Tameka Yallop Believes Women’s World Cup Will Have Impact Beyond The Sport

Australia, the co-hosts of the FIFA Women’s World Cup beginning in July, face their toughest test in their build-up to the tournament when they face the European Champions, England on Tuesday, who are currently on a 30-game unbeaten streak and are fresh from winning the Finalissima.

When the two teams kick-off in Brentford, it will be 100 days until the start of the World Cup which Australia will co-host with New Zealand. Midfielder Tameka Yallop is set to play in her fourth finals tournament, but none so far has compared to the prospect of playing for her country on home soil. “I think that it’s huge”, she admitted, “and it extends past just football. I think it goes across the broader spectrum of women’s sport. We’ll see how far the reach can go but I think that’s a lot of the excitement as well.”

Only four of the current Australian squad play full-time in the country, making it easier to organize international games in Europe where the majority of the players earn their living. Therefore, the prospect of playing an entire tournament on home soil is particularly enticing, especially after The Matildas tasted victory in Australia earlier this year by winning the four-team Cup of Nations ahead of Czechia, Spain and Jamaica.

“I mean, it’s special whenever we go there and play friendlies,” said Yallop, “and then we obviously had a tournament at the start of the year too and that was awesome to lift a trophy in front of the home crowd so everyone is really excited for a home World Cup. Not many teams do have regular experience of playing such major tournaments at home, so I think it’s always something new for host countries but it’s something we’re welcoming with open arms.”

Prior to their surprise defeat to Scotland on Friday, The Matildas were on an seven-match winning streak which has included impressive victories over the higher-ranked Sweden and Spain. Their previous defeats came at home to Olympic champions Canada, with the second loss coming at the 83,500-capacity Stadium Australia, where they will open their World Cup campaign in July against the Republic of Ireland.

Speaking to me at their training base in London, Yallop felt that sticking to their principles has brought about their impressive current run of form. “Honestly, I think it’s just going through the processes, and that can take time. There’s ups and downs. You do see that with player rotations and even just testing out new things within camps. So for us, I think, nothing has really changed apart from maybe the focus on the finer details and coming to the pointy end leading into a tournament.”

Many of the England players last tasted international defeat as part of the Great Britain side who were knocked out of the Tokyo Olympic Football tournament by Australia, a game in which The Matildas came from behind to win 4-3 after extra time, which Yallop remembers fondly.

“That was in the Olympics, so in a major tournament. It just showed our never-say-die attitude that we have with The Matildas. England’s always been a top side and they’re always competitive so I think we’re expecting a competitive match which we’re excited for and we welcome.”

After a season playing in England for West Ham United, Yallop witnessed first-hand the build-up to UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 won by the Lionesses on home soil, a success Australia are hoping to replicate, both on and off the pitch this summer. She told me, “I wasn’t lucky enough to be here for it but that was a very exciting tournament. England did really well with their community around them and you really saw that on match days and I think if that’s a little taster for the World Cup, then I think we’ve got something exciting coming too.”

Australian captain and all-time leading goalscorer, Sam Kerr, also believes that The Matildas have the ability to transcend their sport this summer citing the moment in which Cathy Freeman won 400m Gold at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 as the high watermark for her country’s engagement with women’s sport.

“The legacy that was left there from one special moment was everlasting for all of us. If you ask half the girls in the team, for most of them, their idol or hero growing up was Cathy Freeman. For us, that’s the legacy that we want to leave, that we inspire the nation, that we move the nation to believe in women’s football, believe in The Matildas.”

“We already have the highest participation for any sport in the country, so I think it’s about getting the people higher up to believe in the sport. You see the funding that the AFL (Australian Rules Football), rugby, all those sports get before women’s football. It’s all about getting the money into football to allow girls to play, to allow girls to have the opportunity to get to where they want to be.”

“We hope, that no matter what happens, that this team is remembered forever and that we represent Australia in the best way possible and show that Australia can be a real footballing country and a real host of women’s football. So, I’m excited. I think it’s going to the best World Cup ever and I get goosebumps every time I think about that first game.”