Sarah Du Plessis: Matildas’ Optus Stadium sellout is a milestone for women’s sport

WA sporting history will be made this Sunday when the Matildas take on the Philippines in front of a sell-out crowd of 59,000 at Optus Stadium.

It will be the first time that a women’s sporting event has sold out Optus Stadium, and it’s fitting that this record will be set by the Matildas after their matches during the FIFA Women’s World Cup broke both attendance and viewership records over the course of their World Cup campaign across July and August this year.

For WA fans, Sunday’s blockbuster match is one of three Olympic qualifiers for the Matildas and the campaign is the first time they’ve seen homegrown superstar Sam Kerr in action for Australia since the Matildas played Thailand here in a 2018 friendly.

With the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics just nine months away, these qualifying matches are a crucial step in the Matildas’ plan to supersede their best Olympic result, which was a fourth place at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

It’s been incredible to witness the momentum the World Cup has built since the Matildas captured the hearts and minds of Australia with their march to the tournament’s semi-finals.

Recently, the first round of the A-League Women’s competition broke attendance records for women’s football in Australia, and the World Cup is credited with an almost 200 per cent growth in memberships across the league. Our own Perth Glory women’s team has started strongly and sits on top of the ladder with two rounds completed.

This week’s Matildas matches also coincided with the opening of the new state-of-the art $46 million State Football Centre on Friday, which saw a sell-out crowd of fans and supporters flock to the new venue to watch the Perth Glory train and see the Matildas on stage ahead of Sunday’s match.

And while the women are attracting fans and viewers to their matches, off the field, work is taking place to boost grassroots female participation and to create stronger leadership pathways for women in WA football.

One example is Football West’s Women in Football Leadership Development Program, open to all women involved in football as volunteers, football media, advanced coaches and referees, high-performance players, board members or paid employees and those who are looking to work in football. The program will bring women together from many areas of football to share their experiences, examine leadership styles, discuss engaging and influencing stakeholders.

The program looks to develop an individual’s skills and knowledge, while building confidence in women to pursue leadership roles or take the next step in their career. The program is aimed at empowering women involved in football to have a stronger more positive influence on the sport, as well as providing participants with a professional development opportunity.

Another is a women’s summer league which has attracted a record number of interest amongst community clubs and teams to participate in alternative formats for the upcoming season. The summer football competitions are a valuable addition to the calendar of community football clubs as they provide players with additional playing time, extra football opportunities, a chance to improve during the off-season, and a platform to build greater talent. By embracing year-round football, community clubs lay the foundation for a stronger, more competitive, and successful future.

When the Matildas take the field at Optus Stadium on Sunday, and the crowd goes up as one to acknowledge the players, it will mark another historic milestone for women’s sport in WA. And it will be a special moment for local fans to acknowledge the skill, leadership and contribution Sam Kerr has made to the sport, locally, nationally and globally.

Win or lose against the Philippines, Sunday’s match will be another legacy building moment in what has been an unforgettable year for the players, the code, fans and the next generation of future Matildas.

And that’s a win for women’s sport and female equality, no matter how you play the game.

Sarah du Plessis is female football and advocacy manager at Football West.