The Matildas have rejected their $115m base in Victoria to as an alternative name Brisbane residence throughout subsequent yr’s FIFA Women’s World Cup.
For the primary time within the event’s historical past, competing nations will use devoted workforce
base camps that may embody a coaching website and lodging.
Co-hosts Australia have chosen the Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre within the Brisbane suburb of Nathan and can keep at Rydges Hotel at Southbank.
That’s regardless of the “home of the Matildas” – co-founded by the Victorian and federal governments – at La Trobe University in Bundoora set to be accomplished a number of months earlier than the event.
“With a high-level gym, on-pitch training facilities and excellent recovery solutions off the pitch, QSAC provides an optimum performance environment for our FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 preparations prior to and during the tournament,” Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson mentioned.
Football Australia chief govt officer James Johnson mentioned making certain the Matildas had the very best World Cup preparation was the precedence in explaining the choice to base the workforce in Brisbane fairly than Bundoora.
“We had to put the high performance of the team first, and ensure the coaches, the players and our high performance director go through a process where they tell us what’s in the best high performance interests of the team,” proud Queenslander Johnson mentioned.
“And with the schedule that was announced by FIFA, there was really no better option than to be in Brisbane, so that’s the reason why we’re here.
“We had to talk through our process with other states because it’s important that all states support the Matildas, which they have done.
“The Victorian government have been fantastic with the investment into the home of the Matildas. They understand though that what was important is to put the high performance of the team as our first priority because we’re in it to win it, and we think that being based here will help the team.”
The Bundoora advanced will as an alternative be the bottom of one other nation, with the Matildas to additionally spend time there earlier than transferring to Brisbane within the build-up to the July 20-August 20 event.
Veteran Matildas defender and Queenslander Clare Polkinghorne was “proud” the Australians had chosen Brisbane as their base.
“It speaks volumes of the environment and the facilities that the QAS (Queensland Academy of Sport), and QSAC have,” Polkinghorne mentioned.
“The team was here not long ago, and the gym, the recovery centre, the quality of the pitches – everything’s here in the one spot.
“There’s also a good vibe in the city, so it gives the players a bit of comfort away from the training pitch as well. A lot of things are a lot easier.”
In Australia, there are to date 14 workforce base camps for the 14 certified groups that may play group matches in Australia.
The Matildas’ Group B opponents Ireland and Nigeria may also be based mostly in Brisbane, whereas Group F nation Brazil will base themselves simply outdoors Brisbane within the Moreton Bay area.
Three nations – France, Colombia and South Korea – can be based mostly in Sydney, whereas the camps of Germany and England are on NSW’s Central Coast.
Australia’s different Group B opponent Canada will use Melbourne as a base, as will Jamaica and Morocco.
Denmark’s base is Perth, whereas China will keep in Adelaide.
Three extra nations will qualify in February for the July 20-August 20 event, with two of them to additionally base themselves in Australia.
Co-hosts New Zealand will base themselves in New Zealand, as will 15 different nations, together with the opposite of February’s qualifiers.
Apart from the workforce base camps, there may also be workforce resorts and coaching websites aligned to the ten match venues that may primarily be used the day earlier than matches.
The event’s referees can be based mostly in Sydney.
2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup coaching websites:
Group A: New Zealand (Keith Hay Park, Auckland); Norway (Seddon Fields, Auckland); Philippines (Olympic Park, Auckland); Switzerland (Tahuna Park, Dunedin).
Group B: Australia (Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre, Brisbane); Ireland (Goodwin Park, Brisbane); Nigeria (Lions FC Stadium, Brisbane); Canada (Olympic Park, Melbourne).
Group C: Spain (Massey Sport Institute, Palmerston North); Costa Rica (Ngā Puna Wai Sports Hub, Christchurch); Zambia (Korikori Park, Hamilton); Japan (Christchurch Stadium; Christchurch).
Group D: England (Central Coast Stadium, Central Coast); February qualifier (TBC); Denmark (Kingsway Reserve. Perth); China (Croatian Sports Centre, Adelaide).
Group E: USA (Bay City Park, Auckland); Vietnam (Fred Taylor Park, Auckland); Netherlands (Bay Oval, Tauranga); February qualifier (TBC).
Group F: France (Valentine Sports Park, Sydney); Jamaica (Victorian State Football Centre. Melbourne); Brazil (Moreton Bay Central Sports Complex, Moreton Bay); February qualifier (TBC).
Group G: Sweden (NZ Campus of Innovation and Sport, Wellington); South Africa
(Porirua Park, Wellington); Italy (Shepherds Park, Auckland); Argentina (Michaels Ave Reserve, Auckland).
Group H: Germany (Central Coast Regional Sporting and Recreation Complex, Central Coast); Morocco (Galvin Park Reserve, Melbourne); Colombia (Marconi Stadium, Sydney); South Korea (Campbelltown Sports Stadium, Sydney).
