New Zealand welcomes ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup teams

The eight teams participating in the ICC Women’s Cricket Word Cup have been officially welcomed to New Zealand ahead of the opening match of the tournament in Tauranga on 4th March 2022.

Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel officially welcomed the teams during a short ceremony on the banks of the Otakaro Avon River attended by the eight team captains and representatives from Ngāi Tūāhuriri and the International Cricket Council.

The first Christchurch match, at Hagley Oval, is scheduled for 24th March with Hagley Oval also hosting a semi-final on 31st March and the final on 3rd April.

Mayor Dalziel was delighted to welcome the teams to New Zealand adding “we cannot wait for Cup matches to get under way. To have the world’s best female cricketers playing in our city is an honour and I have no doubt that the skills and commitment you will display over the coming weeks will inspire a whole new generation of budding young cricketers.”

Teams were given gifts from Christchurch city – unique jade jewellery (pounamu taonga) carved by local master carver Fayne Robinson.

Robinson said the design for the pieces was a ‘one-off’ and shared “It’s definitely uplifting for me as a carver to play a big part in this World Cup.”

 A special gift was also bestowed upon the White Ferns – a specially written Maori song (waiata) for them to use for various occasions. It was written by Ngāi Tūāhuriri and may be used by the team to respond to speeches and when they travel overseas.

ChristchurchNZ Chief Executive Ali Adams said it was an exciting time for Ōtautahi Christchurch adding “we’re very pleased to welcome the world of women’s cricket to our city, and to have the opportunity to showcase Ōtautahi Christchurch to the world.

“As an avid cricket fan and a keen follower of women’s sport, I’m extremely excited to see the ICC Women’s Cricket World cup get under way.

“Having this international tournament here in New Zealand, and some significant matches played at the beautiful Hagley Oval, is a brilliant opportunity for Kiwis to see their home team play against the best in the world, and for us to showcase our hosting ability.

“Obviously Covid has impacted the tournament’s spectatorship, however the broadcast exposure is still significant.”

The 2017 tournament had a global audience of 180 million people, three times more than the 2013 event, and was broadcast into 189 markets.

In terms of broadcast exposure, the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup is seven times larger than the men’s Rugby World Cup.

Image courtesy Christchurch City Council