- Published:
- Monday 9 May 2016
The Australian women’s national soccer team, the Westfield Matildas, will reignite their long-stemmed rivalry with New Zealand’s Football Ferns at Etihad Stadium this June.
Standing alongside Matildas coach Alen Stajcic, Matildas Captain Lisa de Vanna, emerging striker Larissa Crummer, and Minister for Tourism and Major Events John Eren today announced that Victoria is set to host the Westfield Matildas in a double header with the Caltex Socceroos for the first time in a decade.
The Matildas are the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) top ranked women’s side and recently qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Melbourne has a rich history of supporting international football with more than 95,000 fans turning out to watch Liverpool take on Melbourne Victory at the MCG in 2013, while more than 220,000 spectators saw Real Madrid take on Manchester City and AS Roma at the International Champions Cup last year.
Victoria’s reputation as the sporting capital of the world is unrivalled, with Melbourne being recently named the Ultimate Sports City of the Decade.
In the last 12 months alone, the Andrews Labor Government has secured the return of the Presidents Cup, the World Cup of Golf, the International Champions Cup and a Socceroos blockbuster with Greece.
Our world-class sporting precinct stands without peer, with the iconic MCG, Etihad Stadium and AAMI Park. Add to that Melbourne Park and Hisense Arena and we really do have the best of everything.
This event is being supported through the Significant Sporting Events Program.
Quotes attributable to the Minister for Sport John Eren
“With the depth of quality established and emerging stars in the Matildas line-up it is easy to see that Australia’s footballing future shines bright.”
“There is no greater city in the world for this momentous game in than right here in the recently named Ultimate Sports City of the Decade, Melbourne.”