The benefits of hosting the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup™ continue to resonate in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand nearly a year on from the tournament. Professional and grassroots clubs across both nations enjoyed a financial windfall with this week’s announcement of the recipients for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup Club Benefits Programme. Introduced for the first time for the 2019 edition of the tournament, the programme rewards eligible clubs for their role in developing players who were selected for the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Over 80 clubs representing a wide area of both Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand will receive funds via their respective national associations. We hear how such benefits can help grow the game at all levels and provide an added incentive for further development work.

“This is a really important step forward for grassroots and senior clubs, and is especially important to develop facilities, coaches and all areas of the game,” said New Zealand midfielder and New Zealand Football Women’s Development Manager Annalie Longo. “It is hard to get sponsorship in New Zealand and bring money into the game so this helps development to continue the growth and sustainability in women’s football. “Women’s football is certainly growing thanks to last year’s Women’s World Cup. We saw a 13 per cent growth on the back of the extra exposure but it also means a strain on clubs. So the World Cup did amazing things for exposure and growth, now we need to utilise money like this which can really help.”

“This return is a very welcome bonus to the clubs and offers value and incentive to the clubs to develop top players,” said Tom Sermanni, Western Sydney Wanderers Head of Women’s Football. “It is valuable for A-League clubs to receive recognition and be rewarded and that is a big bonus for the teams. It allows us to put money back into the game and further invest. Hopefully that can pay dividends in the long-term for the Matildas and we were certainly proud to see Wanderers player Clare Hunt represent the nation with distinction during the tournament. “As a club we always want to be doing whatever we can to further grow women’s football which is particularly important in a massive football heartland like western Sydney.”

“This is absolutely massive for us as a club,” said Karl Moresi, General Manager at Wellington-based Waterside Karori AFC. “We would have been proud just to contribute in any way possible, but to be able to contribute through playing a role in a player's development and who was selected to represent our country on such a stage is a very proud moment for our club. “It reminds us as a club and to players looking for a club to play for that we have an environment and can create the right opportunities for players to push towards representative football despite being a grassroots club. “Money from the benefits programme in 2019 was used to help the club further invest into initiatives that would help support and grow the women's space at our club. In particular our club created the WKAFC Female Football 'CJ Bott' Financial Grant which is set up for young female footballers who are entering their first year of tertiary study in Wellington to apply in which they can receive a cash grant to assist with their football related expenses.