Ex-pros hail impact of Copa del Cure Leukaemia

By Abi Curran, Sportsbeat

Natasha Dowie and Jodie Taylor were part of a star-studded line-up of former players who laced up their boots for the Women’s Copa Del Cure Leukaemia tournament in partnership with Women in Football.

Surrounded by world-class facilities at St. George’s Park, the 16-team event presented an opportunity to play alongside footballing heroes while raising money for Cure Leukaemia’s Trials Acceleration Programme (TAP) Network.

Each six-a-side squad was drawn a former professional before the group stages commenced as referees from the top two tiers of the professional women’s game officiated proceedings.

Two-time Women’s Super League champion with Liverpool Dowie lifted the Copa Del CL trophy with her team Ballers FC and credited her side’s determined performances to their enthusiasm for the charity’s work.

She said: “It's for a great cause, I am competitive so I wanted to win but also the bigger picture it is about seeing smiles on people's faces and raising as much money as we can for Cure Leukaemia.

“It's great to get stuck in and to see so many women involved playing football is great.

“I was really lucky with my team, Ballers FC, our captain was really organised and a lot of them have played at a good level, so it was great.

“For me, it is about raising funds so less people suffer, we can find more cures for leukaemia, and that is so important something that I am really passionate about."

Teams were rewarded for their hard work on the pitch with an evening gala dinner where 250 attendees were treated to talks from special guest speakers who included Lioness Rachel Daly and former England No.1 Karen Bardsley.

The Trials Acceleration Programme (TAP) is a network of specialist research nurses at 15 blood cancer centres located in the UK’s biggest cities. The network has been funded by Cure Leukaemia since 2020 and costs over £ 1 million per year to maintain.

In partnership with Women in Football, Copa Del Cure Leukaemia also further enhanced the growth of women’s football, providing an engaging tournament for players of all abilities to enjoy.

Women in Football’s head of marketing and communications Michelle Dorgan said: “At Women in Football, we loved the inaugural women’s Copa Del CL last year, having a team here was amazing.

“This year has been even better because we have been able to be official partners of the tournament, which we have been incredibly proud to do.

“It is a fantastic cause and having all the ex-pros with us has been brilliant, everyone has thoroughly enjoyed the event and we are already looking forward to next year.”

Copa del Cure Leukaemia in partnership with Women in Football is Cure Leukaemia’s flagship football tournament held at St George’s Park which offers players the opportunity to live like a pro and play alongside their heroes as they unite in the fight against blood cancer.