13 Jul 2016

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Budding young soccer stars from Australia and New Zealand are gathering in Christchurch this weekend to take part in the inaugural Christchurch International Cup.

Organised by the Christchurch Football Centre in Yaldhurst, the junior tournament will bring together teams of talented young soccer players from Sydney, Auckland, Dunedin, Timaru and the wider Christchurch region.

There will be four grades – for players aged nine, 10, 11 and 12 – with eight teams in each grade.

All Whites great Steve Sumner, who captained New Zealand at the 1982 World Cup finals, and Rangiora-born Oliver Bowman, the Oceania football freestyle champion, will be special guests of honour at the tournament.

Slava Meyn, owner and founder of the Christchurch Football Centre, said he hoped to make the junior tournament a permanent fixture on New Zealand’s youth sports calendar.

“This year our international cup has eight teams per age group from under-9s to under-12s. In 2017 the tournament will grow to include under-9s to under-16s, with 64 or 96 participating teams, ensuring our vision and ambition to advance football development in Christchurch is realized,’’ Mr Meyn said.

An opening ceremony to mark the start of the tournament will be held on Friday morning.

The public are welcome to attend the tournament. More details are available on the Christchurch Football Centre's website.