New Zealand’s National stadium to host ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2021

After delivering several successful World Cup events, Eden Park is proud to be hosting the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup next year as part of its commitment to women in sport.

The 2021 tournament will be hosted across the country with a memorable opening weekend due to be held at Eden Park.

Eden Park Chief Executive Officer Nick Sautner says a focus on further promoting women’s sport demonstrates a step change in trends and consumption.

“Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern visited our stadium in 2018 to share her government’s strategy on supporting women and girls in sport. It’s clear that Aotearoa is home to some exceptional athletes and New Zealand’s national stadium is committed to playing its part in providing a platform for all women to perform.”

Auckland Mayor Phil Goff says hosting the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in Auckland is an opportunity to showcase the city as a premier international sporting destination.

“The massive events series planned for 2021 will put Auckland in the global spotlight,” he says.

“It’s fantastic to be hosting the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup at Eden Park, in a year that will also see the America’s Cup, Te Matatini, Rugby World Cup 2021 and the Men’s Softball World Championships held in Auckland.”

New Zealand Cricket Chief Executive Officer David White says the World Cup would be a significant milestone in the ongoing transformation of women’s cricket in the host nation and beyond.

“This will be a spectacular event that will help further engage, and grow, an appreciative new audience for the game. We’re looking forward to showcasing the best of our sport and our country to the rest of the world.”

ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Chief Executive Officer Andrea Nelson says, “We’re thrilled to have locked in Eden Park for a bumper opening weekend and look forward to seeing everyone there to kick off this momentous event.”

Eden Park is focussed on working with partners to explore options to upgrade its facilities, including the changing rooms, to be fit for purpose and gender appropriate at women’s fixtures.

“We want to ensure that all athletes are provided with world-class facilities and feel comfortable in all aspects of the stadium’s design, achieving equality. It’s our desire to host more and more women’s games and come together to support all sport,” says Nick Sautner.

In September 2018, in line with Suffrage 125, Eden Park commissioned a local artist to create a mural to illustrate the successes of some of our most renowned sportswomen. Leaders in our country’s female sporting history were included such as Yvette Williams (Track and field), Suzie Bates (Cricket and basketball), Farah Palmer (Rugby), Fiao’o Fa’amausili (Rugby), Ruia Morrison (Tennis), Dame Valerie Adams (Shot put) and Lisa Carrington (Kayaking).

2021 is set to be a blockbuster year for Auckland with the 36th America's Cup, while Eden Park hosts events such as Te Matatini; the festival of Kapa Haka, the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2021, Rugby World Cup 2021 and further events yet to be announced.

Eden Park is New Zealand’s national stadium and a globally iconic arena, located in central Auckland.

Eden Park Trust operates as a statutory not-for-profit body corporate, registered as a charitable trust with the Charities Commission. Its objectives are to promote, operate and develop Eden Park as a high quality multi-purpose stadium for the use and benefit of rugby and cricket as well as other sporting codes and other recreational, musical, and cultural events for the benefit of the public of the Auckland region.

Its rich history and profile is unmatched by any other stadium in the country. From its beginnings as a cricket ground in 1903, Eden Park became the primary venue for major summer and winter sport in Auckland when in 1913, the owner, Auckland Cricket, leased winter use of the ground to Auckland Rugby.

A Deed of Trust establishing Auckland Cricket and Auckland Rugby as the beneficial owners of Eden Park was signed in 1926 and has since been enshrined in legislation. Most notably remembered for hosting the 1987 and 2011 Rugby World Cup Finals, Eden Park remains the home of both Auckland Cricket and Auckland Rugby as it has been for more than a century.

Each year, more than half a million sports and entertainment fans from around the world visit Eden Park. The stadium successfully hosts sell-out crowds of up to 50,000 on match days and hosts more than 1,000 non-match day functions per year.

ends

© Scoop Media