Community sport in the Barossa is a big winner once again, with The Barossa Council and Barossa & Light Cricket Association (B&LCA) being jointly awarded SACA’s Community Partnership of the Year Award.
Mayor Bim Lange accepted the award at SACA’s Community Cricket Awards earlier this month, saying the partnership with the B&LCA is an enduring one.
“This award recognises our investment in cricket facilities and infrastructure at Tanunda, Angaston and Nuriootpa, delivering new clubrooms, change rooms, practice nets and lighting to support grassroots cricket, as well as many other local sports,” Mayor Lange said.
“Thanks to this partnership, we have genuinely positioned the Barossa as a destination for cricket tourism, hosting a range of events across multiple venues, including the highly successful Toyota Australian Country Cricket Championships in January.”
The National Championships saw the Barossa host 61 games in eight days across nine venues, showcasing the best male and female country cricketers in Australia.
B&LCA president Brett Nitschke says the Barossa is the envy of regional venues, boasting the largest Association and the most turf wickets outside of metropolitan Adelaide.
“The proximity of high quality playing surfaces means we can attract higher-level representative competitions to Barossa venues, and modern facilities ensure that playing experiences stretch beyond the local community to visiting players and teams as well,” says Brett.
“Our success hosting these large-scale events also highlights the pathways available to country crickets, especially juniors.”
On the back of the Barossa Vintage Cricket Carnival, which was held in the region last week and featured a Mayor’s XI team, Tanunda Cricket Club president Stuart Swan says the Barossa has become a go-to destination.
“We’ve held two veterans carnivals in the first quarter of 2025, filling the hotels and restaurants, with the visiting cricketers and partners loving the Barossa,” says Stuart.
“Both carnivals have been a huge success and are locked in again for 2026 and beyond.
“It’s truly exciting to see The Big Project delivering results for the sporting tourism economy of the Barossa.”
