Auckland Appointed As Football Ferns’ Base During Women World Cup

New Zealand football fans will have an opportunity to engage with some of the best female football players on the planet next year, after the official press release of the team base camps for the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup. A total of 16 teams will be in the country for the group stages and in a new project for the tournament, each team will enjoy a dedicated training site and accommodation that they will return to after each world cup game, regardless of where in the country they will be playing.

The Football Ferns are going to be based in Auckland for the FIFA Women’s World Cup which is being co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand and will kick off in July 2023. The official base for the Football Ferns was confirmed by FIFA, along with the other temporary homes for most of the 32 teams in the tournament which starts on July 20 when NZ kicks off the tournament with a match with Norway at Eden Park, Auckland.

Table of Contents

Dedicated Team Base Camps Are A First Timer

It is the first time in women’s World Cup history that the competing countries will have dedicated team base camps, consisting of both a training site and accommodation. In addition to the Football Ferns, the teams of the United States and Norway are also based in Auckland, with the squad of Japan staying in Christchurch, Spain going to Palmerston North, the Netherlands heading to Tauranga and Sweden in Wellington, amongst others. The remaining three teams that will still need to qualify via the play-off tournament in February will select their base camps after qualification.

Divided Between The Two Islands

Out of the teams competing, there are 7 teams staying in Auckland. The other countries going to Auckland include the Philippines (Olympic Park / Bay-Olympic FC), Norway (Seddon Fields / Western Springs AFC), Vietnam (Fred Taylor Park / Waitakere City FC), Italy (Shepherds Park / Birkenhead United AFC) and Argentina (Michaels Ave Reserve / Ellerslie AFC). African representatives Zambia will be in Hamilton whilst only Sweden and South Africa will stay in Wellington. Costa Rica and Japan are going to the southern island as Christchurch is hosting both teams. Switzerland is coming to Dunedin.

“FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 is Going Beyond Greatness”

Feeling great support from the host countries, governments, and host cities, the football federations says that it is fully determined to provide each team with a premium training and preparation environment, making it possible for them to focus on their performances at the tournament whilst at the same time offering the teams the chance to meet with the people and communities where they are located.

“Our mission for the FIFA women’s World Cup 2023 is to go ‘beyond greatness’, and to do that we must provide top class environments for the 32 teams to train, rest, and recover,”

Sarai Bareman, FIFA’s Chief Women’s Football Officer

Growing and Developing Women’s Football

She adds by saying that the FIFA is committed to enhancing the standards and conditions for teams at each FIFA Women’s World Cup. The introduction of dedicated team base camps is a clear proof of that commitment and our motivation to keep on growing and developing women’s football in both the country of New Zealand and abroad.” The FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 is the first edition to be co-hosted, the first to be organised in the Southern Hemisphere, and the very first with 32 teams playing the tournament, a major increase from 24 teams during the last world cup in 2019. The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 is held from 20 July until 20 August 2023. The opening match is played in Eden Park, Auckland and the final will be in Stadium Australia, Sydney.

Football Ferns’ Women World Cup 2023 draw:

July 20, 2023: v Norway at Eden Park (Auckland).
July 25, 2023 v Philippines at Wellington Stadium (Wellington).
July 30, 2023 v Switzerland at Dunedin Stadium (Wellington).

References

Categories:News