The Community Cup (known as the Reclink Community Cup since 2009 under naming rights) is an annual charity event which features a celebrity
mixed-gender Australian rules football match. It is noted for its cult following, celebrity appearances and media profile. First run in Melbourne in 1997, since 2012 it has expanded nationally, being hosted in every state capital including
Sydney (2012-),
Adelaide
Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
and
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth i ...
/
Fremantle (2015-),
Hobart and
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...
(2016-).
Its origins date back to the early 1990s in Melbourne with the formation of social teams composed of radio station employees (Megahertz) and musicians (Rockdogs). The first match was played in Melbourne and was later played each year during the
Australian Football League (AFL) split round. The Melbourne event remains the most popular, attracting a crowd of around 14,000 each year and raising around $250,000 for charities.
In contrast to today's strict AFL codes of conduct the Community Cup is promoted as embracing grassroots community amateur football and as a result it is promoted as "kid and dog friendly" with quarter and half time
pitch invasion
A pitch invasion (known in North America as field storming or rushing the field) occurs when a person or a crowd of people spectating a sporting event run onto the competition area, usually to celebrate or protest an incident, or sometimes as ...
s for traditional
kick-to-kick
Kick-to-kick is a pastime and well-known tradition of Australian rules football fans, and a recognised Australian term for kick and catch type games. It is a casual version of Australian rules (similar to the relationship between backyard/be ...
. Social
alcohol,
smoking and even
streaking
Streaking is the act of running, often naked, through a public area for publicity, as a prank, a dare, or a form of protest. Streaking is often associated with sporting events, but can occur in more secluded areas. Streakers are often pursued b ...
are tolerated. Despite crowds of up to 23,000 people, it has been a trouble free and casual event.
History
The teams involved in the cup date back to the 1990s. Espy Rockdogs were founded in 1990 as a social footy team to play against Chasers. The team played in a charity match known as the "Footy Mouth Cup" against the Tote Hotel in 1993, raising $500.
The first "Community Cup" was held in 1997 when 3RRR Program Manager James Young proposed the creation of the 3RRR and PBS FM Megahertz to play against the Rockdogs and raise money for St Kilda's
Sacred Heart Mission.
The first match organised was held at
Ross Gregory Oval in
St Kilda. Drawing a crowd of over 2,000 people it was successful in raising over
A$6,000.
Due to the interest generated, Sacred Heart Mission assumed its organisation and a larger venue,
Junction Oval
Junction Oval (also known as the St Kilda Cricket Ground, or the CitiPower Centre due to sponsorship reasons) is a historic sports ground in the suburb of St Kilda in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
The oval's location near the St Kilda Jun ...
, a former
Victorian Football League
The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football league in Australia serving as one of the second-tier regional semi-professional competitions which sit underneath the fully professional Australian Football League (AFL). It ...
stadium was chosen to accommodate the larger crowds.
The 2005 event packed the Junction Oval to capacity, attracting 23,000 people. In 2006, despite the installation of
temporary fencing
Temporary fencing is a free standing, self-supporting fence panel. The panels are held together with couplers that interlock panels together making it portable and flexible for a wide range of applications. A common type of temporary fencing is ...
to accommodate more spectators, the stadium was once more packed to capacity.
The 2007 event introduced an entry charge $5 for the first time, previous events were by gold coin donation. Despite the entry fee, a similarly large crowd attended.
In May 2008 Sacred Heart Mission withdrew due to increased costs of running it. RRR tried to keep the event alive but there was not enough time to secure a charity partner to host the event on the planned date and much to the disappointment of the St Kilda community, the event was shelved.
The cup secured a new charity in 2009, Reclink, and it was moved to
Elsternwick Park
Elsternwick Park (currently known by its sponsored name Sportscover Arena) is an Australian rules football and cricket stadium in Brighton, a suburb of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. The name also refers to the wider parkland in which the mai ...
, held on 21 June. A positive online feedback poll result saw news radio stations
ABC Local Radio and
Radio National
Radio National, known on-air as RN, is an Australia-wide public service broadcasting radio network run by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). From 1947 until 1985, the network was known as ABC Radio 2.
History
1937: Predecessors a ...
cover the match for the first time. With the new venue, the event took a hit in its attendance, drawing just 8,000, however in 2010 attendances rebounded to over 10,000.
The 2011 match drew 12,000 people and raised over $120,000.
In 2012, the match was held outside of Melbourne for the first time, playing a match at
Henson Park
Henson Park is a multi purpose sports ground in Marrickville, New South Wales, Australia.
History
It was established in 1933 on the site of Daley's brick pit, Thomas Daley operated the Standsure Brick Company from 1886 to 1914. The brickworks ...
in Marrickville, Sydney.
In 2015, the Community Cup launched in Adelaide (featuring the mighty Rockatoos versus the Anchors) and in Perth, while 2016 sees the game also launch in Hobart and Brisbane.
In 2017, the Reclink Community Cup was held at Victoria Park in Abbotsford with Spiderbait and The Peep Tempel headlining the event. Courtney Barnett and Remi supported.
The 2019 cup was held at Victoria Park, with
Magic Dirt
Magic Dirt are an Australian rock band, which formed in 1991 in Geelong, Victoria, with Daniel Herring on guitar, Adam Robertson on drums, Adalita Srsen on vocals and guitar, and Dean Turner on bass guitar. Initially forming an alternative u ...
headlining, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the cup.
The match
The football match features two teams of non-footballing local communities: the
3RRR
3RRR (pronounced "Three Triple R", or simply "Triple R") is an Australian community radio station, based in Melbourne.
3RRR first commenced broadcasting in 1976 from the studios of 3ST, the student radio station of the Royal Melbourne Institut ...
/
3PBS
PBS 106.7FM (call sign: PBS FM), also known as the Progressive Broadcasting Service, is a cooperatively owned community radio station in Melbourne, Australia, that broadcasts on 106.7FM, Digital radio and online. PBS celebrated its 40th year of ...
Megahertz, which consists of personnel from Melbourne's two main community radio stations, and the Espy Rock Dogs, a mix of former and present musicians and bar staff from the
Esplanade Hotel. The Rockdog's team president is local satirist
Fred Negro
Frederick John Negro (born 1959) is an Australian satirist, musician, songwriter, and cartoonist. He has fronted numerous rock, punk and country bands.
Biography
Frederick John Negro was born in 1959 and grew up in Richmond. In 1979 Negro fo ...
, who each year includes the community cup weekend in his weekly pub strip for the
Inpress
''Inpress'' was a free weekly tabloid-sized music magazine (street press) that was published in Melbourne, and was released in the Geelong and Mornington Peninsula areas of Victoria, Australia. The magazine was published by Street Press Austr ...
magazine. The Megahertz wear red and white, and the Rockdogs wear black, red white and yellow guernseys. The match is usually umpired by a mix of comedians and notable music industry people, costumed according to a chosen theme, such as 'Do You Love Me?' in 2011 as a tribute to
Nick Cave.
Individual awards
The match is followed by the presentation of a number of medals named after recently deceased musicians, including Dave McComb,
Paul Hester
Paul Newell Hester (8 January 1959 – 26 March 2005) was an Australian musician and television personality. He was the drummer for the band Split Enz for a short time in 1984, and co-founding member and drummer of the rock group Crowded House ...
,
Grant McLennan
Grant William McLennan (12 February 19586 May 2006) was an Australian alternative rock singer-songwriter-guitarist. He co-founded the Go-Betweens with Robert Forster in Brisbane in 1977. In addition to his work with the Go-Betweens (1977–89, ...
, Tim Hemensley, Norm Fagg, Andrew Entsch and
Stuart Speed. The Dave Taranto Medal, named for a former PBS-RRR comic presenter, is awarded to the "most silly Megahertz". The only living medal is the Stephen Hurley Medal, named for a member of the first Rockdogs side in 1993 who broke his spine in November that year and now uses a wheelchair. The Steve Connolly Medal is awarded for the best on ground, and is presented by ''
The Age
''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory ...
'' sports writer
Rohan Connolly
Rohan Connolly (born 1965) is an Australian journalist specialising in Australian rules football writing for ''The Age''. Connolly began his media career writing for ''The Sun News-Pictorial'' in 1983 before moving to ''The Age'' in 1987, where ...
in memory of his brother.
Celebrity appearances
Celebrities to have participated in a match include:
*
Angus Sampson
Angus Sampson (born 1979) is an Australian actor and filmmaker. He is best known for his performances in the ''Insidious'' film series, ''The Mule'', '' Mad Max: Fury Road'', and the Peabody-winning second season of '' Fargo''.
Early life
Samp ...
(2003)
[Sounds indigenous](_blank)
from The Age 19 June 2003
*
Samantha Lane
Samantha Jane Lane (born 5 June 1979) is an Australian AFL and sports writer for ''The Age'' newspaper, television and radio personality and daughter of veteran journalist and commentator Tim Lane. She was a panellist on ''Before The Game'' o ...
(2003)
*
Rupert Betheras
Rupert James Betheras (born 23 November 1975) is a former Australian rules footballer and a contemporary artist, whose practice has largely been painting-based and also involved installation and sculpture. As a painter Betheras cut his teeth ...
(2009)
*
Mick Harvey
Michael John Harvey (born 29 August 1958) is an Australian musician, singer-songwriter, composer, arranger and record producer. A multi-instrumentalist, he is best known for his long-term collaborations with Nick Cave, with whom he formed The ...
(2010- regular)
* Dave Larkin of
Dallas Crane
Dallas Crane are a triple ARIA Award nominated Australian alternative rock band from Melbourne. Their self-titled third album was released on 10 July 2004, and peaked in the ARIA Albums Chart top 50. Its lead single, "Dirty Hearts" (June ...
(2010)
*
Paul Kelly (2011 Rockdogs coach)
*
Tex Perkins
Gregory Stephen Perkins (born 28 December 1964), better known by his stage name Tex Perkins, is an Australian singer-songwriter who fronted the Australian rock band The Cruel Sea, but has also performed with the Beasts of Bourbon, Thug, James B ...
(2014 Rockdogs coach)
*
Urthboy
Tim Levinson, better known by the stage name Urthboy, is an Australian hip hop MC and producer from New South Wales. He is widely known for his solo music under the moniker Urthboy, as a founding member of the hip-hop group The Herd, and for ...
(2014)
*
Jude Bolton
Jude Bolton (born 15 March 1980) is a former professional Australian rules football player who played for the Sydney Swans in the Australian Football League (AFL) between 1999 and 2013.
Early life
Growing up, he supported the St Kilda Footbal ...
(2014)
*
The Meanies (Link and Wally)
*
Tim Rogers (regular for many years)
[Rockdogs suffer mega hurts as music industry’s Reclink Community Cup returns to Melbourne](_blank)
by Tim McGlone for The Guardian 20 June 2022
*
Brian Nankervis
Brian Nankervis (born 1956) is an Australian writer, actor, radio host, television producer and comedian.
Personal life
Nankervis was born in Melbourne. He lives in St Kilda with documentary film makerSue Thomsonand their children, Claudia, Lola ...
(played and umpired - 2012)
*
Kram (regular for many years)
*
Peter Rowsthorn (player and umpire)
[23 years of the Reclink Community Cup: the media v musos](_blank)
by
Steph Harmon for The Guardian 24 June 2016
*
Anthony Albanese (2015)
*
Simona Castricum (2017)
[‘Rogers, ya TRY HARD’: Why the Reclink Community Cup rules, according to its legendary veterans](_blank)
fromp Beat.com.au 14 June 2022
*
Ashley Naylor (2019)
*
Sam Pang
*
Courtney Barnett
Courtney Melba Barnett (born 3 November 1987) is an Australian singer, songwriter, and musician. Known for her deadpan singing style and witty, rambling lyrics, she attracted attention with the release of her debut EP ''I've Got a Friend Call ...
*
Dan Sultan
Daniel Leo Sultan (born 1983) is an Australian alternative rock singer-songwriter and guitarist, actor and author. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2010 he won Best Male Artist and Best Blues & Roots Album for his second album, '' Get Out While Y ...
*
Penny Wong
Penelope Ying-Yen Wong (born 5 November 1968) is an Australian politician who has been Minister for Foreign Affairs (Australia), Minister for Foreign Affairs and Leader of the Government in the Senate (Australia), Leader of the Government in the ...
*
Adalita
*
Felix Riebl
Felix Riebl (born 1 May 1981) is a singer, songwriter, and composer based in Melbourne. He is the co-founder, band leader and principal songwriter of the internationally acclaimed band The Cat Empire, who have made multi-platinum albums, and are ...
(2021)
*
Peter Malinauskas
Peter Bryden Malinauskas ( ; born 14 August 1980) is an Australian politician, serving as the 47th and current premier of South Australia since March 2022. He has been the leader of the South Australian Branch of the Australian Labor Party (AL ...
(2022)
*
Kyam Maher (2022)
*
Katrine Hildyard
Katrine Anne Hildyard (born 1 April 1970) is an Australian politician representing the electoral district of Reynell in the Parliament of South Australia as a member of the South Australian Labor Party since the 2014 state election.
Hildyar ...
(2022)
*
Steven Marshall (2022)
*
Tammy Franks (2022)
*
Chad Cornes
Chad Studley Cornes (born 12 November 1979) is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Port Adelaide Football Club and Greater Western Sydney Giants in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was a member of the Po ...
(2022)
*
Nathan Bassett (2022)
*
Nikki Gore (2022)
*
Tory Shepherd (2022)
*
Jessica Braithwaite
Jessica Braithwaite is an Australian television presenter and musician born in Mount Gambier, South Australia. She is a Nine News weather, entertainment and chat show presenter and also performs at major music events. Her 2021 single Who You K ...
*
Peter Goers (2022)
Entertainment
The match itself is accompanied by a two-to-three-hour-long concert, along with entertainment at half time, and usually sees notable acts volunteering their time to entertain the Community Cup audience. Notable performances include
Paul Kelly,
TISM
TISM (an acronym of This Is Serious Mum) are a seven-piece anonymous alternative rock band, formed in Melbourne, Australia on 30 December 1982 by vocalist/drummer Humphrey B. Flaubert, bassist/vocalist Jock Cheese and keyboardist/vocalist Eug ...
and
Magic Dirt
Magic Dirt are an Australian rock band, which formed in 1991 in Geelong, Victoria, with Daniel Herring on guitar, Adam Robertson on drums, Adalita Srsen on vocals and guitar, and Dean Turner on bass guitar. Initially forming an alternative u ...
(2004), one-off reunion concerts by
Rebecca's Empire
Rebecca's Empire (also written as the variant Rebeccas Empire) were an Australian indie pop-rock band formed in 1994. Their mainstay members were Rebecca Barnard on lead vocals and her then-domestic partner, Shane O'Mara on lead guitar. They ...
and
Weddings Parties Anything
Weddings, Parties, Anything. was an Australian folk rock band formed in 1984 in Melbourne and continuing until 1999. Their name came from The Clash song "Revolution Rock". Musicologist Billy Pinnell described their first album as the best Austr ...
(2005) and
Dave Graney
Dave Graney is an Australian rock musician, singer-songwriter and author from Melbourne. Since 1978, Graney has collaborated with drummer-multi instrumentalist Clare Moore. The pair have fronted or been involved with numerous bands including The ...
(2006) and
Mach Pelican (2007). Paul Kelly returned again to accompany
Renée Geyer
Renée Rebecca Geyer (born 11 September 1953) is an Australian singer who has long been regarded as one of the finest exponents of jazz, soul and R&B idioms. She had commercial success as a solo artist in Australia, with " It's a Man's Man's ...
on harmonica while she sang "
Waltzing Matilda
"Waltzing Matilda" is a song developed in the Australian style of poetry and folk music called a bush ballad. It has been described as the country's "unofficial national anthem".
The title was Australian slang for travelling on foot (waltzing) ...
" at the 2006 Cup, with state sports minister and former VFL footballer
Justin Madden
Justin Mark Madden (born 31 May 1961) is a former Australian rules footballer and state politician. He played for the Essendon Football Club and the Carlton Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). After his retirement in 1997, ...
tossing the coin to decide which team was kicking for which goal.
In 2009, live acts included
Cosmic Psychos
Cosmic Psychos are an Australian punk rock band which formed in 1982 as Spring Plains. Founding members included Ross Knight on bass guitar and vocals; Robbie Addington on guitar and vocals; and Steve Morrow on vocals. Australian rock music hi ...
,
Kram,
Doll Squad,
Jordie Lane Jordie is a given name and a nickname of the name Jordan (name). Notable people with the name include:
* Jordie Albiston (1961–2022), Australian poet and academic
* Jordie Barrett (born 1997), New Zealand rugby union player
* Jordie Bellaire, Ame ...
, and
The Scared Weird Little Guys. The 2010 line-up included
The Blackeyed Susans ''For the American band with a similar name, see Blackeyed Susan.''
The Blackeyed Susans are an Australian rock band, which formed in Perth in 1989. Long serving members are Phil Kakulas on bass guitar, guitar and vocals; and Rob Snarski on vo ...
, Money For Rope, Little Freddie and The Pops,
Living End
The Living End are an Australian punk rockabilly band from Melbourne, formed in 1994. Since 2002, the line-up consists of Chris Cheney (vocals, guitar), Scott Owen (double bass, vocals), and Andy Strachan (drums). The band rose to fame in 199 ...
, and
Nick Barker and the Reptiles. Streakers, both male and female, also made appearances.
References
{{Reflist
External links
Press release for the 2010 Cup on the Reclink websitePress release for the 2009 Cup on the Reclink websiteOfficial Site*
ttp://realfooty.com.au/news/news/charity-match-the-ticket/2007/06/27/1182623991496.html Charity Match the ticketfrom realfooty.com.au
2007 cup photos2006 cup photos2005 cup photos2004 cup photos
Charity events in Australia
Australian rules football competitions in Victoria (Australia)