The Australian Government and Football Australia are partnering to support the development of elite football throughout the Pacific in a renewed partnership.
Delivered through PacificAus Sports, the four-year investment will facilitate regular international fixtures between Australian and Pacific national teams, in addition to capacity-building initiatives aimed at supporting the development of players, match officials and administrators from throughout the region.
Set to feature women’s and men’s football across a range of age groups, as well as international futsal, this partnership will provide regular opportunities for Pacific national teams to train and compete with some of Australia’s brightest talents.
The renewed partnership follows a number of successful initiatives involving Pacific nations, starting with the 2019 Pacific Tour to the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Tonga by Australia’s Junior Matildas, before expanding to include Australian age-group men’s and women’s national football teams.
The partnership will continue to deepen people-to-people links and sporting connections, engaging with local communities, and bringing the region together through a shared love of football.
The Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Pat Conroy MP said:“Australia and the Pacific come together through a shared passion for sport and it’s exciting to see football’s continued growth and popularity throughout the region.
“The Albanese Government is proud to build on the success of our partnership with Football Australia, through PacificAus Sports, to provide increased opportunities for Australian and Pacific football teams to compete together at the highest levels, and to strengthen connections between our nations.”
Football Australia Chair, Anter Isaac said:“Australian football has many natural connections and intersections with the Pacific through a long-shared history of the game in this region. The surge in interest and inspiration for the game across the Pacific, particularly after our co-hosting of the FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand, is undeniable.
“We are proud to continue our partnership with the Australian Government through the PacificAus Sports program, which will support the advancement of elite football throughout the Pacific and facilitate further international matches between Australian and Pacific national teams. Additionally, this partnership will enhance the development of players, match officials, and administrators from Pacific nations.
“Our relationship with the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) is a cornerstone of our regional strategy. The collaborative efforts between Football Australia and OFC and Member Associations across the region have been critical in strengthening our ties within the Pacific, allowing us to work together towards common objectives and ensuring the continued development of football in the region. This partnership, supported by the Australian Government, will further enhance our ability to contribute to the growth of football across the Pacific and solidify our commitment to the region.
“We extend our gratitude to the Australian Government for its unwavering support of football both in Australia and throughout the Pacific region. We look forward to collaborating with our Pacific family to achieve success both on and off the pitch.”
Lambert Maltock, President of Oceania Football Confederation said:“OFC and Football Australia have a long-standing relationship that spans decades, since Australia was once part of our confederation. We are excited to see this partnership between Football Australia and the Australian Government flourish through the PacificAus Sports program. This program will not only strengthen our ties and relationships with both parties but it will promote the development of elite football across the Pacific region.
“At OFC our priorities are Development, Education and High Performance with football and our Member Associations at the core of all we do, and I can see that this initiative will accomplish some of what we have set out to achieve. It is always a pleasure to collaborate with Australia closely as we have a joint goal in creating a high-performance environment both on and off the pitch.”
Brian Kaltak, athlete representing Central Coast Mariners FC and Vanuatu national men’s football team.
“The PacificAus Sports partnership supports the progression of elite football amongst Pacific nations like Vanuatu through the staging of international matches, courses, and workshops to help the development of players, coaches, match officials and administrators.
“From a player’s point of view, for our youth and senior teams to be able to play a strong footballing nation like Australia on a more regular basis and being able to access high-performance training environments when in Australia will only benefit our programs.
“On behalf of Vanuatu football, I would like to thank both the Australian Government and Football Australia for their support of the world game in the Pacific.”
Raphael Lea’i, athlete representing Adelaide City FC and Solomon Islands national men’s football team: “(The PacificAus Sports partnership) means a lot to the Solomon Islands. We need to play games against Australia. It gives us a good test to see and play against teams from Australia.
“Football and futsal are the main sports in Solomon Islands. Everyone loves football and futsal. For us to go to Australia, or for Australia to play in the Solomons – in men’s football, women’s football, and futsal – it really helps us as players, and helps to make us partners.”
Adi Litia Bakaniceva, athlete representing Rewa Football Club and Fiji women’s national football team said: “The PacificAus Sports program gives us exposure to world class football and improves us as players, but also brings us closer together off the field. I look forward to many more opportunities to challenge myself against Australian teams, continuing to build relationships through football, and inspiring the next generation of Fijian girls and boys to play.”
