North Sydney United FC have come returned to Canberra for the KEEPUP Kanga Cup and are looking to showcase their best football in the Capital.
The festival of youth football will continue until Friday 7 July, when North Sydney United will hope to have as many teams as possible playing in finals on Southwell Park.
Although they’re trading Sydney’s (still quite hot) northern beaches for Canberra’s cold rainy winters, North Sydney are looking to play their best football whilst seeing what their nation’s capital has to offer.
North Sydney have brought ten teams down to Canberra and Dani Smith says there’s no team keener than her U14 girls’ team, who have been looking forward to the tournament with utmost excitement.
“I definitely can see that the girls have been looking forward to (the KEEPUP Kanga Cup. It’s a week where they can play every day, doing something they love,” Smith said.
“Having a week where they can all stay together and do all these fun things when they aren’t playing too. They always celebrate the day whether they win or lose.”
The KEEPUP Kanga Cup allows Canberra to not only showcase their love for Football, but also allows people from around Australia (and the world) to see what the ‘Bush Capital’ has to offer. Smith says her team will be taking full advantage of Canberra’s restaurants and touristic destinations.
Visiting from interstate as a team is what attracts a lot of players to this annual festival of football and the tournament creates a real community within a team, a value that is at the forefront of North Sydney United.
One of the largest clubs in Northern Sydney, United have always made sure there is a real community feel about the club. Not only have many parents and friends have come down the Hume Highway with the team, but many of them were at Dickson Oval at 8:30am on the cold Tuesday morning when Smith’s U14 Girls beat local club, Woden Valley SC.
Smith describes North Sydney United as a community club, where players generally play right through to senior football level, helping teammates become friends.
“At North Sydney everyone seems to stay together, playing right through to adults,” Smith praised. “It’s got that really good community value where everyone watches each other’s games.”
North Sydney United, while community based, also has programs in place to help players wanting to push to be the best they can, like their camps run with Sydney FC.
The club has produced some great players none less than Manchester City player and recent Socceroos debutant, Alexander Robertson, who played for Northern Sydney United before moving to England.
Words: Henry Ricketts