A host of venues and sports facilities are set to receive millions of dollars worth of upgrades ahead of the 2023 Fifa Women's World Cup, the Government announced on Friday.
The tournament, due to take place from 20 July to 20 August 2023, is the most-watched event in women's sport and will now be supported by around $19 million of extra funding towards upgrades that include fields, lighting and facility enhancements, as well as gender-neutral changing spaces.
The venues and local councils are also contributing to the costs of upgrades at 30 earmarked locations, including Eden Park, Waikato Stadium, Wellington Regional Stadium and Dunedin Stadium.
"The Fifa Women's World Cup is the largest women's sporting event on the planet. Hosting an event of this magnitude will generate significant social and economic benefits for Aotearoa New Zealand and leave a lasting legacy for football and women's sport in this country," Grant Robertson said in a statement.
"These upgrades are critical to ensure the success of the tournament, but will also benefit local communities, football clubs and many different sporting codes that use these facilities, which is another great reason to invest in them.
"They will also put us in a stronger position when bidding to host major international events in the future."
For the first time in the tournament's history, Fifa has introduced Team Base Camps – headquarters for each team that include accommodation and training facilities.
There are 21 venues in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Dunedin, Rotorua, Napier, Palmerston North, Tauranga and Christchurch earmarked for Team Base Camps. Of these, 16 will end up being selected and used by teams throughout the tournament.
The Government's investment includes $5 million through Sport New Zealand for gender neutral changing room upgrades at some of these venues.
"This is an excellent example of how Government investment in major events can drive positive, long-term change in our communities," Grant Robertson said.
Hamilton and Auckland will also host the first ever Fifa Women's World Cup Play-Off Tournament from 17 to 23 February 2023 to determine the final three qualifiers for next year's main event.
