Tradition: Rumbalara and Congupna took part in the 16th annual Unity Cup celebrations last weekend.
Photo by
Keneisha Howell
Sport took a back seat at Mercury Drive last Saturday as people from across greater Shepparton came together to recognise the role of women in sport and in the community as part of the traditional Unity Cup celebrations.
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Rumbalara Football Netball Club hosted the 16th edition of the special event, held in conjunction with Congupna Football Netball Club.
Hundreds of people came together before the senior football and A-grade netball games to take part in a Welcome to Country, smoking ceremony and solidarity walk.
Players and men formed a guard of honour out on the field, with netballers and women from across the community proudly marching through.
Rumbalara president Josh Atkinson said the club was proud to be involved in such a positive event that recognises the vital role women play in the community.
“It was fantastic to host the Unity Cup again and as always it is great to have Congupna here and a part of it. It is such a highlight of our calendar,” Atkinson said.
“It is an occasion where we get to highlight and celebrate a component of our community without using a derogatory notion. It is purely all positive and it is very rare to have that done anywhere these days.
“Most times when we celebrate an occasion it is a reflex reaction to something that has brought it on, whereas this isn’t and hasn’t been from the beginning.
“It was an idea that we came up with in conjunction with Congupna that we felt needed to be highlighted a lot more. We have kept it positive the whole way through and that is why it is so important because we want to make sure the lens is always from a positive perspective.”
Words of inspiration: Aunty Pam Pedersen was one of the speakers at the Unity Cup president’s lunch.
Photo by
Keneisha Howell
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Together: Women get ready to take part in the Unity Cup’s solidarity walk.
Photo by
Keneisha Howell
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Special guests: Rochelle Pattern, Kaye Briggs, Cr Dinny Adem, Aunty Pam Pedersen, Cr Seema Abdulla and Heidi Knowles after the Unity Cup president's lunch.
Photo by
Bransen Gibson
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Ceremony: Rochelle Pattern conducting a smoking ceremony.
Photo by
Keneisha Howell
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Side by side: Women march through a guard of honour during the solidarity walk.
Photo by
Keneisha Howell
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Special moment: Rochelle Pattern conducting a smoking ceremony.
Photo by
Keneisha Howell
Following the solidarity walk, there was a president’s lunch with a number of speeches and honoured gets.
Aunty Pam Pedersen was the main speaker, with A-grade netball coaches Jess Bamblett and Jodie Fleming also addressing the audience.
Afterwards, Congupna and Rumbalara competed for the two Unity cups, with a trophy awarded to the respective football and netball victors.
Rumbalara earned an 23-goal win on the netball court, while Congupna prevailed by 162 points in the footy.
“On the day itself, on the football field we were simply outclassed,” Atkinson said.
“Congupna is a team that is likely to finish in the top two this year. We really respect them for what they have gone through and where they are at now. I think they are the template for how you want to build a successful and sustainable team.
“Fortunately, our A-grade netballers were awesome on the day, so we got to split the silverware with Congupna. They got the football trophy and we got the netball trophy.”
