Touch football is enjoyed by almost 700,000 people around the country, from those aged five to 75.
The sport is a variation of rugby league where tackling is replaced by a touch.
And now the national body for the sport wants to get people with intellectual impairments more involved in playing it.
Touch Football Specialised players enjoy another training session. Source: John Baldock/SBS News
Former NRL player and special education teacher Graeme Clancy has developed Touch Football Specialised, a modified version of the sport.
Clancy, who played for the Gold Coast Titans, has been running specialised competitions in Queensland for seven years and Touch Football Australia (TFA) now want to bring it in-house.
Alice Ellis, a spokeswoman for TFA, said Clancy "has done a fantastic job, so we thought why not take on the program, run it, resource it and run it on a national scale”.
Participants have also had the chance to spend some time at their favourite NRL club.
"There are opportunities to go and have work experience at an NRL club to just have that experience in a work environment that you might not otherwise get," Ms Ellis said.
Hills Hornets celebrate another trophy. Source: Facebook
Greg Brown, an inclusion coach based in Sydney, already works with intellectually disabled players and told SBS News Clancy's initiative is a winner both on and off the playing field.
"Graeme has put a lot of work in to set up the program in Queensland and educate the community there, which has just been fantastic."
Adam Orchard has made new friends through playing Touch Football Specialised. Source: SBS News
Adam Orchard plays the specialised version of the game and has been encouraged to mentor other players with intellectual impairments.
"Just going out, meeting new people, it’s good to have new friends and get in contact with them," the 18-year-old said.
The annual Border Challenge - a State of Origin-style concept - allows teams from around the country to play against each other.
The program also encourages players to stay involved in touch football and rugby league in areas other than playing, including refereeing, volunteering at tournaments and team management assistance.
