The Imparja Cup is Australia’s biggest Indigenous cricket festival, originally founded by custodians, Shane Franey and Ross Williams, as a family match between Alice Springs and Tennant Creek in 1994.
The name Imparja comes from the Arrernte word Impatye, meaning tracks or footprints, honouring those who came before and creating pathways for the next generation.
The Imparja Cup has made a significant contribution to the history and story of indigenous cricket in Australia and was the event and foundation on which Cricket Australia created the National Indigenous Cricket Championships in 2016.
The Imparja Cup has grown from a family game between Tennant Creek and Alice Springs into Australia’s largest Indigenous cricket carnival. Held on Arrernte land, the event has become a national celebration, each year drawing hundreds of Indigenous cricketers, coaches, match officials and volunteers from across the Territory and Australia to celebrate cricket, culture and community.
Across five days, teams will compete in the Major Centres, Men’s Community, Women’s Community and Schools Divisions, while the Schools Gala Day will again aim to create a new generation of young Indigenous cricketers who love and play the game.
Register Your Team
The 33rd Annual Imparja Cup powered by DXC Technology will be held from Friday 20 to Tuesday 24 February in Mparntwe (Alice Springs).
The 2026 Imparja Cup Registration is free and now open to new and past teams from the Northern Territory and around Australia.
Teams wishing to nominate to play in the Imparja Cup are asked to complete the online form available through the link below:
👉 [Follow this link for a detailed explainer on team eligibility]
👉 [Eligibility exemption form here]
Match Officials
Umpires interested in officiating at the 2026 Imparja Cup are encouraged to submit an expression of interest via the Match Officials form below.
👉 [Register as a match official]
Looking back to Imparja Cup 2024: