SHEPPARTON United’s women’s football team has taken out the atWork Australia Cup after defeating Eaglehawk, Wangaratta Rovers, and Nathalia on their way to a final showdown against Echuca.
The inaugural round-robin style football carnival, which featured eight women’s teams playing 24-minute matches with a three-minute break, was held at the Shepparton’s Rumbalara Football Netball Club.
AFL Goulburn Murray commercial and operations manager, Zara O’Keeffe, said the atWork Australia Cup, which incorporates teams from the Northern Country Women’s League, will become an annual event.
For Shepparton United, the carnival was the club’s first foray into open-age women’s football with a team led by Ruby Williams, Renee Scott, Claire Magill. The club has fielded an under-18s team in the Shepparton and Districts Junior Football League for the past four seasons.
Women’s coach Dean Walton said United’s aim was to have a full women’s squad competing in the Northern Country Women’s League for the 2022 season.
“We’ll look to enter the NCWL next year, and we’ll start advertising and recruiting in by July this year,” he said.
“For some of our players who are now of open-age, we’re encouraging them to keep up their football then return to United for 2022.”
With the Northern Country Women’s League kicking off on Sunday, March 14, the cup was seen as a perfect pre-season hit out between teams in the region.
