KINGSTON College's (KC) football stalwart Gerry Murray will be this year's honouree at the 48th staging of the Roper Cup on August 25 at Emmet Park, St George's College.

Murray was on the 1967 victorious KC Manning Cup team alongside national Women's head coach Vinimore "Vin" Blaine, Stratton Palmer, John Prescod, Dennis Campbell and Dennis Smith, to name a few.

He later represented Jamaica and was an integral part of a potent Real Mona aggregation, alongside his brothers Richard and Michael Murray; Peter Moses and Stewart Stephenson.

The highly-anticipated Roper Cup, which was launched at the Spanish Court Hotel yesterday, features the Manning Cup teams of STGC and KC and will see friendly rivalry between the Under-35 and Over 35 teams as well in a day of activities.

STGC, the defending Roper Cup champions and current 'triple crown' schoolboy champions, will again start favourite to retain their title.

However, the Roper Cup is decided over two matches involving the present Manning Cup teams and the Under-35 teams on aggregate.

The football festival will begin at 11:00 am with the Under-35 match over 80 minutes, followed by the 60-minute Pancho Rankine Cup contested by the Over 35 stalwarts.

At 4:00 pm, the feature encounter will see both KC and St George's giving a glimpse of what to expect in this year's schoolboy season.

Stacey Reynolds, vice principal of STGC, said the Roper Cup has been an anticipated yearly event for the past 47 years and St George's College is delighted to be a part of it.

"We are particularly delighted that the sponsors continue to show their support for sports development and Roper Cup come to epitomise that commitment aspect of our national development," said Reynolds.

Top journalist Horace Helps, a member of the KC Old Boys Association, spoke on behalf of his alma mater on the event.

"Obviously we endorsed the continuation of this friendly rivalry between both schools and are approaching 50 years and we will do all we can to maintain this relationship," said Helps.

Several companies are on board with sponsorship for the popular event and Shauna Dunbar of Supreme Ventures handed over a symbolic cheque for $100,000.

CB Group, through its brand, Bad Dawg, will also be on hand to provide its brand of sausages. Brand manager Alicia Bogues pointed out that they are sponsors of the Premier League and see schoolboy football as a stepping stone.

Said Bogues: "We believe in sports development and we think that these two institutions have a lot of history and the old boys associations are very active, which is rare in Jamaica, and always helping the development of sports ad academics with you students."

She added: "As a Jamaican company we believe in helping in where ever we can. This is our nation and in the spirit of Jamaica 50 we are very pleased to come on board and with this new brand.

"We will be there to feast you and promote and we are happy to be a part of this."

Other sponsors include Barco Caribbean Limite, Hi-Lyte, E-Pay, Caribbean Cream Limited, SportsMax and Total Gas Heroes Circle.

The usual George Thompson Trophy contested by the Under-14 and Under-16 teams of both schools will not be part of the festivities and instead has been switch to the first week of school in September when the youngsters will have their moment to shine.