Hundreds gather for IEC Cup

Multiculturalism was celebrated in style in Blacktown on Tuesday when students from Intensive English Centres (IECs) across Sydney participated in the IEC Cup.

Four centres took part in the occasion, with 120 kids getting the opportunity to showcase their kicking, handballing and tackling skills in a competitive, but fun, environment.

The IEC Cup is run as part of the AFL NSW/ACT Multicultural Program, which aims to use the sport as a vehicle to get people from other countries and cultures engaged in their local community.

Prior to the event, students from these IECs are given the opportunity to be involved with a six-week introductory AFL program which teaches them the basic techniques of the sport, before testing out the skills that they’ve learnt in match conditions.

AFL NSW/ACT Multicultural Programs Manager, Nickie Flambouras, said the occasion was a great success because it allowed the students to meet other refugees and migrants who were in a similar position to them.

“It teaches them team skills and gets them to practise their AFL skills that they’ve learnt through their program and also gives them the opportunity to meet other students from other IEC Centres,” she said.

“The students were so keen, and a couple of people were asking ‘how can we play football on the weekends,’ and that’s our ultimate outcome.”