It was a rainy afternoon at Cintra Park for this year’s Whit’s Cup of Courage, as PLC Sydney Ex-Students returned to the hockey field to take on the current PLC Sydney Firsts.

The Ex-Students came away with a 1–0 win, with Jana Markopoulos scoring the winning goal.

Whit’s Cup of Courage is an annual fixture held in memory of Whitney Lane (Class of 2010), a much-loved member of the PLC Sydney hockey community.

Whitney was diagnosed with Aplastic Anaemia at the age of 11 and later developed Paroxysmal Nocturnal Haemoglobinuria, a rare disease of the bone marrow. Despite the challenges of her illness, Whitney became a passionate advocate for people living with rare and life-threatening conditions.

At just 19, Whitney collected more than 20,000 signatures in support of making the drug Soliris available through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Her campaign helped raise awareness of the challenges faced by people living with rare diseases.

Whitney underwent a bone marrow transplant in April 2012, but sadly passed away a few weeks later, aged 20.

The inaugural Whit’s Cup of Courage was held in 2015, bringing together former PLC Sydney hockey players and the current Firsts team. The annual game recognises Whitney’s connection to the PLC Sydney hockey community and her love of the sport.

Since then, the fixture has continued to bring past and present players together on the field, with Ex-Students returning each year to reconnect with their former teammates, support the current team and remember Whitney.

This year’s game was another opportunity for our hockey community to come together, with the Ex-Students taking the honours in a 1–0 result.