Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I today would like to congratulate the organising committee of the FIFA Women's World Cup, which is being jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand—by FFA here in Australia and by New Zealand Football. It was absolutely wonderful today to hear the President of FIFA describe the Women's World Cup currently underway here in Australia as the best World Cup ever. It is a great vindication for FFA and New Zealand Football. It is absolutely sensational to see that what we promised, when we as a country were bidding with New Zealand for this World Cup, is actually coming to pass.

I was fortunate enough to be in Nice, in France, in 2019 for the round of 16 game which unfortunately we lost in a penalty shootout, observing the crowd of about 17,000 or 18,000 in a 40,000-seat stadium and saying, 'We will do better than that.' And we have, in spades. Crowds here in Australia are averaging over 30,000. In New Zealand they are averaging over 28,000. France averaged somewhere about 24,000 or 25,000. I know, from talking to the organisers and talking to FIFA, how delighted they are with the organisation that we are demonstrating we can deliver as a great sporting nation. It was absolutely sensational to be in the crowd for the opening match here in Australia at Stadium Australia in New South Wales a couple weeks ago, to see the Matildas kick off against Ireland. It was a very, very nervous game of football. Fortunately we came through that. We didn't do so well against Nigeria in our next game, but I've got to say the atmosphere in Melbourne on Monday night— (Time expired)