IF last weekend’s opening of the Rudi Horvat Round Robin Cup is anything to go by, this weekend’s action at the Old Aerodrome Sporting Complex could be record breaking.
“There were probably about 600 players, and I don’t know how many spectators,” Football Federation Sunraysia general manager Susan Watts said of the bumper first week crowd.
“All I know is our canteen staff were working their butts off. It was probably near a record day. It was certainly more than 1,000 people.”
That total should be comfortably exceeded as prizes will be handed out in 10 different divisions on Sunday.
“We will give out our medallions and trophies as each age group finishes throughout the day and then the following week, we are straight into our season,” Watts said.
The non-stop action is a driving force behind the event’s popularity.
“That’s why they (fans) love it because it’s always go, go, go and the people are really busy and they get to talk to lots of others,” she said.
Soccer, overall, is also going through a boom period in the region.
“The game is definitely growing here. During COVID we continued on. We never lost people and didn’t have to catch up again,” Watts said.
“I think the number of players has doubled since I first started in 2014.
“We’ve introduced new age groups like the Over 35s, Under 13 girls and this year we are going to introduce a girls’ only Under 10s.
“We are definitely building and getting more numbers coming through.”
The season’s curtain-raiser winds up under lights on Sunday with the men’s Seniors final at about 7pm.
Results
Over 35s
Irymple Knights SC d Mildura City SC 8 – 0
Nichols Point SC d Three Colours SC 4 – 1
Three Colours SC d Mildura City SC 2 – 1
Irymple Knights SC d Mildura United SC 3 – 0
Under 12 Division 1 (Mixed)
Irymple Knights SC d Mildura United SC 7 – 0
Three Colours SC d Nichols Point SC 2 – 0
Three Colours SC d Mildura United SC 4 – 1
Mildura City SC drew with Nichols Point SC 0 – 0
Under 12 Division 2 (Mixed)
Irymple Knights SC Black) d Nichols Point SC 5 – 1
Mildura City SC (Red) drew with Irymple Knights SC (Green) 1 – 1
Mildura City SC (Black) d Three Colours SC 4 – 0
Mildura City SC (Black) d Mildura City SC (Red) 1 – 0
Nichols Point SC d Three Colours SC 4 – 1
Irymple Knights SC (Green) d Irymple Knights SC (Black) 3 – 1
Mildura City SC (Black) d Nichols Point SC 5 – 3
Irymple Knights SC (Black) d Mildura City SC (Red)) 2 – 1
Irymple Knights SC (Green) d Three Colours SC 8 – 0
Under 16 Girls
Irymple Knights SC d Mildura City SC 2 – 0
Under 16 Boys
Irymple Knights SC d Nichols Point SC 3 – 0
Mildura City SC v Three Colours SC 14 – 0
Mildura City SC v Nichols Point SC 4 – 0
Irymple Knights SC v Three Colours SC 4 – 0
Under 13 Girls
Nichols Point SC d Mildura City SC 2 – 0
Mildura City SC d Irymple Knights SC 0 – 0
Under 14 (Mixed)
Irymple Knights SC (Black) d Mildura United SC 6 – 0
Mildura City SC d Irymple Knights SC (Green) 10 – 0
Mildura United SC d Three Colours SC 4 – 3
Mildura City SC d Nichols Point SC 2 – 0
Irymple Knights SC (Black) d Irymple Knights SC (Green) 7 – 0
Nichols Point SC d Three Colours SC 6 – 2
Under 16 Girls
Irymple Knights SC d Mildura City SC 2 – 0
Under 16 Boys
Irymple Knights SC d Nichols Point SC 3 – 0
Mildura City SC v Three Colours SC 14 – 0
Mildura City SC v Nichols Point SC 4 – 0
Irymple Knights SC v Three Colours SC 4 – 0
Reserve Men
Mildura City SC d Nichols Point SC 0 – 0
Irymple Knights SC d Three Colours SC 4 – 0
Irymple Knights d Nichols Point SC 1 – 0
Mildura City SC d Three Colours SC 6 – 2
Senior Women
Irymple Knights SC d Mildura City SC 3 – 1
Senior Men
Nichols Point SC d Mildura United SC 3 – 0 (on forfeit)
Irymple Knights SC d Three Colours SC 3 – 1
Mildura United SC d Three Colours SC 3 – 0
Mildura City SC d Nichols Point SC 1 – 0
