Next month's Bathurst Cup (boys) and Proctor Park Challenge (girls) have attracted a big rise in numbers compared to last year's events, as word of mouth and a date change appear to have made an impact.

The under 13s to 16s Bathurst Cup and Proctor Park Challenge events have become a popular destination for associations across the state to give their juniors a run early in the year.

Coaching and Development Manager for Western Branch, Andrew Fearnley, said the support for the two tournaments has been overwhelming.

"We got on top of team nominations early and we're pretty much ready to roll. The concern might be that we've bitten off more than we can chew, might it just keeps growing and growing every year," he said.

"In 2020 we're going to have more teams than we've ever had before. The last two to three years it's grown a lot but this year it's managed to become even bigger again.

"We've got 78 boys teams this year compared to 61 last year so that's really exploded a lot. It's a testament to the fact it's a great tournament and a lot of new clubs want to be involved.

"The girls had 60 teams last year and that tournament is going to have more teams this time as well."

The Bathurst Cup will be held on February 15 and 16 and the Proctor Park Challenge will be on the following weekend.

Fearnley said the dates have been popular for teams signing up.

"We're running in a bit earlier this year because our season is starting a little earlier, so we thought that might hurt our numbers a little bit but it actually didn't," he said.

"I think it comes down to word of mouth from teams in the past and there's a great retention rate with clubs coming back.

"It's likely a combination of factors. An extra 17 teams in the boys tournament is a big deal and we've got some NPL teams coming as well so the market is expanding a bit. A lot of clubs are seeing it as a viable way to get their teams together and play some matches in the pre-season."