New Melbourne sports, soccer and rugby supersite to be ‘Home of Matildas’
A $116m soccer and rugby supersite to be built in Melbourne’s north ahead of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup will become the new “Home of the Matildas”.
Victoria
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A $116m supersite to help create the next generation of female sport stars will be built in Melbourne’s north, ahead of the Australian-hosted 2023 FIFA World Cup.
The Sunday Herald Suncan reveal construction of the purpose-built “Home of the Matildas” will begin in December, after funding was locked in, in the state budget.
The multifaceted complex at La Trobe University’s Bundoora Sports Park will create a dual-sport hub by also building a new Victorian rugby centre, providing a springboard for attracting more international tournaments.
The Home of the Matildas will have five pitches, including a 1000-seat marquee site, providing a Victorian launching pad for the national soccer team before their biggest-ever performance.
Lauded as a major boon for women’s sport in Australia, grassroots access to the state-of-the-art facilities will be guaranteed.
On Saturday, Matildas captain Sam Kerr said the news was a massive win for her sport.
“The prospect of having a state-of-the-art facility specifically designed for our use is very exciting,” she said. “The team loves playing in Melbourne and we really look forward to having a dedicated base where we can train and prepare for matches.”
Acting Premier James Merlino said Victorians “can’t wait to cheer on the Matildas” at the World Cup and that this investment would give “our female soccer stars a world class home in the heart of Melbourne”.
“When we say we’re serious about improving the visibility of our female athletes — we mean it. Not only will this investment deliver new facilities, it will mean more young soccer fans get to see their heroes up close,” he said.
The Andrews government has pledged $101.1m for the project through its state budget, which will be unveiled on Thursday, with a further $15m coming from the commonwealth.
Aside from the five pitches, the new soccer facility will include a gym and wet recovery area, and a medical and rehab centre. Football Victoria’s high-performance program for young soccer stars will be run through the new centre, with thousands of young players in local clubs given access to pitches and training programs.
La Trobe students will enjoy free access to the facilities for around 20 hours a week, after the university invested $80m in boosting the sports park.
The new Victorian State Rugby Centre will have a 500-seat show pitch with grandstand seating and two additional pitches, along with high performance facilities.
This will provide a training and match day home for the Melbourne Rebels’ Super W team. Rebels chair Paul Docherty said this was the best opportunity in 133 years to grow the game in Victoria and it was an “unprecedented commitment to the sport”.
Sport Minister Martin Pakula said the country’s soccer and rugby teams “are world leaders” and this base would “provide the facilities that our young stars need to climb the ladder and eventually take over from their heroes”.
Construction is expected to start in December and be completed in time for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which will be played across Australia and New Zealand in July and August.
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