England Women have had their team base camp confirmed for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.
The tournament will be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, with the Lionesses based in the former as their three group games are in Brisbane, Sydney and Adelaide. It has been confirmed that the European champions will be based throughout the campaign in the Central Coast region of New South Wales.
Sarina Wiegman and her squad will train at the Central Coast Stadium in Gosford, home of the Central Coast Mariners. The stadium, which was used for three group-stage matches at the 2003 Rugby World Cup won by England, will become the squads' home away from home and their main base when not travelling or playing games.
In terms of accommodation, the Lionesses will stay at the four-star Crowne Plaza Terrigal Pacific hotel, which boasts picturesque ocean-facing rooms and suites. The hotel is a 15-minute drive from the Central Coast Stadium, meaning Wiegman's team won't waste time travelling lengthy journeys to train.
FIFA confirmed training sites and accommodation bases for 29 of the 32 teams. This is because three slots are still undecided, with play-offs confirming the final entrants in the new year, including one of the sides England will face in Group D, where all games take place in Australia.
The Lionesses will face China, Denmark and the Group B play-off winner - either Chile, Senegal or Haiti - after the draw was made for the group stage. Wiegman's side will face the play-off winners on Saturday, July 22 in Brisbane before facing Denmark on Friday, July 28 in Sydney and China on Tuesday, August 1 in Adelaide.
England are aiming to make history down under by winning back-to-back major tournaments, something neither the women's or men's team have previously achieved. However, they may have to do so without Beth Mead, Player of the Tournament at the Euros, after she suffered an ACL injury last month.
Republic of Ireland are amongst five teams making their Women's World Cup debut in the ninth edition of the tournament. They will take on co-hosts Australia, Canada and Nigeria in Group B. United States, winners of the last two tournaments, will take on Netherlands, Vietnam and the Group A play-off winner. In November, the Lionesses beat USA 2-1 in front of a huge crowd at Wembley.
The Lionesses remained unbeaten throughout 2022 and will be hoping to carry that form over to Australia next summer in their quest for World Cup glory. As a squad, England will next meet up in February 2023 to compete in the second edition of the Arnold Clark Cup.
The tournament was hosted for the first time earlier this year in preparation for the Euros, where England won a four-team round-robin competition against Spain, Canada and Germany.
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