Celebrating culture through the Greek Community Cup

Originally published on Ta Nea

Written by Tayla Oates, a graduate of the Change Our Game Women in Sports Media Program.

This year, the Greek Community Cup opened its doors for the first time to an exciting competition of fierce women from all over the state, while celebrating Greek culture and sporting traditions.

The showcase of rising talent in women’s football within the Greek community provided players with a chance to display their skills and compete for the inaugural 2025 Hellenic Cup.

Ultimately, Box Hill United FC claimed the title, with standout performances from key players including Chiara Lettieri and Nazia Ali, who scored the winning goal. The team’s defence held strong against runners-up Koen Park.

Box Hill Captain Rebeka Varelas expressed that the celebration of soccer and her culture was ‘so exciting,’ along with the inaugural women's competition.

“I've played at Box Hill since I was about five,” Rebeka said.

“It started off with me and another Greek girl playing with the boys. Since then, I've noticed an increase in the number of females coming to play.”

For many years, football has served as a key cultural outlet for Greek Australians, providing both a platform for athletic achievement and a means to stay connected to their heritage.

“On match days, all the pappous - grandpas - would sit together and a lot of my family came, and everyone enjoyed being there,” Rebeka shared.

“It's always been a strong Greek community at our club, with a lot of excellent coaches, including our coach, Stephanos.”

Recognising this deep connection, the GCC was established by the Greek Community of Melbourne to celebrate this intersection of sport and culture.

Coach Stefanos Sakalis remarked that the Cup was an opportunity for the Under 20 team to showcase their skills against players of all ages.

“It was a new experience for the girls,” he noted.

They faced opponents who were “17, maybe 20 years” their senior, according to Stefanos.

“I told them, whatever happens, just focus on the game and nothing else.”

With the growing interest in women’s sports, the GCC has raised the profile of women’s football across local communities and beyond.

Following this year’s success, organisers are already planning for next year’s competition, intending to involve even more teams and continue promoting women’s participation in football.

“They say next year will be even bigger!” says Coach Stefanos.

“And we want to see more teams on the women’s side.”

This piece was produced in collaboration with the Victorian Government’s Office for Women in Sport and Recreation.