Schools to play for Respect

LORETO and St Pat’s will head to Geelong next week to take part in the inaugural Respect Cup.

The event, to be played on Tuesday, 2 March at GMHBA Stadium, will see St Patrick’s firsts footy side go up against St Joseph’s College in a curtain raiser to Loreto playing Sacred Heart, with the highest combined scores of the Geelong or Ballarat schools earning the Respect Cup.

The games will be played six days before International Women’s Day, which falls on 8 March, and the Respect Cup will become an annual event, with the Ballarat schools taking the lead in spreading the message in 2022 and hosting that year’s games.

“It’s partly to increase partnership between the schools in the two cities, but also make mention of International Women’s Day,” said Paul Nolan, director of community development at St Patrick’s College.

“That’s an important thing in boy’s schools like St Pat’s and St Joey’s. Respect for women is ingrained in our education and if we can align that to football as well, it’s a win-win all round.”

Immediately after the Respect Cup finishes Geelong’s AFLW side will be training and the players will also be involved in the event. AFL Barwon are providing trainee umpires.

The curtain raiser between St Pat’s and St Joey’s will start at 2pm, with the main game between Loreto and Sacred Heart getting underway at 3.45pm.

GMHBA Stadium’s Reg Hickey Stand will be open for spectators to enjoy the games.