“Wellington won’t know itself” when nine FIFA Women’s World Cup games kick off in the capital next year, says Mayor-elect Tory Whanau.
The draw for the world’s biggest women’s football event on Saturday night confirmed that the city will host teams from 11 countries for seven group matches, a top-16 knockout match and one quarterfinal during July and August 2023. Aotearoa/New Zealand and Australia are co-hosting the world cup. The final will be held in Sydney.
Projections for the number of visitors the games are expected to attract, and the revenue they will bring to the local economy, are not yet available. However, the mayor and top brass of the local football and regional development bodies all agreed that the social and economic legacy would be long-lasting.
“Our city’s really going to come to life … It’s going to be a truly one of a kind. I feel like we’re moving into an era of firsts,” Whanau said.
The schedule will see several top teams – and some world cup newcomers – play in Wellington. Second-ranked Sweden will play two games here.
The later matches will be played in the lead up to the annual World of Wearable Arts and Wellington on a Plate festivals.
The outcome of the draw wasn’t just a win for sports organisations, with hospitality venues and hotels also set to benefit from a boost in visitors, Whanau said.
Work on improving Wellington’s streets and getting the city moving would be “put on hold” while the world cup, WOW and Wellington on a Plate were underway. Whanau acknowledged that would cause disruption for residents, but urged Wellingtonians to “lean in” to it.
WellingtonNZ event and experience general manager Warrick Dent said for years to come Wellingtonians and local community groups would reap the reward of the Government’s investment in lighting and gender-neutral facilities at Martin Luckie and Newtown parks for the tournament.
Local and national sports team from different codes would also benefit from the pitch upgrade at Sky Stadium.
As an organisation, FIFA alone was predicted to spend between $6 and $7 million in the capital during the tournament.
Wellington’s waterfront path to the stadium would be awash with bright yellow, red, pink, blue and green from a “takeover” of the tournament’s branding, Dent said.
“It will really engage the community and excite the community. [There’s] a lot of planning to go, but we’re sure that Wellington will put on a great show … It will [soon] dawn on us how big this tournament is.”
The $108m NZ Campus of Innovation and Sport (NZCIS) in Upper Hutt has been in talks to become a host training ground for at least one world cup team.
