Wellington students to mark 1914 Christmas Truce through football

A special schools’ football tournament will be held at the ASB Centre on December 10 to commemorate the famous “Christmas Football Truce” match of Christmas Day 1914.

The tournament will be hosted jointly by the British High Commission, the Embassy of Germany and the Embassy of France. A special guest will be the Governor-General, Lt Gen The Rt Hon Sir Jerry Mateparae, who will officially kick off the day’s event at 9.30am.

At Christmas in 1914, thousands of British, German, French, Indian and Belgian soldiers laid down their weapons and took part in a spontaneous and informal truce on the front line near Ypres, and joined together through games of football in the heart of No Man’s Land.

It was a singularly moving moment during a very grim period in our history.

Commemorations this year marking the centenary of WW1 have highlighted the importance of remembrance for all generations.

The December 10 “Football Remembers” tournament will involve 19 teams of year 9s and 10s competing at the ASB Sports Centre in Kilbirnie in the presence of the Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Maggie Barry, and diplomatic representatives, the British High Commissioner Jonathan Sinclair, the German Ambassador Dr Anne-Marie Schleich, and Mr Raynald Belay, Head of the Cultural, Scientific and Cooperation Department at the Embassy of France.

Figures of New Zealand football, such as Wynton Rufer, and representatives of Wellington’s very own Phoenix team, are also due to make appearances to cheer for the players.

The competition will start on Wednesday, 10 December at 10am with finals to be played from 3pm and teams to receive their prizes from 4pm.

The students will also be invited to ponder the significance of historic events through exhibitions displayed around the centre and will each be given a commemorative book featuring stories from the Christmas Truce in 1914.

The British High Commissioner, Jonathan Sinclair, German Ambassador, Dr Anne-Marie Schleich and French Ambassador, Laurent Contini, have underlined the importance of younger generations being involved in the exercise of remembrance.

In a joint statement they said the "Football Remembers" tournament was a fantastic way to reconnect young people with that moment in 1914 and with a war that risks feeling so distant. “It is fitting that football will once again unite us, this time in remembrance.”

On the eve of New Zealand welcoming the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2015, “it is especially fitting that Wellington students can pay tribute to the role sport can play in bringing all people together.”

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