One would like to think the aim of any tournament is not just to expedite development and to unearth the proverbial ‘next best thing’, but also to grow the event in all aspects.
And this is exactly what FN Rangers’ Tournament Director, Kyle Januarie (pictured), has done since the inception of the in 2024 of the annual tournaments.
Take their first for instance when only 20 boys’ teams only entered. The following year it grew to 32 and with the addition of two girls’ teams while in its third year, it expanded to 32 teams for the boys and 8 for the girls’ section.
So, it is fair to say that Januarie has really grown this event from humble beginnings to give it a great amount of credibility.
Alas! It doesn’t stop there as Januarie has more revelations regarding the event which will take place at the Royal Road Sport Complex in Maitland.
“The tournament days are also extended from four to five, from Wednesday 25 March 2026 to 29 March which is the Sunday.,” the former Sea Point Swifts player pointed out to No Bones with Jones. “We are also bringing in more technology to upgrade our internal control systems and prohibit teams from age cheating etc. We have also opted for an online draw to respectfully accommodate those observing Lent and Ramadan,” Januarie concluded.
Some details to diarise:
💻 Online Tournament Draw
18 March 2026
The draw will be hosted online to respectfully accommodate those observing Lent and Ramadan.
🚀 Official In-Person Tournament Launch
23 March 2026
Join us as we officially kick off tournament week with our launch event. – Formal invitation to follow
🏆 Tournament Dates
25 – 29 March 2026
Five exciting days of competitive U16 football await!
