NFACR Young Matildas China Tour
The National Foundation for Australia China Relations was established in 2020, to strengthen understanding and engagement between Australia and China. It is an initiative of the Australian Government.
Football Australia was an inaugural grant holder, pitching a tour concept that would see the Young Matildas - Australia’s U-20 Women’s National Football Team - travel to China to participate in a multi-match series against the China U-20 Women’s National Football Team.
In partnership with the China Football Association and the Xiamen Football Association, an ambitious off-field schedule was developed, seeing the Young Matildas and China U-20 Women’s National Football Team participate in joint community activities, as well as a visit to a place of cultural significance in China - Gulangyu Island, home of the country’s first football field.
The Australian Government, through the Australian Consulate-General in Guangzhou, traveled to Xiamen to use the two matches for different outcomes. The first match included a function for Australian alumni - Chinese who had studied in Australian tertiary institutions. The second match saw the Acting Consul General conduct their first visit to Xiamen, for political and cultural meetings, following a changeover in personnel and some restrictions on regional travel.
Throughout, the Young Matildas conducted interviews with in-country media, and content produced by the team over the tour was localised through changes in focus and style, as well as additions of native language subtitling. There were frequent content distributions to in-country media to support easy coverage of the team.
I project managed the tour and served as the Head of Delegation for the traveling party - take a look at the journey below!
Overview
Young Matildas Head Coach Leah Blayney steps through the plan for the tour, talking through high performance objectives, and what the team is aiming to achieve off the field as well.
High Performance
Hear from Young Matildas Head Coach Leah Blayney and several members of the playing group on what the tour offered from a high performance and technical perspective.
Community Engagement
See the Young Matildas attend a Chinese elementary boarding school, alongside counterparts from the Chinese U-20 Women’s National Football Team, to conduct clinics for the students.
The coaching staff and players from both teams attended a welcome ceremony from local government officials and school representatives, before running through several different drills. Players were also made available to conduct interviews with local media.
While not featured in the video, the Young Matildas also visited a site of cultural significance to both China and the population of Xiamen - Gulangyu Island, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site.
Partnerships
Over the duration of the tour, Football Australia supported the Australian Consulate General in Guangzhou with a variety of public diplomacy objectives.
This included raising the profile of Australia in Fujian province, through public activities and media engagement, providing opportunities to Australian alumni (Chinese nationals who had attended Australian higher education institutions), and engaging with the Xiamen city government.
Hear from Australia’s Acting Consul-General, Ms. Sophia Smith, about the role the Young Matildas played while in China.
