17c起草社区

Adelaide United left-back Joshua Cavallo made headlines last month when he declared to the world, 鈥淚鈥檓 a footballer and I鈥檓 proud to be gay.鈥� This is a sentiment shared by the Sydney Rangers, Australia鈥檚 first and Sydney鈥檚 only gay and inclusive men鈥檚 soccer club, and one which they have sought to give clearer expression to in their newly launched logo and brand.

This month I had the opportunity to sit down with two of the club鈥檚 leaders, Chris Hicks and Jacob Knero, to discuss their new look and the plans underway for the year ahead.

Eighteen months of consultation, at all levels, have produced a modern emblem and a renewed commitment to play with pride. The shield and founding year have been retained from the previous badge, in a nod to club鈥檚 proud past, while the new rainbow bar across the shield鈥檚 top represents the club鈥檚 commitment to a proud future. The monogram, found in the shield鈥檚 centre, creates a heart shape, symbolising values at the club鈥檚 core 鈥� inclusivity and the power of football to unite.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Training During Lockdown

Both Hicks and Knero attest to a strong desire within the Club to better reflect the club鈥檚 values with its branding. As Hicks explained, 鈥淲e all kind of felt that it was a nice badge, but it didn鈥檛 really say anything about us. Now with the new logo, it obviously has the rainbow at the top, the 鈥楽鈥� and the 鈥楻鈥� form the love heart. It says a lot more about us, it鈥檚 modern and it鈥檚 going to look good for the next chapter, which is exciting.鈥�

The club鈥檚 new kit will be rolled out across all six squads in time for the Rangers鈥� 2022 winter season in the Canterbury District Soccer Football Association (CDSFA).

 

View this post on Instagram

 

The Rangers鈥� 2021 Winter season, like so many, was cut short by the extended Sydney lockdown, but if their social scrimmages at Waverley Oval throughout November have been anything to go by then their game has lost none of its intensity.

Hicks and Knero both agree that members seemed train more during lockdown than they were renowned for doing during the season proper. And it鈥檚 a good thing too 鈥� because the Rangers have their eyes on the prize 鈥� retention of the Pride Football Australia (PFA) JF Cup.

‘Rivals on The Pitch, But Just One Community’

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Named for Justin Fashanu, the first openly gay professional footballer, the JF Cup is awarded to the winner of PFA鈥檚 Men鈥檚 Tournament.

Held annually, the JF Cup match is contested between the Sydney Rangers Football Club and the Melbourne Rovers Soccer Club. But while there is definitely a fierce rivalry between the two clubs 鈥� and Hicks is unequivocal in his desire for Sydney to retain the Cup in the coming year 鈥� it is a valued opportunity to come together as a community. As Knero describes, 鈥淵es, you鈥檙e rivals on the pitch but afterward you鈥檙e just one community spreading that one message [of acceptance and inclusion] which is a really nice thing to be a part of.鈥�

 

View this post on Instagram

 

In news eagerly awaited by the queer football community, PFA announced their plans for the 2021 (now 2022) tournament. The twelfth instalment will be held in Brisbane for the first time, hosted by Brisbane Inferno, February 4-6. The Julie Murray Cup will be contested alongside the JF Cup, between the Melbourne Rovers Soccer Club and Sydney鈥檚 Flying Bats Women鈥檚 Football Club.

World Championship XXIV

 

View this post on Instagram

 

The PFA Tournament kicks off an incredibly exciting 12 months for the Rangers and Bats, who, together with partner-city, Washington, have been named the host of the International Gay and Lesbian Football Association World Championship XXIV.

Washington will host the seven-per-side tournament in June 2022, with Sydney to host the 11-per-side tournament in February 2023, to coincide with the city鈥檚 World Pride celebrations.

As well as marking IGLFA鈥檚 30th anniversary, the tournament promises to be a globally historic event for 17c起草社区I inclusion and diversity in football, with the clubs committed to delivering a series of 鈥淒iversity in Sport鈥� panels.

Hicks explains, 鈥淲hen people come to World Pride and the World Championships it won鈥檛 just be about the football and going out for beers. It will also provide opportunities for discussion of First Nations inclusion, transgender inclusion 鈥� areas that we can definitely do a lot better in and I think we should be doing a lot better in.鈥�

鈥淢y utopia would be a story like Josh Cavallo coming-out not being a story. For him to come-out and make global headlines for saying he was gay 鈥� a left-back from Adelaide 鈥� shows what a big step that still is. But my utopia would be that it isn鈥檛 in the future. And people like him are paving the way for that,鈥� Hicks says.

So whether you鈥檇 like to get amongst the thick of winter competition, scrimmage socially throughout the summer months, or just share your love of the game in an inclusive environment, you can get in touch with the Rangers via their . Alternatively, you can find them at the Beresford Hotel most Sundays where Hicks likes to, 鈥渕ake sure the taps are still working.鈥�