Opal Little Saints Cup goes big in second year
If the sequel is just good as the original in Grand Final terms, the same can be said for the follow-up to the inaugural Opal Little Saints Cup held at RSEA Park.
A round-robin tournament featuring young females in Grades 5 and 6, the two-day event aims to provide girls a fun introduction to football with friendship, participation and teamwork at its heart.
Several St Kilda AFLW players helped facilitate the second Opal Little Saints Cup at RSEA Park, helping young primary school girls get involved with and experience the fun of football.
Over 100 students from five different primary schools from the bayside – Clarinda, Kingsley Park, Skye, Brighton Beach, St Louis de Montfort Primary School – descended on St Kilda Football Club on Tuesday and Thursday, with AFLW players Hannah Priest, Georgia Patrikios, Serene Watson, Renee Saulitis and Erin McKinnon helping bring the day of football fun to life.
St Louis de Montfort and Clarinda Primary Schools were crowned winners on Tuesday and Thursday’s Grand Finals respectively, each receiving a football-shaped trophy made of sustainable materials from St Kilda’s AFLW co-major partner and sponsor of the tournament, Opal.
It’s the second year the Opal Little Saints Cup has been held at RSEA Park, which similarly saw 100-plus children getting their first taste of football with friends.
“We’re so proud to have hosted the second Opal Little Saints Cup, which of course wouldn’t have been possible without the support of Opal,” STK Education Lead and AFLW captain Hannah Priest said.
“Our vision is to educate and empower young girls to have fun through fitness and football, gain experience being in a team environment and be around female role models such as our Saints AFLW athletes, and the Opal Little Saints Cup is the perfect vehicle for that.
“STK Education works with schools in the area to provide opportunities for all students to learn something new through a fun-filled, football lens and we are excited to see it grow further in the years to come,” said Hannah.
Opal Head of Marketing & Innovation Steven Cramer said Opal was proud to continue its support of empowering young female footballers.
“Opal is thrilled to support grassroots activities like the Opal Little Saints Cup, it’s great to see it getting bigger and better every year!”
Find out more about Opal’s partnership with St Kilda AFLW.
If you’d like to register your interest or find out more information about St Kilda Football Club’s education programs, including the Opal Little Saints Cup, please contact stkeducation@saints.com.au.