Published 14 July 2023 2 min read
England Women's Senior Team
Sarina hoping to catch Australian support
The Lionesses are preparing to kick-off their World Cup campaign and head coach wants to make Australia a home from home
FIFA WOMEN'S WORLD CUP 2023: FIND OUT MORE
England boss Sarina Wiegman is hoping her side can galvanise the local fans in Australia this summer to create a home away from home during the World Cup.
The Lionesses have now been in Australia for a week following their arrival last Friday and have been stepping things up at their training base in Sunshine Coast, Queensland.
There's been warm welcome for Wiegman and her squad too, with 3000 fans watching their first training session and a traditional welcoming ceremony from members of the Gubbi Gubbi/Kabi Kabi people who are the Traditional Custodians of the land on which they’ve been based.
But following last summer’s EURO success on home soil in England, the team are now further away from their fans, friends and families than ever for this competition.
And with just over a week until their first game with Haiti, which takes place further along the coast in Brisbane, Wiegman is hoping England will be able to draw support from the local communities they visit on their World Cup journey.
The Lionesses have now been in Australia for a week following their arrival last Friday and have been stepping things up at their training base in Sunshine Coast, Queensland.
There's been warm welcome for Wiegman and her squad too, with 3000 fans watching their first training session and a traditional welcoming ceremony from members of the Gubbi Gubbi/Kabi Kabi people who are the Traditional Custodians of the land on which they’ve been based.
But following last summer’s EURO success on home soil in England, the team are now further away from their fans, friends and families than ever for this competition.
And with just over a week until their first game with Haiti, which takes place further along the coast in Brisbane, Wiegman is hoping England will be able to draw support from the local communities they visit on their World Cup journey.
“The advantage of playing at home is the excitement of the country and when you go into the stadium, everyone is behind you and you're trying to use that,” she said.
“The support for the team is very visible for the players and also the support they have outside of the team.
“I hope we can get that in Australia too, of course, but we don't talk about that as much. It all comes back that in the moment when you start to play, you're doing your task.
“In Australia, I hope that we have a big English fan base there and that the Australians who are not watching Australia are cheering for England.”