Football fever is starting to heat up in Australia and New Zealand, the joint hosts of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup - as all 32 participating teams start arriving for the opening matches commencing July 20. T
The Swedish and South African teams were welcomed into Wellington this week for the first international soccer event to be hosted in our country.
“We are looking forward to July 20 when we will officially open the FIFA Womens World Cup tournament," Te Karanga o Te Tui of Te Whare Waka o Pōneke and host for the welcome says. "And from there it’s a really huge display for us to show that we are Māori, we are still here in Te Whanganui-a-Tara. And we want to able to produce these kinds of results for our manuhiri, for our guest.”
The international sporting event will be held across nine cities and 10 venues throughout Australasia. Matches will take place in Auckland, Wellington and Hamilton.
Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau says it was "really wonderful" to be able to welcome the two teams to Wellington. "And it really marks a really exciting week because we're also celebrating Matariki as well as FIFA. And for me this is like new beginnings. We are strengthening our relationships with these two countries. And its going to be a very exciting week for Wellington.”
The American women’s soccer team are the reigning world champs, having won at the last FIFA Women’s World Cup hosted by France in 2019.
“It's hugely significant for us," Te Tui says. "The wahine toa theme we have running throughout the night with the subsequent tournament is very important. We have a lot of wāhine toa among us as well with Liz Mellish and co. So, it’s a really important event to nod to those wāhine toa as well as connect with the other countries.”
New Zealand will take on Norway in the opening match in Auckland.