Bilingual Soccer World Cup

We are very excited to share that Newlands Primary School has created the first-ever Bilingual Soccer World Cup, and this year we will also have the honour of hosting it!

The tournament will take place at the Darebin International Sports Centre (281 Darebin Road, Thornbury) on Friday 7 November 2025.

What is it?

The Bilingual Soccer World Cup is a celebration of language, culture and sport. Nine bilingual schools from across Melbourne will come together for a full day of soccer, friendship and community. Each school will present two teams (Boys/Mixed and Girls from Grades 5/6) who will proudly represent their languages on the field.

Participating Schools and Languages

• Newlands Primary School – Spanish
• Lalor North Primary School – Macedonian & Greek
• Camberwell Primary School – French
• Abbotsford Primary School – Chinese
• Richmond West Primary School – Chinese & Vietnamese
• Bayswater South Primary School – German
• Brunswick South Primary School – Italian
• Footscray Primary School – Italian
• Huntingdale Primary School – Japanese

Building our Newlands Teams

This week, we have been running tryouts for all interested Grade 5 and 6 students. A group of teachers have been leading the sessions and using a selection rubric to make sure the process is fair and based on a team decision. For students who couldn’t make it this week, there will also be a make-up tryout session next week so everyone has the chance to participate.

Why is it special?

This tournament is not just about soccer. It’s about celebrating the bilingual education programs in our schools and showing how sport can connect communities across cultures. Alongside the matches, the event will be a colourful display of language, culture and team spirit.

Promo Video & Poster

We invite you to watch our official promo video here: 

Please share it with the community!

Join Us!

Families, friends and community members are warmly encouraged to come along and support the students. It promises to be a fantastic day of soccer and celebration. More information in the coming weeks. 

Yours faithfully, 

Raúl - HPE Teacher