11 December 2025
Australian Youth Championships
ACT Roos to Compete at 2026 Australian Youth Championships
Introducing: The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Roos, the newest team to compete in both divisions of the Australian Youth Championships (AYC).
Baseball Australia has confirmed a composite team will represent Canberra and provide additional opportunities for players and coaches from across Australia at the 2026 U18 and U16 National Championships (AYC) in Melbourne, January 7–15.
The ACT Roos have been established in partnership with Baseball Canberra to ensure players from the capital continue to be part of the AYC while the territory rebuilds its development and participation pathways.
Canberra has proudly fielded its own teams at past Championships, and this new model ensures that representation continues — with the added benefit of opening doors for players from other states who narrowly missed home-state selection.
“This is a support mechanism to give Baseball Canberra clear air to reset and enact their new pathways strategy,” said Michael Crooks, Baseball Australia’s General Manager – Performance Pathways & Player Development.
The ACT Roos builds on the Roos squad that competed in the 2025 U16 Championships, a team that featured just players from Queensland and Victoria.
“It does not mean exclusion from future events for ACT. In fact, it’s a bridge that allows Canberra’s top talent to stay involved while also giving more players around the country the opportunity to compete on the national stage,” adds Crooks.
The ACT Roos will compete in both the Under 16 and Under 18 divisions at the AYC.
Each team will include:
– Up to five Canberra-based players;
– Supported by one Canberra-based coach per team;
– Additional roster spots filled by players from Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland;
– A focus on development, competition, and national connection;
Logan Tudor, Baseball Canberra Chair, says he’s encouraged by the prospect of this model.
“Talented players and coaches from Canberra will help form the nucleus of that squad, alongside other athletes drawn from across the country. Baseball Canberra will always endeavour to send teams away to AYCs – but in cases where our numbers are low – the BA Roos model is a sensible alternative for our kids,” he says. “Best of luck to all those involved.”
Baseball Canberra General Manager Justin Oag reiterates that the ACT remains solely committed to providing local baseball talent the best possible environment for their growth within our game.
“Key to this, building on the success of the Baseball Canberra Pathways 25 program is the development and strategic delivery of a long term athletic development framework and return to high performance baseball, for which conversations have commenced and will continue with key stakeholders,” he says.
LOOK AND FEEL
The team will have a unique look and feel.
The team’s look will feature yellow tops with the white Indigenous logo, white pants, and blue caps and accessories — blending ACT identity with national elements.
“We want Baseball Canberra and the ACT to remain recognisable within the event,” Crooks said
“The ACT Roos are a vehicle for Canberra to revive their standalone entry in future years, while giving more players from across the country the chance to experience elite competition and development.”
The composite structure supports Baseball Australia’s key objectives for the AYC — to showcase the nation’s best 140 players at each age group, deliver the highest possible level of competition, and provide development opportunities for players, coaches, umpires, and scorers.
Last year, one player from the ACT Roos’ U16 side impressed so strongly that he earned selection to the National Junior Squad, highlighting the value of this program in identifying and elevating emerging talent.
Above: The Roos at the 2025 U16 National Championship brought together talent from Victoria and New South Wales, coached by mentors from around the country. This year, the ACT will have representation on the squad.
Crooks acknowledged the teamwork shown across the country in supporting the new structure.
“I’d like to thank Justin Oag and the Baseball Canberra Board, led by Logan Tudor, for their collaboration and leadership,” he said.
“I’m also grateful to our state pathway leads — Andy Kyle, Austin Gallagher, Damian Shanahan, Grahame Cassel, and Nick Bachono — who put state patriotism aside to help find the best pathway forward for Canberra and for the development of Australian youth baseball.”
The ACT Roos will now begin assembling their teams ahead of the 2026 Australian Youth Championships.
The tournament schedule will be released soon.
