The U11 girls were one of four Wagga teams to win a grand final at this year’s Kanga Cup. Photo: Wagga City Wanderers.
Football Wagga has demonstrated its growing presence in Australian football after winning four divisions at the country’s biggest youth football competition.
Sending its largest cohort ever to the Kanga Cup, an annual, week-long event held during the July school holidays, the association saw four of its 19 teams bring home trophies, with the U10 and U11 boys, as well as the U11 and U13 girls, claiming grand final victories.
“Football is definitely growing in both boys and girls [divisions] in Wagga,” Football Wagga development officer Stacey Collins said.
“We can thank the World Cup being in Australia last year for that, as well as the Olympics coming up this year.”
Football Wagga’s two development programs, supported by the Wagga City Wanderers and the Football Wagga Academy, gave each team the best chance to prepare for this year’s cup, by selecting and training its players well before the competition.
“This year we sent the largest number of teams we ever have to the Kanga Cup, and we had some very pleasing results with a lot of teams featuring quite prominently in the finals of their age groups,” Stacey said.
“Under the Wagga Wanderers SAP (Skill and Acquisition Program), we sent three girls’ teams, U10, U11 and U12, and nine boys’ teams from U8 to U12.
“Through the Football Wagga Academy, we sent a further four boys’ teams, U13, U14, U15 and U16, and three girls’ teams, U13, U14 and a combined U15/16 team.
“Pleasingly, we had six age groups either win or finish runner-up, with four of those teams winning their age groups.”
Exton Lloyd claimed the MVP award for the U11 grand final, all on his 11th birthday. Photo: Wagga City Wanderers.
The most thrilling victory of the competition came in the U10 boys’ grand final, where the Wanderers claimed a 5-3 win in a penalty shootout after being tied at 1-1 during regulation and extra time.
“It has been almost a three-year journey for the boys,” coach Carl Pideski said.
“They made the final in 2022 but weren’t quite able to win it that day. In 2023, they made the semi but put their heads down for 2024 and were able to win the big one. I must admit, there was a tear in my eye, it was such a complete feeling seeing all the work the boys put in paying off.
“It would have been nice to maybe win it before penalties, less stressful for everyone, I think, but it shows the maturity that these young kids have to calm themselves and win it like that.”
Pudeski said he had seen considerable growth in regional football over the past couple of years, and that the work of Football Wagga and the Wagga City Wanderers had made the local football space feel like a tight-knit community.
“Families love bringing their kids to these competitions,” he said.
“We often travel in groups and spend the full week together. Our boys watched some of the older teams play, both boys and girls, and they did the same.
“It’s a testament to how good Wagga’s football programs are and the amount of success and fun we had during the Kanga Cup shows that it’s going in the right direction.”
All the Kanga Cup results can be checked out here.
Loading ...
