UPDATE: A free watch party for Australia's knockout quarter-final clash against France is being held at Aldinga Payinthi College's theatre on Saturday 12 August from 4pm (match starts at 4:30pm), hosted by Noarlunga Districts Junior Soccer Association and supported by City of Onkaparinga, Aldinga Soccer Club and Aldinga Payinthi College. Go Matildas!
The Matildas are inspiring a new generation of soccer players and fans as they fight for supremacy during the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023. And the City of Onkaparinga is right behind them.
At its July meeting, the Council agreed to support a public screening of the Women’s World Cup grand final if the Matildas are one the two contesting teams.
Australia and New Zealand are hosting the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 throughout July and August, the largest women’s sporting event in the world.
The competition kicked off on 20 July when the Matildas scored a 1-0 win against Ireland in Sydney.
After a shock 3-2 loss to Nigeria on 27 July in Brisbane, the Matildas will need to fight for their spot in the next Round of Sixteen when they face Canada on Monday 31 July in Melbourne.
Australia sits third in Group B on three points, behind Nigeria and Canada on four points.
The Matildas are feeling the keen loss of key players to injury, including striker Sam Kerr, but still boast a seasoned line-up which includes former Onkaparinga student Charli Grant.
The defender, signed with Swedish club Vittsjö GIK, spent her school years in Woodcroft at Emmaus Primary School and Woodcroft College.
She started playing soccer with Cumberland United Women’s Football Club as a junior and was later invited into Football South Australia’s National Training Centre Program. Grant signed with Adelaide United at age 17.
Onkaparinga Mayor Moira Were says the Council is committed to supporting female sport, including one of Onkaparinga’s own.
“Being caught up in an event like this is exciting, as is supporting our nation,” said Onkaparinga Mayor Moira Were.
“It’s also about planting a seed in the minds of young women that, with hard work and dedication, they can achieve their sporting dreams, be it in soccer or any other sport.
“Our support for the screening at the Noarlunga and Districts Junior Soccer Association is a small part of the council’s broader commitment to supporting women’s sport in our region, which includes significant investments in unisex change facilities at sporting clubs including Port Noarlunga, Happy Valley, Reynella, and Morphett Vale.”
Women’s and girls’ participation in soccer is growing, in part spurred by the Matildas’ headline-making performance over the past few years.
Across the state, female participation in soccer – outdoor, registered futsal (a form of indoor soccer) and social – has risen by 55 per cent over five years, with more than 7,000 women and girls now participating in the sport. If you'd like to get involved contact your local soccer club, or register your interest via the Football South Australia website.
Adelaide is hosting five of the Women’s World Cup matches at the newly redeveloped Hindmarsh Stadium. The first match on 24 July saw Brazil defeat debuting Panama in a 4-0 win.
Matches can also be seen on the big screen at the FIFA Fan Festival at Adelaide’s Festival Plaza.
PHOTO: Charli Grant celebrates with Matildas teammates.
Photo by Rachel Bach/By The White Line, Matildas official website: https://www.matildas.com.au/