Women’s World Cup training bases revealed as Matildas snub new facility
Training bases have been announced for competing teams at next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup, with the Matildas opting for Brisbane ahead of their new facility in Melbourne.
Located at Bundoora’s La Trobe Sports Park, the new $115 million Victorian State Football Centre, dubbed the ‘Home of the Matildas’, will be occupied by Jamaica for the group stage.
During the tournament, the Matildas will instead base themselves at the Queensland Sports and Athletic Centre (QSAC) in Brisbane.
The Matildas will play their official farewell game at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium on Friday, 14 July 2023 against a yet-to-be-named top 10 nation competing in the World Cup.
The co-hosts will train at the new Bundoora facility in the week leading up to the match. Now nearing the final stages of construction, the facility will open in early 2023.
The facility will double as the Victorian State Football Centre and include five football fields, grandstand seating, change facilities, high performance gym, meeting rooms and a café. It’ll also house Football Victoria’s administration and operations.
The venue will also be used as a training base for one of the teams in the Round of 16, with Melbourne hosting two knock-out matches.
View the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup Fixture >
Football Australia CEO James Johnson said ensuring the Matildas had the best possible World Cup preparation was the priority in explaining the decision to base the team in Brisbane rather 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.
“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.”
In all, 29 team base camps have been selected across Australia and New Zealand for the tournament which will be held between 20 July and 20 August 2023. It’s the first time in the tournament’s history that competing nations will use dedicated team base camps that will include a training site and accommodation.
2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup Training Sites
AUSTRALIA
Group B:
Australia (Queensland Sports and Athletic Centre, Brisbane)
Ireland (Goodwin Park, Brisbane)
Nigeria (Lions Stadium, Brisbane)
Canada (Olympic Village, Melbourne)
Group D:
England (Central Coast Stadium, Central Coast)
February qualifier (TBC)
Denmark (Kingsway Reserve. Perth)
China (Croatian Sports Centre, Adelaide)
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 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)
NEW ZEALAND
Group A:
New Zealand (Keith Hay Park, Auckland)
Norway (Seddon Fields, Auckland)
Philippines (Olympic Park, Auckland)
Switzerland (Tahuna Park, Dunedin)
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 E:
USA (Bay City Park, Auckland)
Vietnam (Fred Taylor Park, Auckland)
Netherlands (Bay Oval, Tauranga)
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)
