Ft7Ball
Townsville will be back on the world sporting stage when Australia’s Matildas take on the New Zealand Ferns in Town next month.
Key points:
- The Matildas and Ferns will play Townsville on April 8
- It will be the first international football match to be played in the region
- The event is expected to generate $2 million for the city.
The match on April 8 is expected to draw 16,000 spectators to North Queensland Stadium and inject around $2 million into the economy.
The $290 million stadium has been the site of major events since it opened in 2020, including a sold-out State of Origin game, making it the first regional city to do so.
However, international soccer matches scheduled for the venue have not been as prosperous.
Due to the pandemic, the 2020 Queensland Champions Cup has been cancelled, meaning fans missed out on the much-hyped game between the Brisbane Roar and England’s Crystal Palace.
Next month’s game between the Matildas and the Ferns will be the stadium’s inaugural soccer game and the first time the region has hosted an international soccer game.
Townsville member Scott Stewart said a large turnout was expected.
“Soccer in particular is one of the biggest youth sports in our region, and in fact we’ve seen growth of just over 14 percent from last year’s figures,” he said.
“I think you will see that there is more and more of an appetite for games like this to be drawn to this stadium.”
Football Australia said it hoped to provide as many opportunities as possible for Australians to watch the Matildas play on home soil ahead of the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
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