Pride Football Tournament in Melbourne tomorrow
Image: Last year's PFA Tournament. Photo: supplied.
The 11th annual Pride Football Australia Tournament brings together interstate soccer clubs, players and supporters in the spirit of competition, inclusion and diversity, and will see the Melbourne Rovers, The Flying Bats Women’s Football Club and the Sydney Rangers go head to head in October.
“The tournament has been running for over a decade and provides us with a platform to raise awareness of LGBTQIA+ issues and promote acceptance and inclusion in sport,” said Melbourne Rovers president James Cardall.
“Each year, the Pride Football Australia Tournament brings together three diverse sporting clubs to celebrate and support the LGBTQIA+ community in sport.”
Last year, the Sydney Rangers Football Club and Sydney’s Flying Bats, the largest lesbian football club in the world, won the Julie Murray Cup and Justin Fashanu Cup.
This year the Melbourne Rovers Soccer Club hopes to win each cup respectively and return them to their home turf of Melbourne.
Taking place at Kevin Bartlett Reserve in Melbourne on Saturday 12 October, the PFA Tournament will not only see local and interstate LGBTQI teams go head to head, but will also hold a social competition where anyone can form a small-side mixed team (maximum 10 players) and register to play.
Entry to Kevin Bartlett Reserve is free, with social matches kicking off from 10am, with Football Federation Australia, Football Victoria, Pride in Sport and Proud2Play joining in on the event, sharing their passion for discrimination free, inclusive sport.
“As a non-profit organisation, working with like-minded organisations is key to our growth and impact in the community,” Cardall said.
“Support from professional sporting organisations allows us to embrace and promote an accepting and inclusive footballing community and for that we are truly grateful.”
You can find out more about the PFA Tournament and the days events at pridefootballaustralia.com.au
