The English Schools’ Football Association (ESFA) and The Pokémon Company International announce the launch of the Pokémon Primary Schools’ Cup
The 22/23 Schools’ Football season has kicked off with a brand-new partnership between the ESFA and Pokémon, forming the inaugural season of the Pokémon Primary Schools’ Cup. The multi-year partnership will see Pokémon providing opportunities for over 5,000 school teams and over 50,000 players across three competitions for mixed teams, girls’ teams and small schools’ teams.
The U11 Schools’ Cup, U11 Girls’ Cup and U11 Small Schools’ Cup competitions provide a pathway for teams to progress through three rounds of competition. Beginning in local, District rounds, successful teams then go on to compete in County rounds, then one of four Regional Finals, which take place in the North, Midlands, South East and South West of England. The top 6 teams from each Regional Final will have the opportunity to travel to the National Finals in May, where the National Champions of each competition will be crowned.
The Pokémon Schools’ Cup competitions embrace and promote the ESFA’s “15 Benefits” of schools’ football including, but not limited to,
- Providing opportunities to develop positive relationships
- Helping children to feel they are part of a team
- Encouraging teamwork
- Teaching respect
The Pokémon Company International is on a mission to delight their fans through excellent products and meaningful experiences. They hope to help make the world a better place for everyone by creating opportunities to bond and grow through shared journeys and friendly competition. Peter Murphy, Senior Director of Marketing at the Pokémon Company International said, “We’re incredibly excited to now be part of this long-standing competition and hope young trainers from schools all over the country will take part, to enjoy their own shared journey, making new friends and memories along the way”.
Stuart Botham, ESFA Chair (22/23) said, “On behalf of the English Schools’ FA, I am delighted to see the Association and Pokémon embarking on this new journey together, to provide such fantastic opportunities for primary school pupils across England. To be able to align our activity with a brand that resonates so positively with children is wonderful and I am looking forward to seeing how this partnership develops over the coming seasons”.
Competition and event updates will be shared on the ESFA Website and across social channels throughout the coming months. Make sure you use #Pokemonschoolscup and tag @schoolsfootball in all your results.
The National Governing Body for Schools’ Football in England.