North Street neighbours renew 60-year Roper Cup rivalry today
Published:Saturday | August 31, 2024 | 12:10 AM
NORTH STREET giants St George’s College (STGC) and Kingston College (KC) will once again renew their preseason schoolboy football rivalry for the 60th time at Winchester Park today.
Speaking at the Roper Cup’s launch at the Spanish Court hotel earlier this week, president of the STGC Old Boys’ Association (STGCOBA) Imar Walters said the event will prove to be a fun day out for families and the two school communities.
“The Roper Cup has always been touted as being a family affair,” Walters said.
“We are encouraging you to come out with your families and enjoy the Roper Cup. Although we’re certainly looking forward to some thrilling action on the pitch as always, it is also about bringing together generations of old boys from the schools.”
The Roper Cup was first held as a collaborative effort between STGC and KC to foster closer ties between the schools. The competition was named in honour of the late STGC old boy and priest Father Clarence ‘Jack’ Roper.
The competition is a two-match tournament played between the under-40 old boys of both schools and their present Manning Cup squads.
The under-40 teams will take to the field first to open the competition at noon with the winner of the match being awarded the Pancho Ranking Cup.
At 4 p.m., the Manning Cup teams will face off as the event’s final game before the start of the schoolboy football season.
The aggregate score after both matches will determine the winner of the Roper Cup and the team that will take home the newly commissioned trophy this year.
Richard Lindsay, president of KC Old Boy’s Association (KCOBA), said the competition is an important fixture for both school communities and stands as a unique event across Jamaica.
“Roper Cup is such an interesting competition,” said Lindsay.
“I haven’t done the research but what I can say off the top of my head is that I don’t believe there is another competition in Jamaica where two high schools are umbilically linked and have maintained a competition for 60 years.
“I think on that grounds and on the grounds of how the competition started, it makes it really important that this is maintained each year at the start of the schoolboy football competitions,” he added.
STGC are the reigning Roper Cup champions and Walters said the school community will be hoping to retain their hold on the preseason title.
Gates open at the STGC compound at 11 a.m. with an admission cost of $1,000.