by Grace Knight
A pair of Bond University law students will go head-to-head with FIFA in a hypothetical court showdown in Madrid.
Ella Moore and Sophie Peach are the first Australians to reach the international finals of the Sports Arbitration Moot competition and will battle it out against the top 16 teams in the world.
The Bondies received their invitation to compete after qualifying online in the general rounds.
The Bond Faculty of Law has a strong reputation in mooting which faculty Mooting Director Lisa Bonin calls ‘the lawyer’s sport’.
The team’s coach Assistant Professor Annette Greenhow said Ms Moore and Ms Peach had been able to tap into the mooting expertise of faculty members.
“I teach sports law, so I know that sometimes when we watch sport or play sport, we don’t actually see all of the complex problems that can arise,” Dr Greenhow said.
“This competition is a great way of highlighting that within sport there is still a very organised and robust dispute resolution system.”
Each year, the Sports Arbitration Moot poses a hypothetical question, which in this year’s case involves issues of sporting succession and the right to be heard in European football tribunals.
“Ultimately it’s an appeal against a decision that FIFA made in the disciplinary committee that is their sanctioning body,” Dr Greenhow said.
“Essentially, the competition is a hearing before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.”
The opportunity to compete overseas is a first for both Ms Moore and Ms Peach, however after their vigorous preparation they are confident and ready to bring their best game.
In keeping with the sports theme, they have dubbed their team the Bull Sharks.
“Our preparation for the competition has been very intensive,” Ms Peach said.
“We’ve spent a lot of hours practising and researching so that we can put our best foot forward.”
Ms Moore said: “While we’re starting to feel a few nerves, everyone has instilled in us that this is going to be a great experience, so we’re really looking forward to it.”