The WA Football Umpires is proud to announce it has secured a $4,000 grant through the South32 Worsley Alumina Community Grants Program to support its Empowering Regional Umpires project.

This funding directly assisted young and female football umpires from across regional Western Australia to participate in the 2025 Nutrien Ag Solutions Women’s Country Championships, that took place in Bunbury on the 2^nd to 3^rd of October.

As a part of the grant, WA Football Umpiring donated a projector , Projector screen and a Footy Coaching mat to the SWFL umpires association.

It marks a significant step forward in creating equitable access to development opportunities for country-based officials. For the first time, the Women’s Country Championships was hosted in the Southwest, providing both a unique opportunity and geo barrier for umpires from remote regions such as the Pilbara, Goldfields, Great Southern, and Midwest.

The Championships serve as a vital platform for emerging female and regional umpires, offering a high-performance football environment, live coaching demonstrations, and upskilling sessions designed to fast-track development. With support from South32, the grant subsidised travel and accommodation costs, ensuring participation is not limited by geographic or financial barriers.

In addition, the funding helped deliver essential coaching programs across the weekend, fostering talent retention and long-term representation of umpires from all corners of the state particularly those beyond the South West.