The Lionesses officially kicked off their Women's World Cup preparations in Australia with a special welcome ceremony in front of around 3,000 fans.
England arrived in the country on Friday are based on the picturesque Sunshine Coast for their third phase of preparation for the tournament, which will be jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand between July 20 and August 20. Sarina Wiegman's side are among the favourites to take home the World Cup trophy, despite having lost a number of key players - including captain Leah Williamson - to injury.
The squad trained in warm winter weather at the impressive Sunshine Coast Stadium on Sunday as they continue to acclimatise to the conditions down under. The fans took the opportunity to see the team put through their paces at a special community open training session.
The Lionesses were then officially greeted to the region with a welcome ceremony led by Her Excellency Vicki Treadell, British High Commissioner to Australia; Mark Jamieson, Sunshine Coast Mayor; Emma Thomas, Sunshine Coast Council CEO and members of the Gubbi Gubbi/Kabi Kabi people who are the Traditional Custodians of the land on which it was held.
A focal point of the event was a traditional smoking ceremony led by the Gubbi Gubbi/Kabi Kabi people, an Aboriginal custom to welcome, wish good luck and ward off bad spirits. The Gubbi Gubbi/Kabi Kabi people were also invited by The FA to present the players with their official tournament squad numbers. The community session concluded with players posing for photographs and signing autographs for fans.
“To see so many fans join us today was incredible," England boss Sarina Wiegman said. "We have received such a warm welcome from everyone since we arrived, it really feels like a home away from home for us and we’re delighted to be here.
"With the brilliant facilities and the excellent climate, we can’t think of anywhere better to get to work and finalise our preparation for the tournament."
Mark Jamieson, Mayor of the Sunshine Coast, added: “Our region is tremendously proud and excited that the Lionesses have chosen to come to our Sunshine Coast for such an important part of their 2023 FIFA World Cup journey.
“I’m very confident that our sporting facilities, our friendly hospitality, and our beautiful winter climate, will provide them with the perfect environment to put the finishing touches on their World Cup preparations. Today’s open training session is a rare and wonderful opportunity for our community."
England will continue their preparations on the Sunshine Coast next week, before taking on Canada in a behind-closed-doors match on July 14.
The squad will then travel to Brisbane ahead of their first game against Group D opponents Haiti on July 22. They also face Denmark July 28, Sydney) and China PR (August 1, Adelaide).
