FIFA Women’s World Cup call for 5000 volunteers ahead of 2023 tournament
From international women’s matches in community parks to needing thousands of volunteers for a World Cup, a Matilda has detailed how “the game has come so far” in Australia.
Local Sport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Local Sport . Followed categories will be added to My News.
For Matilda footballer Emma Checker, the game has come a long way since she made her international debut 10 years ago as a 16-year-old.
Participation numbers have skyrocketed and the professionalism of the women’s game has risen as the 26-year-old explains.
“It’s changed so much,” Checker said.
“I mean 10 years, it goes two ways it, it can be seen as a lot or it can be seen as so little.
“When I look at the change in that decade, it makes me realise just how far we have come.
“I was saying to someone just before, from my debut I barely have a photo because no photographers were there.
“And if you walk down the street and you say do you know who the Matildas are, people say ‘who’.
“It has came so far and having a home game 10 years ago would have been in a community park whereas now we are selling out home games in big stadiums.
“The excitement and joy that it brings me to see that change is massive.
“The young girls coming through now don’t necessarily understand how big that change has been because football globally and in Australia is so big but it hasn’t always been that way.
“It’s taken a lot of hard work from a lot of people to get it to where it is and I feel very privileged that I have been able to see that progression.”
The rise of the women’s game in Australia has led to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the nation to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023 alongside New Zealand.
Australia and New Zealand will become the first countries to jointly host the global event which will be the ninth edition in 2023.
Checker said the potential growth from the tournament was huge for Australia.
“In terms of the future there’s no more exciting time than now,” she said.
“We are on the way up.
“Hosting a World Cup is the biggest opportunity for growth in the sport and I think for us in Australia, we were already growing, the numbers are forever climbing.
“I think with the timing of the Men’s FIFA World Cup followed by ours at a time where kids are signing up for next season, it’s massive.
“You can’t not be drawn even if you have never watched a football game, World Cup draws a crowd that is a new crowd and moving forward we are going to see a lot more kids involved.
“You see the numbers being pulled at the Euros, this is change forever and it goes to show what hosting the world cup is capable of.”
The tournament running from July 20 to August 20 is predicted to attracted 1.5 million people to stadiums and 1.5 billion to TV screens around the world.
With the large scale of the global tournament, FIFA launched its important Volunteer Programme in a community volunteer appreciation event at Glen Eira Football Club on Wednesday.
The event highlighted the need of 5000 volunteers over the next 10 months to assist in hosting the World Cup across nine cities which includes Victoria.
The volunteers would be required to help at FIFA Fan Festival locations, stadiums, training sites, hotels, transport hubs and airports.
As Football Australia’s Peter Filopoulos said “without volunteers nothing happens.”
The World Cup’s Head of Sustainability Dr Sheila Nguyen mentioned the importance of gaining volunteers for the tournament.
“We are ambitiously looking for 5000 volunteers,” Dr Nguyen said at the launch event.
“You’re going to smash that number because across the nine cities in Australia and in New Zealand, there will be so much interest like from this community here at Glen Eira.
“It’s an opportunity to showcase the passion and the care you have for football.
“It is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see what happens behind a FIFA Women’s World Cup.
“This is definitely going to be one of those special moments in the history of Australia.”
Some volunteers had already come on board including Rishab Rishavmahajan who arrived to Australia from India in July.
Rishavmahajan who played soccer for his university in Bangalore, India said there were several benefits to volunteering.
“There is no external motivation to volunteer for something that you are passionate about,” Rishavmahajan said.
“It’s FIFA, it’s football, it’s the global game.
“It’s the feeling it gives you, a sense of belongingness.
“It’s something that is indescribable.
“It’s sport but obviously it’s not just any other sport, everybody loves football.
“There is the drama, the emotion. On the biggest stage anything can go wrong.
“There is no team that cannot be the winner.”
Natalie Brotherston who also signed up as a volunteer said the experience of volunteering gave a sense of pride and also an inner sanctum view of the tournament.
“It’s one of pride to see the tournament going well and it is also a proud moment to be Australian and were putting on an event on the global stage,” Brotherston said.
Brotherston has also volunteered her time at other events including the Commonwealth Games and World Swimming championships.
She recalled the benefit of seeing and understanding what happens behind the scenes in these big events as a volunteer.
“You see stuff on the TV and you can say I did that and I contributed to that.
“There has definitely been a few of those moments for me.”
With tickets a near sell-out for the Matildas friendly against Sweden on Saturday November 12 at the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, event organisers are predicting high attendances for marquee World Cup matches next year.
The Melbourne Rectangular stadium is set to host four World Cup group matches which includes a Matildas match against Canada on Monday, July 31, 2023.
Sport, Tourism and Major Events Minister, Steve Dimopoulos said he would be willing to try and open the MCG to the tournament if required.
“It could be (possible to use the MCG),” he said.
“If I am in that position, we have to have a conversation with the AFL because obviously the footy is in the middle of the World Cup.
If the ‘G with a capacity of 100,024 could host a match, it could lead to breaking the highest attendance record for a Women’s World Cup game which has been set by the United States in 1999 with of an attendance of 90,185.
“Could I just say, I would love to have that conversation, what an amazing problem to have that we can pack out these games, and then we will have to roll up our sleeves and find the best, most suitable stadium for a showcase match.”
He said he would be “absolutely” willing to have the conversation to use the MCG to allow a huge crowd into a world cup match if the situation presented itself.
The MCG has previously made way during an AFL season for popular matches.
This year, the iconic stadium hosted Manchester United who played against Melbourne Victory in a friendly match.
On May 25, 2006, the Socceroos took on European champions Greece which attracted 95,103 before departing for the FIFA World Cup.
In early 2020 prior to the pandemic, Cricket Australia ran a #FilltheMCG campaign for its Cricket World Cup final to try and beat the 90,185 World Cup record crowd which was also the highest crowd for a women‘s sporting event.
UK stint, cricket partner behind Premier Cricket’s next big thing
This emerging talent has come from the clouds with two tons in as many innings to start the season. He reflects on what’s changed and the help from his Premier Cricket partner.
GCA wrap: Club breaks 995-day drought, Warriors win thriller
After 33 games without a win, Marshall Bears have broken their drought in emphatic fashion. Plus, a skipper has led his side to a thrilling win. See how the GCA2, 3 and 4 action unfolded here.