Minister for Sport and Recreation Hon Grant Robertson has announced funding to upgrade the player facilities at Eden Park ahead of upcoming Women’s World Cup events.

Eden Park is a confirmed venue for the Rugby World Cup 2021, the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022, and a proposed venue for matches of significance for the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™.

The upgrade focuses on the redevelopment of player facilities in Eden Park’s West and South Stands, including accessible showers, toilets and baby change tables, to make them gender neutral and of a standard befitting the world’s best players. The upgrade will be completed in time for Eden Park to host the Australian, Indian, New Zealand and England female cricket players in March next year.

“This funding is about modernising and improving the facilities for the world’s best women’s players across all three major events. These facilities will also benefit the domestic and international players who more regularly use Eden Park,” Grant Robertson said.

”The upgrade at Eden Park and the five ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022 match venues will improve the future experience of women and girls and provides an example of what good inclusivity looks like for everyone using the changing facilities regardless of gender, helping reduce barriers to participation.”

The $1.71 million investment by the Government in the Eden Park upgrade is part of a $9.84 million allocation for World Cup accessible venues that was included in the $265 million Sport Recovery Package. The investment covers upgrades to facilities at the match venues and training grounds for Rugby World Cup 2021, ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022, as well as the scoping of upgrades for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.

Within the $9.84 million investment, $5.3 million has been allocated to support the development of competition and training venues for the Rugby World Cup in the Northland and Auckland regions. This includes supporting the development of the community multi-sport facility and new home for Northland Rugby at William Fraser Park in Whangarei.

Through the Major Events Fund, the Government has also provided core tournament investment of $2 million towards the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022 and $3 million towards the Rugby World Cup 2021 (played in 2022). The FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023™ has received an investment of up to $25 million from Cabinet.