The CFMEU Canberra Raiders have claimed the ranking of Canberra’s number one football team, after they defeated the CA Brumbies 5-1 in today’s White Ribbon Sports Challenge.

Raiders Five-eighth Terry Campese was a star in the White Ribbon Sports Challenge

The event was used to promote awareness and understanding for the upcoming White Ribbon Day on November 25 and to show that Canberra’s two major sporting teams are committed to the prevention of violence against women.

On the park, the Green Machine had to make some late changes due to niggling injuries, with Josh Dugan, Josh McCrone and Drury Low coming in for Josh Miller and Joel Monaghan.

The match was a six-a-side format with two seven minute halves and the Raiders dominated proceedings from the outset, with Josh Dugan crossing for his first try after a lovely ball from Terry Campese.

The Raiders were in again soon after to make it 2-0, but the Brumbies hit back with a try of their own to James Stannard.

The game seemed in the balance with both teams attacking freely, before a runaway intercept try to Dugan gave the Raiders a 3-1 lead at the break.

Neither side looked as if they were going to crack in the second half until Terry Campese fooled the Brumbies defence with a neat dummy and Glen Buttriss sealed the win with a try on fulltime.

Despite the lopsided score line Campese said the game was more than just who won the touch football on the day and highlighted the importance of raising awareness for the upcoming White Ribbon Day.

“We all had a bit of fun out there today in pretty warm conditions and although it was nice to get a win there was more to the day than just the game,” Campese said. “The players of both teams are proud to be involved in White Ribbon Day and hopefully the game today has raised some awareness for a worthy cause.”

The ACT White Ribbon Sports Challenge initiative is linked to White Ribbon Day on Wednesday, 25 November, a day used to highlight the need to eradicate violence against women.

Rob Regent, White Ribbon Ambassador says he’s pleased to have the CFMEU Raiders and CA Brumbies promoting a positive sporting atmosphere for women.

"There are over 40,000 men and boys registered with sporting clubs in the ACT and surrounding region,” he said. “The White Ribbon Sports Challenge is about those men and boys taking action to create a fun, friendly and safe environment around sport for women and girls. The key to the success of this Challenge is showing the community that most sportsmen are good blokes.

“The importance of having the Brumbies and Raiders involved is primarily to use their popularity and profile in Canberra to bring attention to the Challenge. The more people know about it, the more positive things will happen and therefore the more ‘good bloke’ stories we can share. It's also a good way to demonstrate to the community that they are taking an active interest in creating respectful cultures around sport.”

CFMEU CANBERRA RAIDERS 5 (Josh Dugan 2, Drury Low, Terry Campese, Glen Buttriss tries) defeated CA BRUMBIES 1 (James Stannard try)

PICTURE: Raiders and Brumbies unite to promote White Ribbon Day