2023 is an enormous year for female football. As we celebrate International Women's Day (IWD), Football Victoria (FV) reflects on some of the key achievements, initiatives and opportunities for women and girls in our game.
The theme of 2023 IWD's #EmbraceEquity campaign is to get the world talking about why equal opportunities aren't enough. People start from different places, so true inclusion and belonging require equitable action.
IWD provides us all with a fantastic opportunity to reflect on our community’s accomplishments and celebrate the progress made throughout all levels of the game.
Commbank Matildas v France at Marvel Stadium
The CommBank Matildas will host world number five, France, in a ‘Send Off Match’ at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium on Friday, 14 July 2023.
The fixture, to be held on Bastille Day, will be the final international for the CommBank Matildas prior to commencing their FIFA Women’s World Australia & New Zealand 2023™ campaign against the Republic of Ireland on 20 July.
It will also mark the first time in 22 years that Australia will have faced Les Bleues on home soil.
The clash marks a return to a happy hunting ground for the Matildas following last November’s 4-0 victory over reigning Olympic silver medalists Sweden at AAMI Park.
FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™
This July, 32 nations will hit our shores to compete for the greatest prize in women’s football.
Melbourne Rectangular Stadium will host six games of the FIFA Women’s World Cup between 21 July and 8 August, including one Matildas group game and two matches in the Round of 16.
For further ticketing information and updates on the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, please visit FIFA.com/tickets.
Unity Pitch and Trophy Tour
On Saturday, February 18 it was a celebration of women and girls football as FIFA and Visit Victoria hosted the launch of the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ Trophy Tour with a full day of activity on the FIFA Unity Pitch.
FIFA Fan Festival
FIFA has confirmed Federation Square will be the location for Victoria’s FIFA Fan Festival. This is the first time FIFA Fan Festivals will be rolled out at a FIFA Women’s World Cup, keeping with the tournament’s theme of firsts.
The FIFA Fan Festival will be located in all nine Host Cities across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, fans a vibrant destination to enjoy the best in football, music, entertainment, local culture, food, and games.
Dates:
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20th July – 3rd August
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5th – 8th August
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11th – 12th August
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15th – 16th August
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19th – 20th August
Learn more about the Fan Festival
The Home of the Matildas
The Home of the Matildas ahead of their send-off match at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne on 14 July 2023, before they embark on their FIFA Women’s World Cup™ journey.
La Trobe University will welcome the Commbank Matildas to their newly-built high-performance home base ahead of their ‘send-off match’ at Marvel Stadium on July 14, 2023.
In addition, Australia's other national teams, including the Young Matildas, Future Matildas, Socceroos and Olyroos will also utilise the training facility, to support their aspirations on the world stage.
Learn more about The Home of the Matildas
Change Makers
FV is proud to be part of The Change Makers Project, an innovative collaboration between FV, Victoria University and Clubs. The project will assist Clubs to make tangible improvements and opportunities for women & girls, with the aim of achieving 50/50 representation.
The project empowers and supports over 60 football clubs to design and implement gender equity plans.
Game Changers
FV continued to support Football Australia's ' Game Changer' Club Development Program which aims to protect and enhance our clubs, make them stronger and more resilient, lead them in building welcoming and inclusive cultures, and educate them on positive environments for players, coaches, volunteers, and officials while planning for long term viability and success.
This week, Doreen United was the first club nationally to be recognised as a one-star Game Changer Club.
Our Game Network
Victoria’s Our Game Network continues to grow and help connect members build relationships within the football community.
Our Game Network - Victoria's aim is to unite our football family to share ideas, celebrate the game, learn, and continue to challenge gender-biased attitudes which exist in sport.
The group strongly aligns with Football Victoria's (FV) Strategic Plan 2019-2022 which set the ambitious strategic objective to reach 50:50 gender equity by 2027.
Learn more about Our Game Network
NPLW & Victorian Women’s Football
The NPLW saw itself in uncharted territory in 2022, officially transitioning from an amateur to a professional competition. The shift was inevitable given the growing stature of women’s football and players will now enjoy significant financial and security entitlements.
Calder United continued to dominate the NPLW in 2022, defeating FC Bulleen Lions 2-0 to claim the championship.
The league has continued to develop and grow, and will expand to 11 teams in 2023. VPLW Champions Preston Lions will be joined by Boroondara Eagles and Southern United to round out the competition.
Nike F.C. Cup
Victoria’s premier women’s knockout tournament returned in 2023, bigger than ever. The tournament has grown from strength to strength and this year a record 101 Clubs have registered to take part.
Calder United will once again be the team to beat, vying for the sixth straight title. The reigning Champions claimed last year’s crown in dominant fashion, beating South Melbourne 3-0 at Valley Park.
The Nike F.C Cup also took a step forward last year, with the prize money increasing by more than 60% to match the men’s Dockerty Cup for the first time.
Community Football
At the community level, the Victorian Premier League Women’s (VPLW) kicks off on March 26. With the top three teams moving up to the NPLW this season it will be interesting to see which Clubs stand up and ascend to the top of the competition.
The Junior Girls and Women’s State Leagues kick off on April 23 in what is sure to be an exciting year for all involved down to the grassroots level.
Over the past year we have seen record growth across the board in our women’s and girl’s competitions with Clubs allocating more time, effort and resources to achieve FV’s goal of 50:50 gender equity by 2027.
In 2022, the Northern Falcons saw a dramatic rise in numbers, jumping from four teams in 2021 to nine. Manningham United Blues also rose from five teams to eight last year and have continued to grow this year.
This season, Mill Park SC and Mount Martha SC has already recorded a club record of nine female teams this season along and Frankston Pines SC will be entering a Women’s State League side for the first time.
In 2022, the popular GoSoccerMums program continued to grow and is expected to expand further this year.
Participants in the program can have fun, meet new people, and learn basic football skills in a social, judgment-free environment.
It's not just for mums - but for all women, from all walks of life! It doesn't matter if you have never kicked a football before - absolutely no experience in necessary - anybody can take part!
On International Women’s Day, we want to take a moment to applaud the enormous contribution of all women and girls in football. Our game is richer for your contribution in all ways, as players, referees, committee members, volunteers, coaches and fans. Thank you for all that you do for our beautiful game.