Hakoah girls make history
AFTER returning to the National Premier League 2 this season, Hakoah Sydney City East FC continue to record significant milestones, with the 76-year-old Jewish club celebrating yet another momentous occasion just last Sunday.
On March 29, Rianna Pepe, aged 10, and nine-year-old twins Roni and Sophie Goldman created history as the first girls to ever play representative football for Hakoah.
Pepe and and the Goldman sisters will take the field this season for Hakoah’s Under-10 and Under-11 squads, respectively, in the Skills Acquisition Program (SAP), which is a junior development scheme run by Football NSW for promising players under the age of 12.
A fourth girl, Sarah Green, has also qualified for Hakoah’s Under-10 SAP squad but was unavailable after suffering an injury in the preseason trails.
Hakoah Sydney City East FC chairman Jon Pillemer enthused, “It hasn’t happened before that Hakoah has played at this level in this age group.
“It’s the highest representative football played in the Eastern Suburbs so for the girls to get picked in the SAP is a great credit to them.”
Pillemer says this achievement is even more remarkable considering the elite nine-a-side competition, which features famous clubs like Sydney Olympic and Sydney University, is predominantly a male competition.
Only two spots on each team are allocated only for girls.
“It’s amazing that the club has embraced the youth program and also for these girls to have the guts to come and trial with the boys,” he said.
“They played with Maccabi for the last three years but played for the girls’ team.”
Hakoah’s promotion to the state football’s second tier not only saw the expansion from four to eight sides, with new squads from Under-12s through to Under-15s, but also resulted in entry to SAP, which allows the club to develop kids starting from Under-9s.
“We’ve set [the program] up so if you can play with your mates, play for your community but really strive to test yourself at the highest level for your age,” Pillemer said.
Speaking to Hakoah’s talented girls, it’s clear they are already determined to prove themselves now and in the future, with young Roni saying, “I will be almost 16 years old for Maccabiah 2021, a perfect age to represent my country – that is what I’m training for.”
ADAM BLAU
Pictured: Hakoah’s history-making girls (from left): Roni Goldman, Rianna Pepe and Sophie Goldman.
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