The reigning European women’s football champions are set to arrive on the Sunshine Coast to fine-tune their preparations for the 2023 FIFA World Cup.
The England Lionesses will arrive on the Coast tomorrow, and local football fans can catch a glimpse of the team at an opening training session.
The Lionesses will train at Sunshine Coast Stadium and stay at the Novotel Sunshine Coast Resort at Twin Waters.
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The team is currently ranked fourth in the women’s FIFA world rankings, having won the 2022 European championship, and will kick off their World Cup campaign against Haiti in Brisbane on July 22.
England head coach Sarina Wiegman said the Sunshine Coast was the ideal location for the Lionesses to put the finishing touches on their World Cup preparations.
“We can’t wait to get out to Australia,” she said.
“It is great we know where we will continue our World Cup preparations and we are very happy to have this perfect combination of training ground and hotel.
“The work we do in the last weeks before the tournament will be essential for making sure we get off to a good start on July 22.
“I was very impressed with what I saw when I visited Sunshine Coast Stadium just after the new year.
“We will have everything we need on the pitch, as well as high-performance gym and recovery facilities.
“We had such a warm welcome from all the people there, which is also important. I know everyone will be behind the host nation, but we felt Sunshine Coast will feel like a home away from home for us.”
Sunshine Coast mayor Mark Jamieson said hosting the England team reinforced the region’s reputation as a world-class destination for major sporting events and training camps.
“We’re very excited to host the England women’s team at Sunshine Coast Stadium as it prepares for the World Cup, particularly ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, where this same venue will co-host the Olympic Games football competition,” Cr Jamieson said.
“Having the Lionesses here is another terrific chance to showcase our world-class sporting facilities, friendly hospitality and ideal climate.
“It’s also a great opportunity for our community to come and see some of the very best footballers in the world train right here at our Sunshine Coast Stadium.”
The team will host an open training session at Sunshine Coast Stadium on Sunday from 1pm until about 2.30pm. Fans will have the opportunity to see their idols in person and get autographs and photos of the players.
Following their opening World Cup match, England will head to Terrigal, north of Sydney, and set up camp for the rest of the tournament.
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