HIGH school footballers from Ballarat and Geelong will compete in the second annual Respect Cup at Mars Stadium next week, marking International Women\u2019s Day.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday, 9 March, Loreto College and St Patrick\u2019s College footy teams will respectively play against Sacred Heart College and St Joseph’s College, with the boys providing the curtain-raiser, before the ultimate game between the girls\u2019 schools.<\/p>\n
The Cup was established in 2021, with the inaugural comp held at GMHBA Stadium, to promote and support the IWD theme, and encourage respectful relationships.<\/p>\n
All teams\u2019 uniforms will include a touch of purple to acknowledge the iconic colour IWD is known for, and the brother-sister schools with the highest combined score will take home the Respect Cup for the next 12 months.<\/p>\n
Loreto College year 12 student and Greater Western Victoria Rebels player Charlee Hill will be part of the event for the first time.<\/p>\n
\u201cGirls from the local and NAB football leagues are getting involved, as well as others that are new to the game, which is great to see,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoth St Pat\u2019s and Loreto are wearing the same uniform. It\u2019s great to have our brother school on board, helping to share the messages of International Women\u2019s Day.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re so excited to play at Mars Stadium.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hill\u2019s teammate Kailah Scott will play in her second Respect Cup match.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt sends a great message for gender equality, creating respect for girls and women in sport, and getting more women and girls involved in footy,\u201d Scott said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSacred Heart are strong opponents, so this year will be another tough game.\u201d<\/p>\n
St Joseph’s deputy principal Mark Kennedy said the games will see plenty of excitement and skill on the field, but it\u2019s so much more than just a football match.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing all-boys schools, St Pat\u2019s and St Joseph\u2019s are really keen to do as much as we can to promote the themes of International Women\u2019s Day, and create gender equality and respect,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe day\u2019s theme this year is \u2018break the bias,\u2019 and we\u2019re leaning into that. A lot of people will come to watch, and players will come together afterwards, all to appreciate the key messages.<\/p>\n
\u201cHeading up to Ballarat this year, we hope the cup is a legacy that continues for a very long time. The focus is all about participation.\u201d<\/p>\n
St Patrick\u2019s College captain James Clark will be playing on the day and said he was proud to contribute to the \u201cwonderful initiative\u201d in its early years.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope it becomes a strong tradition,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
St Pat\u2019s and St Joseph\u2019s are on field at Mars Stadium from 2pm to 3.30pm, before the main game, Loreto versus Sacred Heart goes from 3.45pm to 5.15pm.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
HIGH school footballers from Ballarat and Geelong will compete in the second annual Respect Cup at Mars Stadium next week, marking International Women\u2019s Day. On Wednesday, 9 March, Loreto College and St Patrick\u2019s College footy teams will respectively play against Sacred Heart College and St Joseph’s College, with the boys providing the curtain-raiser, before the […]<\/p>\n