Victoria’s biggest junior football tournament kicks off this weekend, with thousands of players getting ready to lace up their boots for the Shepparton Cup.
This year’s edition of the tournament will see 312 teams participate in the competition, with matches to be played between Friday 25th October – Sunday 27th October.
Over 4000 boys and girls are expected to play across the 3-day event, with players ranging between the age groups of under 7s – under 18s.
“They are coming from all corners,” Australian Football Skool (AFS) Director Rolando Navas told Soccerscene, who’s organisation is in charge of running the Shepparton Cup.
“The majority (of players) are from Victoria, regional and metro, but we’ve also got teams from New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania and New Zealand, which we are definitely excited about.”
The tournament was introduced in 2007 and has been in operation in most years since then, but due to the COVID pandemic and floods in recent times, the tournament returned last year after a 3-year hiatus.
Last year’s event had 221 teams register, with numbers dramatically increasing for this year’s version of the tournament.
“The biggest participation we had was having 287 clubs compete one year prior to COVID, so with 312 teams this year, it’s the biggest junior competition ever in Victoria to my knowledge.”
Over 12,000 visitors are expected in Shepparton and the neighbouring towns across the weekend, in what is a huge economic boost to local tourism in the area.
“Obviously there are a lot of visitors, which is great,” Navas said.
“People stay overnight (sometimes longer), and spend their money in town – not on just restaurants, petrol, groceries, they visit the local precents as well of course.
“It’s not just for Shepparton (there’s only 3000 beds to stay in the city), the other surrounding areas benefit as well.
“The clubs in the region there cater, local food traders get involved as well, so overall it’s a great boost.”
On the field, play begins on Friday night with 16 games scheduled – with the remaining 759 matches to be played across Saturday and Sunday at the Shepparton Sports Precinct and Mooroopna Recreation Reserve.
“From the football side of things, a lot of these kids have had a long season so it’s sort of a culmination of putting into practice what they’ve been training and learning throughout the season,” Navas said.
“It puts them in a different environment where there’s a lot of games, high pressure, competitive yet a lot of sportsmanship shown and it’s a unique experience.”
There have been a number of high-profile players who have appeared at the tournament over the years, going on to play professionally in leagues around the world.
“We’ve been quite lucky to have some really good players that have played in the tournament, who have gone on to become professionals and represent their country at the highest level,” Navas said.
Players such as Garang Kuol, Ajdin Hrustic, Nishan Velupillay and most recently Luke Brooke-Smith – are just some of the well-known players that have played matches at the Shepparton Cup in previous iterations.
Some matches of the competition will be live streamed on the tournament’s dedicated mobile app over the weekend, thanks to AFS’ partnership with YourSportLive. Other partnerships organised for the tournament include agreements with McDonalds, Kelme, Sports Centre, Ultra Football and many more organisations.
“Travel4football is also our travel partner for the tournament, they are organising the travel for 6 teams from New Zealand and a couple of teams form Tasmanina – which is exciting,” Navas said.
Outside of the matches to be played – there will be plenty of live music and entertainment on offer, an interactive fun zone, food trucks, and special guests expected from the large football community.
Greater Shepparton City Council Mayor, Councillor Shane Sali, expressed his enthusiasm for the football extravaganza.
“Greater Shepparton has had the pleasure of hosting the Shepparton Cup for a number of years…our local clubs are excited for the great opportunity to be involved with some of the key event operations, using this experience to invest back into their facilities and sporting groups,” he stated.
The Shepparton Cup is set to be a huge event for the region, with hopes of continual growth year-on-year.
Speaking on the event overall, Navas stated: “It’s a very social thing for players and parents, they get to have barbecues, hang out and watch other kids play – it really is a big celebration for the end of season.
“It is an important day on the football calendar and we want everyone to have a positive experience.”
