Australia and New Zealand to host Women’s World Cup

Liam Watson

Australia and New Zealand’s dream to host the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup has come to fruition as the two nations unite for a history-making tournament.

The countries will combine to become the first co-confederation hosted World Cup, the first tournament to be held in the Pacific region and the first in its kind to be held in the southern hemisphere.

In a FIFA council meeting on Friday morning, Australia and New Zealand amassed a total of 22 votes compared to Colombia’s 13, in what ended up being a contest between those two bids following Japan’s withdrawal earlier this week.

The tournament by Australia-NZ is aimed to be a player-centric tournament, bringing the two nations together as one to promote and enhance the ever-growing support and participation for women’s sport.

“The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 in Australia and New Zealand will be ground-breaking in many ways,” said FIFA President Chris Nikou.

“Not only will it be the first ever co-confederation hosted FIFA World Cup and the first ever FIFA Women’s World Cup in the Asia-Pacific region, but we will unlock the huge potential for growth in women’s football in the Asia-Pacific region.

“We would like to thank FIFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), Oceania Football Confederation (OFC), the Australian and New Zealand governments and all those who have supported the bid.”

Johanna Wood, the NZF President and FIFA Council member, is excited by the potential of this tournament.

“Australia and New Zealand will not only host a FIFA Women’s World Cup that is the largest tournament ever run, but it will also be a catalyst for ensuring the development of women’s football continues in the Asia-Pacific region and globally,” she said.

“Our two nations have worked together to deliver an exceptional, historic bid and I would like to thank FIFA and the whole football family for giving us this opportunity. The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 will bring us all together in a celebration of our shared loved of football.”

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Queensland Government grants boosts growth and affordability

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Image credit: PxHere website

Queensland’s sporting community will benefit from comprehensive state government grants, which will help kids join local clubs, support elite athletes, and upgrade facilities.

For children

  • Access up to $200 in FairPlay vouchers per eligible child to assist with sport and recreation club membership costs.
  • Support of up to $800 is available through Emerging Athlete Pathways for athletes and officials under 18 attending state, national and international competitions.

For clubs and organisations

  • Become a registered organisation to accept FairPlay vouchers, allowing eligible children to use up to $200 towards membership, registration or participation fees.
  • Register your organisation’s competitions at state, national and international levels through Emerging Athlete Pathways to enable athlete and official funding eligibility.
  • Apply for the Minor Infrastructure and Inclusive Facilities Fund to create accessible, safe and inclusive community sport and recreation spaces.
  • Not-for-profit sport and recreation organisations can access Active Clubs funding to support volunteers and deliver flexible, safe physical activities to boost participation.

Disaster recovery

  • Eligible not-for-profit sport and recreation organisations affected by significant weather events can apply for up to $5,000 through the Sport and Recreation Disaster Recovery Program to restart operations.

Other Sports and Recreation funding sources

  • Explore funding opportunities for not-for-profit organisations through your local council.
  • Contact your state sport and recreation organisation for information about activity-specific funding options.
  • Access various funding programs for individuals and sporting organisations through Sport Australia.

Sporting clubs have always been vocal about the importance that government backing has in the upkeep of the sporting industry.

Though it will take time to see the full effect of these grants, this comprehensive list of grants shows that Queensland’s government is dedicated to supporting its sporting industry.

It’s a positive sign and hopefully, it will help increase the sporting output and relieve the financial stress for the people of Queensland. A strong sporting Queensland is a benefit for sport in the country as a whole.

Learn more here.

Major grant boost for women’s football in NSW

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NSW Government - Level the Playing Fund
Image credit: Football NSW

In a major win for women’s football growth in NSW, a $654,000 grant from the Federal Government has been awarded to support the ‘Play Our Way’ initiative for women and girls.

Football NSW’s ‘Empower Her’ project, focused on leadership, education, and inclusion for women in football, was among 120 grants awarded as part of the Federal Government’s $55 million scheme.

The grant will focus on three key areas—leadership, education, and inclusion—to attract, retain, and develop women in football. It will also support intersectional communities through initiatives like the NAIDOC Cup for First Nations youth and community sustainability efforts for priority groups via Football4All and the State Parafootball team.

Football NSW CEO, John Tsatsimas, mentioned the crucial role that the funding will have for Football NSW.

“The generous funding from the Federal Government will play a pivotal role in supporting Football NSW’s mission to expand and elevate female participation in football across the state, ensuring that more women and girls can thrive in the sport at every level,” he said via press release.

“Female football continues to soar following the incredible success of last year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™.

“Over the past 12 months, female participation has surged by an impressive 23%, reflecting the growing enthusiasm and opportunities for women and girls in the sport.

“We are incredibly grateful to the Federal Government for their invaluable support. This funding will help us grow and create more opportunities for women and girls to participate in all facets of football across NSW.”

Sport Minister, Anika Wells, added her comments about the Play Our Way initiative.

“Play Our way is the single biggest package for women’s sport participation and facilities ever and these 120 projects will create greater opportunities for women and girls to enjoy being physically active,” she said via press release.

“The huge response to this grant opportunity, and the range of great project ideas, show that Australian communities want to be more supportive of women and girls.”

The grants are part of the participation stream, the first funding confirmed under the Albanese Government’s $200 million Play Our Way program.

A second phase of the Play Our Way program, focused on facility grants, will be confirmed soon.

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