The 58th annual Robbie International Soccer Tournament begins play this weekend with games at Birchmount Stadium
The 58th annual Robbie International Soccer Tournament is back in action with a number of matches set for local fields this weekend.
The Robbie is the world’s largest annual charity soccer tournament. It raises money for Cystic Fibrosis Canada and has donated more than $2 million in its over 55-year history.
Cystic fibrosis is a genetic condition that affects the lungs. There is no cure, but life expectancy has improved.
The Robbie got its name from Robbie Wimbs, the son of one of the tournament founders, John Wimbs. The organizers of the first Robbie were meeting at Wimbs’ house in Scarborough when they heard Robbie, who had cystic fibrosis, upstairs. They decided to dedicate the event to soccer and an important cause.
The Robbie is divided into the final two weekends of June.
Last weekend saw the Festival, for ages eight to 12, played. The Festival is non-competitive, and teams in the U8, U9, and U10 divisions march in a parade at the fields.
This weekend is the Tournament for competitive teams aged 13 to 18. The Robbie Tournament traditionally takes place on the weekend closest to Canada Day, which will be Saturday, June 28, to Monday, June 30 this year.
Games are set to be played at a number of fields in the city, many of them in Scarborough.
As usual, Birchmount Stadium, known as the “Home of the Robbie”, will host the finals on Championship Monday which is on June 30. Championship games in some divisions also take place at L’Amoreaux Park in north Scarborough.
As a special bonus for this year’s Robbie, a number of matches in the boys U17/18 division will be played at Birchmount Stadium (Birchmount and Kingston roads) on the night of Friday, June 27. On that night, Scarborough’s The Borough FC 2008 team will play Caledon FC United at 7:50 p.m.; and Toronto’s DeRo TFC will take on Kitchener’s RED Academy at 9:10 p.m.
Between the Festival and the Tournament, hundreds of youth soccer teams are expected to take part in this year’s Robbie.
International teams taking part this year include a pair of boys’ teams from Illinois; and a U13 girls team — the Los Angeles Queens — from California.
For more information and full schedules for this weekend’s Robbie, please visit: https://therobbie.ca
