The Auburn Tigers will launch an annual ‘Unity Cup’ battle against The UTS Shamrocks as part of the annual Multicultural Round.
The launch of the 'Unity Cup' is inspired by the teams experience at the 2012 AFL Multicultural Round where the Tigers and Shamrocks clashed at ANZ Stadium as a curtain raiser to the Swans v Giants ‘Sydney Derby’ match.
Lauded as the Sydney women’s derby with respective teams representing Sydney’s East and West, the Unity Cup will be a display of talent across a mix of ethnic and cultural backgrounds.
President of the UTS Shamrocks, Simone Faulkner said, ‘it is important to acknowledge the contribution multicultural teams and diversity brings to the game and football community’.
The diversity continues to grow in AFL at the elite level but more importantly in community football. Half of the players from the Shamrocks are first or second generation Australians or here temporarily. The Shamrocks is home to a record number of international representative players with 5 on their current player list having competed at the 2011 International Cup on either the Irish or Australian Indigenous/Multicultural teams.
The Shamrocks have long been known for their inclusion of visiting European and North American foreign nationals with the team accommodating foreign exchange students attending their affiliated university at UTS. This, along with the Club’s Irish roots has made for an interesting team dynamic.
Similarly the Tigers is known for being socially inclusive of multicultural communities. 84% of the Tigers are from Multicultural communities such as Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Palestine, Malaysia and 16% are Anglo-saxon. The majority of players are second generation Australians with either one or both parents born overseas. Uniquely, the team is intercultural and interfaith, made up of 80% women from Muslim communities.
Co-founder of the Auburn Tigers, Lael Kassem said, “Unity Cup is a chance to celebrate the contributions multicultural players make to the growing women’s competition. It’s great for all communities to come together through sport and celebrate what unities us... being Australian”.
The winning team will stamp their logo on the Unity Cup and hold the trophy at their clubhouse until they clash again in coming years. Also, a plaque will engrave the ‘best and fairest’ player annually.
The 2013 Multicultural Round will be celebrated on the big screen when the Swans v Giants play at the SCG. It will also be celebrated by culturally diverse teams and football?clubs. The Tigers and Shamrocks currently sit close on the Women’s Division 2 ladder and the outcome of the game can affect finals inclusion. The teams take pride in promoting the cultural and religious diversity of NSW and believe the teams are a microcosm of the wider Australian society.
When: Saturday, 13 July 2013 Time: 10:00am kick off Where: Mona Park, Auburn
