Premier Steven Marshall says SA would like to be part of the 2023 FIFA women’s World Cup bid after pre-election promise
Premier Steven Marshall — having vowed to back Australia’s Women’s World Cup bid back in 2017 — said he is waiting for a revised offer from Football Federation Australia to get the best deal for the state.
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PREMIER Steven Marshall confirmed South Australia would like to be part of Australia’s 2023 FIFA women’s World Cup and is working for a better deal — more than two years after vowing to back the bid if the Liberals won the state election.
Marshall won power, but SA’s Trade, Tourism and Investment Minister David Ridgway telling The Advertiser the State Government would not be part of the bid because Hindmarsh Stadium is inadequate and Adelaide Oval wasn’t available more than 10 days ago, led to public outrage.
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This came after Marshall made a 2017 pre-election promise to back the World Cup bid when he posted the women’s major event was on Liberal Party’s wish list for SA.
The Premier said he was now waiting for a revised women’s World Cup offer from Football Federation Australia.
“What was on the table previously wasn’t a good deal,” said Premier Marshall.
“We want to make sure we get the very best deal for South Australia, with better-quality matches being played here."
And the use of Adelaide Oval for the women’s major soccer event is up to the State Government, according to the SANFL and SACA Licence Deed.
Signed off by the State Government in 2011 and tabled in parliament in May 2012, the deed gives the minister “priority use of the Adelaide Oval Core Area for the purpose of staging (an) international event”, providing the minister gives at least two years’ notice.
The SA Government or FFA would not respond when asked whether a new soccer stadium would be the ideal solution for SA in the long term.
Katrine Hildyard, shadow minister for recreation, sport and racing, and shadow minister for the status of women, has written letters to SA soccer clubs encouraging them to back the women’s World Cup bidding process.
She also instigated a petition at changessa.org.au/worldcup in a bid to sway the SA Government’s decision.
“This is another blow to women’s sport in this state, which is already reeling from cuts to the $24 million Female Facilities Program and the SA Women in Sport Taskforce,’’ Hildyard said.
“Cuts that mean soccer are excluded from the government’s program to fund female friendly facilities with their program being worth less money, contingent on club and council funding and restricted to just three sports — cricket, football (Australian rules) and netball.
“It is also another example of the Premier saying one thing before the election and then breaking his promise afterwards, and of the Premier letting women in sport down.
“Backing women’s sport means fighting to bring world-class events to our state.”