austraLasia #2382

Clericus Cup goes under!

Melbourne: 20th March 2009 -- Cardinal Bertone had a fair hand (foot) in setting up the Rome-based Clericus Cup in 2007. He saw it as 'strengthening feelings of true friendship and fruitful sharing'. Little did he know how his enthusiasm might be catching, and how men worldwide who might otherwise have followed a promising soccer career have found opportunity to display prowess and passion for the sport within their religious calling.
    While it cannot be argued (at least in Australia) that soccer is the number one sport, in Melbourne particularly it has become popular amongst many teenagers thanks to the Socceroo success in the 2006 World Cup in Germany. So no surprise that  the Salesian Theological College community in Melbourne, Clifton Hill, made up of young students from a range of countries throughout Asia and the Pacific, some with a passion not only for the future ministry but also soccer, have put a team together!  There are Salesian students from Thailand, Korea, Vietnam and Samoa, and this combination of manpower and passion has forged a community soccer team.
    The beginnings were humble enough - a trip to the local park to play soccer amongst themselves.  Then they began to challenge other seminarians and seminaries who were interested in soccer.  Through connections at Catholic Theological College, a combined diocesan and religious seminary of which the Salesian Theological College is part, Salesians managed to get a game with the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. It was the first competitive game. Amidst pious exclamations and fervent invocations it was the Salesians who out-prayed their opponents and came through with a miraculous victory.
    Confidence breeds confidence, so the next team tackled (excuse the rugby term) was a group of Vietnamese with Salesian College Chadstone as venue. This time, the once vanquished Oblates offered a hand (foot); by now it was a 'world team' adding some from Laos and a lay Salesian from Zambia for good measure.  Another victory, 9-3.
    The most recent game was against Corpus Christi College, the Diocesan Seminary. As Salesian Thai Deacon Monthon Rojjanasutadkul put it: "These guys are also training to compete in the inter-seminary soccer tournament in Sydney". Now that's big time. The game ended with yet another impressive Salesian-cum-Oblate victory. 
    No mention at all in this report of the infamous red or yellow card. The Clericus Cup has actually introduced a 'blue' card for unpious invocations, but the referee downunder would probably need to be an accomplished linguist to issue one.

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Title: australasia 2382
Subject and key words: EAO General Soccer
Date (year): 2009
ID: 2000-2099|2382