Some of the world’s best female soccer players could be headed for Shepparton next year, with McEwen Reserve shortlisted as a base camp for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Named among a collection of 35 facilities across Australia and 21 in New Zealand, Shepparton’s Theatre of Dreams will be assessed by competing nations as a potential home away from home for the duration of the tournament.
The first Women’s World Cup to be co-hosted, the 2023 tournament is also the first to be held in the Southern Hemisphere and the first with 32 teams.
Shaping up to be one of the biggest sporting events Australia has seen, nine cities have been locked in for games across the two host nations.
While Adelaide, Auckland, Brisbane, Dunedin, Hamilton, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney and Wellington are pencilled in to play host to games, the base camps provide another opportunity for a legacy from the cup.
One of 11 regional Australian cities included in the shortlist, Shepparton will be hoping the pristine grass of McEwen Reserve and country environment is enough to entice selection as a base.
Not only would the inclusion as a training base be beneficial for the local soccer community, but it would result in significant economic activity, with a nation’s entire delegation set to stay where it is based.
If successful, Shepparton’s selection as a base camp will add to a soccer calendar that is quickly filling with international content.
From October 5 to 9 the city will play host to Group G of the AFC U17 Asian Cup 2023 Qualifiers, with Australia, China, Cambodia and Northern Mariana Islands set to battle it out.
However, up against facilities in Ballarat and Melbourne along with other bidders in Tasmania, South Australia, NSW, Queensland and Western Australia, hosting a base camp is far from guaranteed.
The final list of training base camps will be revealed by the end of 2022, with the 16 nations set to play group games in Australia given the opportunity to view locations once the tournament’s group draw has been held.
Then each country will be given the opportunity to submit its preferred site to FIFA, with the governing body confirming it will inform participants by the end of the year.