Australia's indigenous flags to shine at FIFA Women's World Cup

Global soccer governing body FIFA has agreed to requests from Australia and New Zealand to display Indigenous flags at the Women's World Cup, the co-hosts said on Friday.

FILE PHOTO: Workers raise the flag of the Torres Strait Islands next to an Australian Aboriginal flag, the Queensland state flag and the Australian national flag on a stand above the Commonwealth Games competition swimming pool on the Gold Coast in Australia, April 3, 2018. REUTERS/David Gray/File Photo

Published on:

08 Jul 2023, 2:42 pm

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Global soccer governing body FIFA has agreed to requests from Australia and New Zealand to display Indigenous flags at the Women's World Cup, the co-hosts said on Friday.

The Australian Aboriginal flag and the Torres Strait Islander flag will be on display at all 35 matches across Australia, with the Māori flag, known as 'Tino Rangatiratanga', to feature at all 29 matches in New Zealand.

"Confirmation by FIFA that all official flags of Australia will be flown during the FIFA Women's World Cup is an important moment for all Australians, particularly First Nations People," Football Australia boss James Johnson said in a statement.

FILE PHOTO: A sticker of the Australian Aboriginal Flag along with the word "RESPECT" is pictured on a structure at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy, a site of protest since 1972, in Canberra, Australia, May 4, 2022. REUTERS/Loren Elliott/File Photo

Australia's World Cup squad includes Indigenous Australian players Kyah Simon and goalkeeper Lydia Williams.

"For me, obviously, I'm proud of our culture and our First Nations people in the country," Simon told reporters in Melbourne this week.

FILE PHOTO: Tokyo 2020 Olympics - Soccer Football - Women - Quarterfinal - Great Britain v Australia - Ibaraki Kashima Stadium, Ibaraki, Japan - July 30, 2021. Kyah Simon of Australia in action with Keira Walsh of Britain REUTERS/Henry Romero/File Photo

"Every major tournament, my family's come along and brought their own Aboriginal flag and for me that's obviously a part of my history and my culture and to see my family in the crowd, obviously holding up the flag as well, is something that's close to home for me.

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Women's World Cup - Round of 16 - Norway v Australia - Allianz Riviera, Nice, France - June 22, 2019. Australia's Lydia Williams in action. REUTERS/Jean-Paul Pelissier/File Photo

"I'm hoping that people that come from abroad can see that rich culture that we do have here and also be educated along the way."

The World Cup starts on July 20.

(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford)