| Imparja Cup & National Indigenous Cricket Championships | |
| Administrator: | Northern Territory Cricket Cricket Australia |
| Cricket Format: | One Day, Twenty20, Super 8, 6-a-side Indoor Cricket |
| First: | 1994 (2001 as a national competition) |
| Tournament Format: | Round-robin and Playoff final |
| Champions: | NICC Men: NSW NICC Women: NSW Major Centres: Alice Springs Community Men's: Reclink Rebels Community Women's: Bush Potatoes |
| Most Successful: | NICC Men: Queensland (6 titles) NICC Women: NSW (7 titles) Major Centres: Darwin (5 titles) Community Men's: Reclink Rebels/All Sorts (2 titles) Community Women's: Bush Potatoes (6 titles) |
| Website: | http://www.nicc.cricket.com.au |
The Imparja Cup and National Indigenous Cricket Championships are Australian cricket tournaments based in Alice Springs, Northern Territory. The tournaments are contested annually by teams of Indigenous Australian cricketers.
The Imparja Cup tournament has its origins in an annual match started in 1994 between Alice Springs and Tennant Creek by Shane and Mervyn Franey from Alice Springs and Ross Williams from Tennant Creek.[1] By 1998 Northern Territory Cricket had become involved in organising the tournament and in 2001 Cricket Australia turned the tournament into a national competition.[2] [3] [4] Imparja Television has been involved in the annual match and the national tournament since 1994.[5] In 2016, Cricket Australia re-formatted the State and Territory Division to become the National Indigenous Cricket Championships, to set the pathway for aspiring indigenous cricketers looking to play first-class cricket. Also, an Indoor Cricket division was introduced into the Imparja Cup in 2016 as to allow more playing opportunities for Community sides.
In its current format there are six divisions in the Imparja Cup and National Indigenous Cricket Championships together. The NICC Men's Division is played as a One Day and Twenty20 round-robin tournament with the two top teams playing off in a One Day limited overs final.
The NICC Women's Division is played as a Twenty20 round-robin tournament with the top two teams playing off in a Twenty20 final.
Teams in the Major Centres Division play Twenty20 cricket whilst the Community Men's Division and Community Women's Division both play a shorter, 14-over format in Super 8s.[6]
The Indoor Cricket format sees teams play a fast-paced 6-a-side format.
Since 2009, the tournament has been covered on National Indigenous Television.[7]
You may also view the Northern Territory Cricket YouTube channel to view footage from the Imparja Cup.
| Year | Host | National Indigenous Cricket Cup | Imparja Cup | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men's Division | Women's Division | Major Centres Division | Community Men's Division | Community Women's Division | Indoor Cricket | |||
| 2024 | Alice Springs | Western Australia | New South Wales | Yeperenye Shopping Centre | South Alice Springs Sporting Club | Golden Sistas | — | |
| 2023 | Alice Springs | New South Wales | Queensland | ? | ? | ? | — | |
| 2021-22 | Alice Springs | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | ||||||
| 2020 | Alice Springs | New South Wales | New South Wales | ? | ? | ? | ||
| 2019 | Alice Springs | New South Wales | New South Wales | Darwin Barra's | ? | ? | – | |
| 2018 | Alice Springs | New South Wales | New South Wales | Desert Eagles | Brothers in Arms | Bush Potatoes | – | |
| 2017 | Alice Springs | Victoria | New South Wales | Tennant Creek | Red Centre Wranglers | Bush Potatoes | ? | |
| 2016 | Alice Springs | New South Wales | New South Wales | Alice Springs | Reclink Rebels | Bush Potatoes | Anmatjere Eagles | |
| 2015 | Alice Springs | Western Australia | New South Wales | All Sorts | Reclink Rebels | Bush Potatoes | – | |
| 2014 | Alice Springs | Western Australia | New South Wales | Darwin | All Sorts | Bush Potatoes | – | |
| 2013 | Alice Springs | Queensland | New South Wales | Darwin | All Sorts | Bush Potatoes | – | |
| 2012 | Alice Springs | New South Wales | New South Wales | Darwin | Brothers in Arms | Bush Potatoes | – | |
| 2011 | Alice Springs | New South Wales | New South Wales | Maranoa Murris | Gap Angels | Bush Potatoes | – | |
| 2010 | Alice Springs | Western Australia | New South Wales | Alkupitja | Tanami Flying Miners | – | – | |
| 2009 | Alice Springs | Queensland | New South Wales | Alkupitja | Tangentyere | New South Wales | – | |
| 2008 | Alice Springs | Queensland | New South Wales | Katherine | Cooktown | New South Wales | – | |
| 2007 | Alice Springs | New South Wales | – | Alkupitja | Cat Tigers | CGA Cougars | – | |
| 2006 | Alice Springs | Queensland | – | Alice Springs | Melville Island | Darwin | – | |
| 2005 | Alice Springs | Queensland | – | Alice Springs | Alkupitja | Darwin | – | |
| 2004 | Alice Springs | Queensland | – | Alice Springs | Normanton | Tennant Creek | – | |
| 2003 | Alice Springs | New South Wales | – | Darwin | – | – | – | |
| 2002 | Alice Springs | Northern Territory | – | Darwin | – | – | – | |
| 2001 | Alice Springs | Tasmania | – | – | – | – | – | |