Football Federation Australia (FFA), the Hyundai A-League and Westfield W-League clubs, will celebrate the valuable contribution that Women and Girls play within football in Australia when Female Football Round is held from 22-25 November 2018.
Female Football Round coincides with Round 5 of the Hyundai A-League and Round 4 of the Westfield W-League which includes two double headers with Sydney FC hosting Melbourne Victory in both the Hyundai A-League and Westfield W-League on Sunday 25 November at Jubilee Stadium and Perth Glory playing Melbourne City FC in the Westfield W-League and against the Central Coast Mariners in the Hyundai A-League at nib Stadium later the same day.
FFA CEO David Gallop AM, was proud that the Female Football Round will continue to acknowledge and appreciate the important role women and girls continue to play in football both on and off the pitch.
“Our female participation numbers continue to increase year on year and now there are more girls and women playing football in Australia in Australia than ever before,” said Gallop.
“But it is not only the players on the field that deserve recognition, it is also the thousands of coaches, referees, administrators, volunteers and supporters that ensure the sport continues to thrive week-in, week-out.
“It is also no coincidence that the increase in participation is linked to the success of the Westfield Matildas and the Westfield W-League who are fantastic positive role models for all.
“The fact that we are bidding to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023 also demonstrates our commitment to developing Female Football in Australia to make it the sport of choice,” concluded Gallop.
FFA’s Head of Leagues, Greg O’Rourke is excited that both Leagues will celebrate Female Football Round during their regular seasons.
“We made the strategic decision to move the date of the Female Football Round to 22-25 November to engage and promote our elite female role models at a time when we are trying to inspire and attract more women and girls to our game and when both the Hyundai A-League and Westfield W-League are in season,” said O’Rourke.
FFA’s Head of Community, Football Development and Women’s Football, Emma Highwood, said that Female Football Week is a fantastic opportunity to promote our female football stars and highlight Gender Equity and Equality issues within the sport.
“The Female Football Round is an important part of our strategy to promote gender equality at the grassroots level,” said Highwood.
“Our aim is to get as many girls and women to play the game as well as promoting a healthy lifestyle,” concluded Highwood.
The Female Football Awards will once again be conducted to recognise outstanding achievements by female players, officials, volunteers and administrators with the awards ceremony to coincide with International Women’s Day in 2019.
During this week, all clubs will be engaging in their local communities to raise the profile of women’s football through different events, giveaways and workshops. For more information regarding these events please visit www.a-league.com.au and www.w-league.com.au.
In addition to Female Football Round, each Member Federation will be nominating their own dates for Female Football Week delivery in 2019.
