The Warlawuurru Cup (which translates to Eagle Cup) returned for the second year under it’s Martu title after being held in previous years as the East Pilbara Cup, with teams from Newman, the Western Desert, Tom Price and Paraburdoo all coming together for another successful carnival.

The annual event has become a marquee fixture on the local football calendar, providing an opportunity for male and female junior footballers to test their abilities against other talented juniors from across the Pilbara.

The Warlawuurru Cup’s round robin format means all teams play one another before heading into the finals fixtures, and as Newman claimed their first grand final victory in 2025 all teams have now won at least once, building up the anticipation already for the 2026 event.

Newman Youth Engagement Coordinator Brendon Daily was integral in organising the carnival, praising the outstanding numbers from all squads and stakeholders in attendance showcasing the impact the carnival is having in the Pilbara.

“Situations like Newman, Tom Price and Paraburdoo where you’re playing against the same faces each week or the Western Desert kids who don’t play in any structured competitions at all; for them to come together and test themselves against other communities is really exciting and now having this annual fixture gives them something to look forward to,” Daily said.

“We estimated it was around 300 people across the ground with close to 150 being the players which provided fantastic numbers for the competition itself but also an awesome crowd atmosphere for them to play in front of.

“We’re noticing some strong talent coming through in the younger players at the carnival which is fantastic. Previously it’s been some of the older kids who’ve really dominated so this just highlights the impact we’re having within junior footy here in Newman and beyond.”

The focus on involving the younger kids in the day was reinforced by Daily, with a new addition to the carnival this year highlighting the heavy emphasis on the next generation of junior footballers in the Pilbara.

“We introduced an 11-years-and-under game this year to provide some football opportunities to the younger ones as we’ve found in recent years there’s a lot of young boys and girls in attendance on the day who weren’t old enough to play in the more competitive fixtures,” he said.

“This provided a great chance for them to have a kick, be involved and hopefully drum up interest in footy from that grassroots level as they start to reach the age where they can compete in the older Warlawuurru Cup matches.

“The night before the carnival at Train Park in East Newman we also had an activation as a sort of cup eve event which saw in excess of over 80 kids which was massive and really showcased the significant growth and interest in footy for the local community.”

Daily played a vital role in shaping the carnival but he was not alone in his efforts, with AFLW stars Charlie Thomas and Annabel Johnson travelling up from Perth to give the two young female teams an invaluable experience as coaches on the day.

Hedland Youth Engagement Coordinator Claudia Bailey also chipped in, assisting the Western Desert kids with the long and at times difficult journeys from some of their remote Pilbara communities to Newman with some travelling over 650km to attend the event.

The united effort from West Coast Eagles staff and AFLW players was joined by a whopping 30 stakeholders with BHP, the Shire of East Pilbara, Ngurra Kujungka, the Y, SEDA College WA, Royal Life Saving WA and many others playing vital roles on the day and in the lead-up.

“It’s getting bigger and bigger every year. We had thirty stakeholders again in attendance but I think the most exciting thing about this year was that we had a handful of brand-new stakeholders involved supporting the carnival,” Daily said.

“I think it’s a real testament to the relationships we’ve been able to build here within Newman to see how collaboratively we’re able to work with all of the stakeholders who were involved in getting the carnival going.

“The event is really becoming a big date on the Newman calendar and the success of getting some new people involved has really taken it to the next level.”

Thanks to the ongoing support of Youth Engagement Partners in BHP for over 20 years, the club will continue to make a difference on youth and collaborate with key stakeholders in building stronger connections and communities across WA.