The KEEPUP Kanga Cup isn’t always about the result, for some it’s about being able to have the opportunity to travel, play against top quality opposition from all around Australia and Overseas, but most importantly it’s all about having fun.

The boys from Curl Curl in Sydney’s North have travelled down to Canberra to participate in the week-long tournament.

Fielding just the one team compared to previous years, manager Paul Trecartin is incredibly delighted to fly the flag for the club at this year’s rendition of the KEEPUP Kanga Cup.

“The boys are having a lot fun… We are a bit disappointed with some of our results so far, but the boys are playing good football,” he said.

“We have been coming to the KEEPUP Kanga Cup on and off for years, and we usually have several teams from our club come down, unfortunately we’ve only got one this year… We keep coming back because it’s such a well-run tournament.”

Founded in 1958, Curl Curl Youth Club compete as part of the Manly Warringah Football Association fielding a total of 96 teams ranging from Under-6’s to Over-45’s and is the fifth largest club in the Manly Warringah competition.

The primary focus for the club is the development of their younger players and have run Junior Development Training sessions for Under-6’s – Under-10’s since 2013.

This program has been extremely well received by the members and the community and has continued to expand ever since its inception, expanding to include sessions for Under-11’s as well as an extended program for Uner-12’s and Division One players.

Curl Curl have had a great start to the tournament with three wins from their opening five games and currently sit in fourth place in their pool where only four points separate the top four teams.

Overall, the KEEPUP Kanga Cup has been an unforgettable experience for Trecartin and the players and will be hoping to finish out the tournament with a bang.

“We love a challenge… Our biggest goal coming into this week was for the boys to compete as hard as they can, but most importantly to have fun, so hopefully we can do both those things and get a few results to break our way as well.”

Words: Dion Stergiopoulos