coaches of required bowling restrictions and coaches are to include pace bowling workloads as a factor when assigning roles to players and determining the length of bowling spells.
Standard
The standard of carnivals teams can vary widely.
Some teams consist solely of representative players whereas others consist solely of club players. To help cater for this, carnival organisers tend to re-grade teams mid-carnival.
The Ballina U13s and Central Coast U12s carnivals tend to attract mostly representative teams.
Playing Formats
Most carnivals have a mixture of long and short-form cricket.
Playing Surfaces
For all bar the Newcastle U11s carnival, matches will be played either on a mixture of turf and synthetic or solely on turf, with synthetic back-up.
Appointment of Coaches and Managers
On behalf of NSJCA, the Representative Sub Committee will appoint managers and coaches for each team. Parents are able to nominate for these positions when they submit EOIs.
Carnival Compliance Requirements
Carnivals have their own compliance requirements, including playing conditions and codes of conduct. Managers and coaches are to ensure teams comply with those requirements.
If a carnival does not have its own code of conduct, players and parents of players who participate in carnivals are to comply with NSJCA’s code of conduct.
Coaching approach
Coaches are authorised to make cricket decisions for NSJCA’s carnival teams. This includes selecting players for particular team roles, appointing captains, determining bowling orders and determining batting orders.
Provided they do so politely and act reasonably, parents are entitled to express their preferences and views to the coach about these matters.
Playing conditions for carnivals approximate those used for representative cricket, where no regard is given to providing players with equal opportunity.
Nevertheless, NSJCA requires coaches to provide players with approximately equal opportunity, without expecting coaches to mimic the frameworks used in club cricket.
In turn, NSJCA expects parents to have reasonable expectations about the opportunities their children will receive, considering that carnivals use advanced cricket formats.
The exception to the requirement to provide players with approximately equal opportunity is where teams (such as those consisting of representative players) might play to win the carnival. Provided parents unanimously agree to this aim, then coaches are permitted to make corresponding tactical and selection decisions.
Responsibilities – Managers
Managers are authorised to instruct players and parents in a manner intended to ensure they comply with carnival codes of conduct. Players and parents are required to comply with those instructions.
Other than personal playing equipment, managers are to ensure teams have items not provided by carnival organisers.
Costs
Parents bear all costs associated with participating in carnivals.
Those costs include player registration, travel, accommodation, uniforms and where necessary, spikes required for turf.
The per player registration cost for the U13 Ballina carnival in Jan 2026 was $200. For other carnivals, the cost was lower.
Carnival Uniforms
Teams can wear bespoke carnival uniforms. Alternatively, they are able to use the same uniforms as representative players. Those uniforms can be ordered via the NSJCA club store on the 2Reds website.
Team entry – confirmation
Carnival organisers invite associations to express interest in attending carnivals. Confirmation of attendance by teams might not occur until October.
Coordination
To centralise administration, NSJCA’s Representative Sub Committee coordinates the formation, registration and administration of carnival teams on behalf of NSJCA.
Questions about carnivals can be submitted to reps@nsjca.asn.au