Mel McLaughlin named Key Ambassador ahead of FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 in Australia and New Zealand

Channel 7’s Mel McLaughlin will play a key role in the upcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup after FIFA announced her as part of its Beyond Greatness Champions Ambassador Group, which will support and promote the World Cup in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.

The Beyond Greatness Champions are a group of inspirational innovators representing the best of Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand in sports, entertainment, media, arts, politics and business.

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The group will use their passion for women’s sports, inclusivity and unity to build excitement for the tournament through their social channels, represent the tournament at key milestones and events, and share the excitement across their industries and networks.

Jane Fernandez, Australia’s COO of the FIFA Women’s World Cup, said the ambassadors would play a crucial role in supporting the event in local communities.

“The FIFA Women’s World Cup will make history and bring about change across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, and what team of inspirational people could better help celebrate that than our own historians,” Fernandez said in a statement.

Aotearoa New Zealand COO Jane Patterson said the event will inspire the next generation of women footballers.

“We asked inspiring Australians and New Zealanders, who represent the diverse communities of our host countries, who share values ​​with our event and who have experienced their own great moments, to help us work with our communities and contribute to the FIFA Women’s World Cup advertise (in) Australia and New Zealand,” Patterson said in a statement from FIFA.

McLaughlin, a self-confessed football tragedian, said she was honored to be involved with the program.

“I chose to become a Beyond Greatness Champion because it is a privilege. I’m so excited and still can’t believe the FIFA Women’s World Cup is coming to us,” said McLaughlin.

“But to be able to be there on a different level is just incredible. I really don’t think the mainstream public in Australia and New Zealand understands how big the FIFA Women’s World Cup will be… (and) the impact it will have on children and adults – in all walks of life.

“The world is coming to our shores, the world will be watching. A whole generation is inspired by it.”

Other champions of Beyond Greatness include:

• Ellie Cole – Australia’s most successful female Paralympian and cancer survivor
• Chloe Dalton – a member of Australia’s inaugural women’s Olympic rugby sevens team that won the gold medal in Rio 2016
• Maia Jackman – FIFA Legend and former Ferns football captain, with a career in the New Zealand national team from 1993 to 2012
• Zoi Sadowski-Synnott – Aotearoa New Zealand’s first Winter Olympic gold medalist and most successful Winter Olympian of all time
• Dame Therese Walsh – currently Chair of ASB and Air New Zealand and has a strong background in major events in Aotearoa New Zealand

Additional Beyond Greatness Champions will be announced ahead of the tournament, which begins July 20, 2023.