Pagewood Botany Football Club (PBFC) has a proud history of nurturing junior talent in Sydney’s southeast, and this year, the club’s U13 Girls’ team is making its mark at the Kanga Cup — the Southern Hemisphere’s largest international youth football tournament.
For Coach Cameron Beaty and his young squad, this is their first Kanga Cup campaign, and the experience is already proving transformative.
“This is our first 9-aside competition, we are finding it really good! They are learning a lot from the games. We find that it’s giving them a good opportunity to upskill. All the games have been very close; there hasn’t been easy games in this competition.”
Representing PBFC, a community-rooted club with a commitment to player growth and inclusion, the U13 Girls are being challenged in new ways — not only by different playing formats, but by unfamiliar opposition from across Australia and overseas.
Coach Beaty emphasises that the opportunity to adapt and evolve is just as valuable as the match results themselves.
“Obviously we are used to playing an 11-aside game in Sydney. But what’s important here is that the girls learn how to bond together. They learn to grow, to develop extra parts of their game [outside] of the 11-aside. We’ve got a lot more space, and teaches you nice, close passes.”
Tournaments like the Kanga Cup are especially vital for the development of girls’ football — and PBFC’s involvement reflects how local clubs are playing a growing role in driving that progress forward.
“I was thinking to myself, these U13 girls never had these opportunities [in the past] to come and participate in competitions like this. Also, where do you get the opportunity in Sydney to mix with other girls from other areas in Australia? I have even heard there’s other players coming from the Philippines! So, it’s a great way to develop players early on.”
By committing to competitions like this, Pagewood Botany not only exposes players to new environments but helps build long-term equity — ensuring that talent from all regions and clubs has the chance to flourish.
Despite the timing of the Kanga Cup within the regular season, the PBFC girls are embracing the challenge and using the tournament’s intensity to their advantage.
“The thing that we have found here is, because you’re playing game after game… For our girls that have never played this tournament, you build momentum, figuring out where your position sits, skill levels, and what’s important to this type of game. Again, as opposed to the 11-aside. I think all these skills will translate to better involvement for our season.”
For a club like PBFC — known for fostering close-knit teams and providing steppingstones for young athletes — this week in Canberra is much more than football. It’s about building confidence, community, and capability in a generation of girls who are now receiving the kind of exposure and opportunity long overdue.
As the Pagewood Botany U13 Diamonds continue their Kanga Cup journey, their efforts speak volumes about the role grassroots clubs play in shaping the future of the game — not just for their region, but for the entire women’s football landscape.
Words: Ella Hewson
