The Fitzroy Football Club in partnership with Melbourne University Womens Football Club (MUWFC) are thrilled to announce that our senior womens teams will play each other in a pride celebration match in 2021!

MUWFC have hosted and participated in pride matches since 2017 and Fitzroy was beyond excited when the club reached out to include our Senior Womens Team in such an important display of inclusivity and celebration of the LGBTIQ+ community.

We know football has the power to bring so many different people together, which is what were all about at Fitzroy,Fitzroy Football Club President Joan Eddy said proudly.

Fielding our first womens team in 2015 brought more diversity to our community which was wonderful, and we know we need to continue do things to show that everyone is always welcome at our club, and at our game. A pride match with MUWFC is something were honoured to be part of./p>

MUWFC President, Maddie Sheedy, said extending the tradition of the Pride Game is important and carries a strong message.

We are incredibly excited to be hosting our annual Pride Match in conjunction with Fitzroy FC in 2021. Since 2017, MUWFC have played against the Darebin Falcons for the Pride Cup in the VFLW competition, with the first two years being held in Hamilton in regional Victoria. In 2019, we brought the game to Melbourne University Oval and both VFLW and VAFA teams celebrated pride games in the same round.

The Pride Match provides an important opportunity for visibility and support of our LGBTIQ+ community. We hope that this game and supporting events will allow discussions about inclusion to be continued, and that from discussions, further action will be taken to continue to make sport accessible and welcoming for all. Thank you to Change Our Game, Melbourne University Sport and the University of Melbourne for their support, and to Fitzroy FC for their collaboration and leadership./p>

In addition to the Pride Match, the Fitzroy Football Club has also been awarded a Change Our Game Community Activation Grant to go towards creating a celebration event alongside the match that will promote both clubswomens programs and celebrate the intersecting communities that womens football brings together.

Originally planned for the ultimately cancelled 2020 VAFA season, both Fitzroy and MUWFC have been working on plans for the 2021 event with much excitement.

The Change Our Game grant allows us to make this a much more special and symbolic occasion,President Eddy said.

These grants are for the celebration and amplification of women in sport. While we would have participated in a pride match wholeheartedly with MUWFC regardless of the grant, these funds give us the support to host an event that is focussed on celebrating our LGBTIQ+ community, along with a few more actions to show our clubs ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusion. Were very grateful to the Victorian Office for Women in Sport and Recreation for supporting this initiative through this grant./p>

Details on the Pride in Women's Community Footballevent will be announced closer to the 2021 VAFA season when fixtures have been announced but one thing has been confirmed.

The Fitzroy Senior Womens team will wear a custom-designed pride guernsey for the first time in the clubs 138-year history. Another powerful commitment to diversity the club will be able to make through the Change Our Game Community Activation Grant.

Newly appointed Senior Womens Coach, Bronte Ryan was thrilled on learning a historic pride game was on the cards in her first season and has thrown down the challenge to her former side.

When I was first told we were going to be a part of a pride game in 2021, I felt honoured that our club, and our team, can play a part in celebrating everything thats great about the LGBTQI+ community!

We want our great game to be inclusive of everyone and this game is a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate that message.

To be coaching in this game as the head coach is going to be a special moment and I know the team will rise to the occasion, hopefully we can cap it off with a win against my old team!

But some things are bigger than footy so on this occasion, we know inclusion in football will be the real winner - though wed also like the points!

The Fitzroy Football Club has long been committed to celebrating the women of the Roys with an annual Women in Football Luncheon. The club is excited to add to that fixture with something that shows an active embrace of more members of the community.

Our women in football event is an important fixture, but we acknowledge that women in sportcovers many experiences and having a women in football event that also demonstrates our commitment to supporting our LGBTIQ+ players, officials, volunteers and supporters is important,President Eddy said. And I cant wait to see our women run out the race in pride guernseys in 2021!/p>

More details about the Pride Game and Pride in Women's Community Football event will follow closer to the commencement of the 2021 VAFA season.