Tigers and Ammos to play for the Bethany Cup

TRADITIONAL footy rivals Torquay and Geelong Amateur will battle it out on the footy ground on Sunday, but will be united around a common cause.

The BFL round 13 match has been branded the Bethany Cup and will take place at Queens Park at 2.10pm.

The Bethany Cup is a joint initiative between the two clubs, Geelong Umpires (GU), and Bethany Community Support.

The aims of the Bethany Cup are to:

• Start conversations about family violence and respectful relationships among the football community
• Raise public awareness of Bethany’s services, particularly its specialist family violence support services, and
• Encourage the role and participation of women and girls in football.

Players and officials from both sides will be wearing coloured armbands to mark the occasion, and male and female goal and boundary umpires will officiate the match.

Bethany chief executive officer Grant Boyd said the Bethany Cup provided an opportunity for the local football community to focus on family violence and gender inequality.

“Family violence is a disturbingly widespread issue, affecting people from all walks of life.

“Through initiatives such as the Bethany Cup, we have an opportunity to bring the issue of family violence and gender inequality to the community’s attention and start important conversations.

“We know that the root cause of family violence is gender inequality, and I believe there is a role for all of us to play in challenging gender stereotypes.”

GU chair Bradley Smith said his organisation had a focus on gender equality on the field and behind the scenes, and was committed to ensuring opportunities for girls and women to be involved with football.

“We are proud to have been involved with the Bethany Cup since its inception.”