Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will be preparing the pitch at Kirribilli House for Fitzy, Wippa and Kate Ritchie for the return of NOVA‘s annual charity match, Backyard Cricket.
Ritchie will go head-to-head with Fitzy as team captains, while Wippa will front the commentary box.
Return players this year include Brett Lee, Mark Ferguson, Smooth FM’s Richard Wilkins and Dr Andrew Rochford.
Making their debut will be NSW Premier Chris Minns, Matilda’s Cortnee Vine, Matt Shirvington, Amy Shark, Nedd Brockmann, Lleyton Hewitt, Ray Meagher and Fitzy’s son Hewie.
Kayo Sports ambassador Brendon Julian will join Wippa in the commentary box.
This year, Fitzy & Wippa with Kate Ritchie will be raising funds for Ronald McDonald House Charities Sydney (RMHCS), providing a home-away-from-home for families of seriously ill children being treated at nearby hospitals, and Batyr Australia, working to create stigma-free communities that champion youth mental health and wellbeing.
Kate Ritchie said of her first year on the pitch, “If you think you’ve seen my competitive side think again! I’ll be doing everything I can to win, and I may or may not have a few tricks up my sleeve.”
Fitzy added, “Everyone wanted to be on Team Kate, but I’ll be the one laughing when Team Fitzy takes the win.”
Meanwhile, Wippa is still wounded from being out for a duck during last year’s match. “It was a shocking ball, and I still can’t believe it cost me Team Captain. We’ll see if Kate can lead her team to victory like I did last year.”
This year, more people will be able to see the action with Kayo Sports delivering a mini of the match from Thursday, 5 October, where viewers can see all the best bits.
See Also: Fitzy, Wippa and Kate return for their annual Backyard Cricket match with special guests