Girls United are pleased to announce that their annual International Women’s Day 5-a-side tournament will be sponsored by Hawk-Eye Innovations & Pulselive of the Sony Sports Innovation Group. Powerleague, the official venue sponsors, will host the event at their state-of-the-art Central London facilities in Shoreditch.

Taking place on Saturday 12 March, the tournament is an annual fundraiser designed to celebrate women in football and to support grassroots initiatives that provide girls with opportunities to succeed on and off the pitch.

With 24 teams competing across 3 categories (Beginner Women’s & Non-Binary, Women’s & Non-Binary and Men’s & Non-Binary), the tournament’s goal is to bring London’s adult footballing community together to inspire and support the next generation of female footballers whilst raising enough funds to enable 24 girls to play football for a year. The fundraising target has therefore been set at £6,000.

As main sponsors of the tournament, Hawk-Eye & Pulselive have not only provided essential funding ahead of the celebration, but have also committed to supporting event proceedings with 10 volunteers on the day.

Romina Calatayud, Girls United Founder & CEO, said: “We’re all very excited to be coming together to celebrate our 4th International Women’s Day tournament.”

“The tournament gets bigger and better each year and it’s fantastic to be able to count on the support of great organisations such as Hawk-eye, Pulselive and Powerleague, alongside our longstanding supporters.”

“International Women’s Day has become an important checkpoint for us, where we can reflect on our growth alongside that of female football as a whole. This year, our exceptional team of coaches and staff worked with over 600 girls across South London, providing a platform for positive change and breaking down barriers for women in football.”

Hawk-Eye and Pulselive CEO, Rufus Hack, commented: "Hawk-Eye and Pulselive are conscious of the current role we play within the global sports community, with our efforts focused on making sport fairer and more engaging.”

“Part of our vision is to create technologies that positively contribute to building sporting communities, which means that we dedicate our time and efforts to supporting the advancement of sport at every level, especially grass roots.”

“We’re thrilled to support Girls Utd. in their efforts to bring football to more young women across the globe and create new opportunities for those who wish to contribute both on and off the field."

Charlotte Ullathorne, Powerleague’s Chief Marketing & Customer Officer is excited for the big day: “At Powerleague we are on a mission to help support and grow women’s football. We do this through providing bespoke women’s leagues, supporting local community initiatives, and ensuring that all our content is tailored and approachable to all our players. That’s why we’re so excited to be partnering with Girls United to help bring to life their annual tournament, and we look forward to staying in touch with the 24 girls who will be directly supported by the success of the event’s fundraising.”

The annual International Women’s Day 5-a-side tournament is one of several celebrations taking place across Girls United’s two locations of London and Mexico. Throughout the week, girls attending partner schools in South London will be taking part in active workshops aimed at redefining female role models through our ‘Love The Game x Nike’ programme. Across the Atlantic, an interclub tournament will be taking place in Quintana Roo, Mexico, bringing together players from four Girls United Mexico clubs.

Tuesday 8 March, International Women’s Day itself, also marks Girls United’s 5th Anniversary.

More information on the wider International Women’s Day celebrations will be shared across the Girls United social media accounts and website over the coming weeks.