{{About|the NSW Women's football cup competition|the Queensland women's netball competition|Sapphire Series}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}} {{Use Australian English|date=August 2023}}
{{ infobox football tournament | logo = | founded = 2023 | number of teams = 162 (in 2022) | region = New South Wales | current champions = Northern Tigers (1st title) | most successful club = | website = [https://footballnsw.com.au/competitions/sapphire-cup/The Sapphire Cup] | current = 2024 Sapphire Cup }}
The '''Sapphire Cup''' is a women's knockout cup competition in New South Wales, run by the governing body of football Football NSW. Teams competing in the competition come from the female National Premier League and NSW League One competitions, as well as clubs from senior women's clubs of semi-professional and amateur competitions from across the state. The competition is held during the Women's National Premier League season.
==History== Ahead of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup which was to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, the governing body of football in New South Wales, Football NSW announced a new women's knock out cup tournament, that would replicate the men's Waratah Cup<ref name="FNSW MR1">{{cite web |last1=Stavroulakis |first1=Mark |title=FOOTBALL NSW ANNOUNCES NSW SAPPHIRE CUP |url=https://footballnsw.com.au/2023/03/03/football-nsw-announces-nsw-sapphire-cup/ |website=Football NSW |access-date=19 August 2023}}</ref> The name of the competition was a nod to the historical roots of women's football in NSW, named after the NSW Sapphires who represented New South Wales between 1996 and 2004 in the Women's National Soccer League, which was the precursor competition to the professional A-League Women.<ref>{{cite news |title=Football NSW to capitalise on World Cup with exciting new venture |url=https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=DTWEB_WRE170_a_GGL&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailytelegraph.com.au%2Fsport%2Flocal-sport%2Ffootball-nsw-announce-new-tournament-ahead-of-the-nsw-npl-womens-season%2Fnews-story%2F013e233ed4262e9bf1986e663e661bae&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium&v21=dynamic-high-control-score&V21spcbehaviour=append |access-date=19 August 2023 |publisher=The Daily Telegraph}}</ref>
It was announced by Football Australia that starting in 2024, the winners of the Sapphire Cup will have the opportunity to qualify for the Women's Australia Cup, which will run parallel to the men's competition. The winner of the women's Australia Cup will have the opportunity to participate in the AFC Women's Club Championship.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lewis |first1=Samantha |title=Football Australia to launch Women's Australia Cup in 2024 as part of Women's World Cup legacy |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-10/football-australia-to-launch-womens-australia-cup-in-2024/102080742 |access-date=19 August 2023 |publisher=ABC News |date=10 March 2023}}</ref>
The first Sapphire Cup final was contested by two Sydney-based teams, APIA Leichhardt and Northern Tigers.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Stavroulakis |first1=Mark |title=HISTORY TO BE MADE AS LEICHHARDT OVAL SET TO HOST THE SAPPHIRE AND WARATAH CUP FINALS |url=https://footballnsw.com.au/2023/08/23/history-to-be-made-as-leichhardt-oval-set-to-host-the-sapphire-and-waratah-cup-finals/ |website=Football NSW |access-date=31 August 2023}}</ref> APIA Leichhardt would take the inaugural title, defeating Northern Tigers 2–1 at Leichhardt Oval.<ref>{{cite web |title=APIA LEICHHARDT CROWNED INAUGURAL SAPPHIRE CUP CHAMPIONS |url=https://footballnsw.com.au/2023/09/10/apia-leichhardt-crowned-inaugural-sapphire-cup-champions/ |publisher=Football NSW |access-date=27 September 2023}}</ref> The following season, the Northern Tigers went one step further, lifting the trophy after a 2–1 victory over Sydney University SFC.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/C-7j8MNvjUN/?img_index=1|title=SAPPHIRE CUP CHAMPIONS|publisher=Northern Tigers FC|via=Instagram|date=21 August 2024}}</ref> ==Honour roll== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |- ! Year !! Winners !! Score !! Runners-up !! Venue |- | 2023 || APIA Leichhardt || 2–1 || Northern Tigers || Leichhardt Oval |- | 2024 || Northern Tigers || 2–1 || Sydney University || Valentine Sports Park |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * Women's soccer in Australia * Australian Women's Soccer Association * Football NSW * Women's National Soccer League
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Category:Soccer in New South Wales Category:Women's soccer competitions in Australia Category:Soccer cup competitions in Australia Category:Recurring sporting events established in 2023 Category:2023 establishments in Australia