Francis Htjaru Kayphoe and Lu Reh gear up for the annual Wollongong World Cup to celebrate Refugee Week. Photo: Zoe Cartwright.
Soccer is called the world’s game for a reason, and a unique cup in Wollongong is bringing people from all over the world together this weekend.
The Wollongong World Cup will draw more than 300 participants from across NSW, all former refugees, to compete for the cup.
The 25-team competition will be hosted by the Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors (STARTTS) Wollongong office.
The Wollongong World Cup is the brainchild of community leader and former refugee Francis Htjaru Kayphoe and STARTTS Community Development Project Officer, Piteeri Michail.
Francis said his own love for the game was part of the inspiration.
“There are formal ceremonies to celebrate Refugee Week, but I thought we needed more activities for young people to have fun,” he said.
“Football is a universal language. Once we play football we can communicate, we can share our stories, talents and skills on the pitch even if we don’t speak the same language.
“It brings people together, and for people who are learning to settle into Australian society it’s good for them to come and socialise and have fun.”
The teams will comprise those from Anuak, Banyamulenge, Bhutanese, Burundian, Congolese, Eritrean, Ethiopian, Hakha Chin, Iranian, Iraqi, Karenni, Syrian, Ukrainian, Yazidi and Zomi backgrounds who have settled in Albury, Armidale, Coffs Harbour, Newcastle and Wollongong.
Francis is from the Karenni community, people who live on the border of Myanmar.
About a third of Karenni people have been displaced by the Burmese military since the 1940s. Hundreds of Karenni villages have been flooded due to hydro power and mining projects.
Wollongong has provided a home for Karenni resettling in Australia since at least 2007.
Lu Reh arrived in the Illawarra in 2016 after spending part of his childhood in a refugee camp.
He said the Wollongong World Cup, now in its second year, had become an important part of his social calendar.
“I’m really excited to meet everyone from different cultures and backgrounds,” he said.
“Football gives me a really strong connection to other people. I started to play when I was young in the refugee camp, but we didn’t have many soccer balls.
“When we get on the pitch and play we can communicate with our skills no matter what language we speak.”
STARTTS has provided services for more than 95,000 survivors of torture and refugee trauma in NSW since it began in 1988.
In recognition of the complex impact of trauma on brain development, STARTTS prioritises children and young people.
STARTTS CEO Jorge Aroche said sport was more than just a way to connect.
“STARTTS’ research has consistently found that participating in sport profoundly supports recovery and helps heal scars from past traumas,” he said.
“This tournament is not just about competition; it’s about fostering belonging and celebrating the beautiful game as a catalyst for connection.”
The tournament will be held at the University of Wollongong on Saturday 28 June and Sunday 29 June from 10 am to 7 pm.
A number of local organisations have thrown their support behind the event, including Corrimal Rotary Club Illawarra, Illawarra Multicultural Services, Kit Bag for Kids, Mosaic Metros Futsal Club, Multicultural and Refugee Health, Multicultural Communities Council, Red Cross (Humanitarian Settlement Program), St John’s Ambulance, Talk2me Bro, University of Wollongong, and Wollongong City Council.
