Girls and women in the Clarence and Richmond Valley will get fairer access to sporting facilities and benefit from access to a $150,000 Northern NSW training hub ahead of the women’s Soccer World Cup which will take place in Australia in 2023, Clarence Nationals MP Chris Gulaptis has announced. “The success of women’s AFL and the women’s Big Bash League prove that women can and want to compete in the same team sports as men at the highest level,” Mr Gulaptis said. “But they have all too often been held back by facilities largely geared towards men. The lack of female changing facilities at regional NSW sports venues is a particular problem.” Mr Gulaptis said that would be remedied with a $50 million injection of cash from the NSW Government. The $50 million will be made available through the Stronger Country Communities Fund Round four to meet strong demand for further high quality community and sports-related infrastructure projects. Further details about Round Four of the program, including guidelines and eligible applicants, will be available on the Regional Growth Fund website in coming months. Meanwhile, the NSW Government are also investing $750,000 for five regional NSW soccer training hubs, including one in Northern NSW, to foster talent ahead of the Women’s World Cup in Australia in two years’ time. Mr Gulaptis said the Matildas had historically performed better than their male counterparts at the international level and that dominance was set to continue with the development of the female soccer stars of the future. “In the FIFA world rankings, the Australian men are 41st but the Matildas are seventh and a real chance of winning the World Cup on home soil,” Mr Gulaptis concluded.