Tasmania is getting a taste of the A-League thanks to a partnership between Western United, the Tasmanian Government and Football Tasmania.
Western United will be heading over to Launceston to play two home game fixtures at York Park during both the 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 seasons.
Western United CEO Chris Pehlivanis said the team is excited to bring the game to Tasmania.
“We were presented with an opportunity to work with the Tasmanian Government and Football Tasmania to not only showcase Western United’s brand of football but to bring the A-League to the state,” he said.
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The partnership will also include a women’s exhibition match between Calder United Soccer Club and a local Tasmanian representative team, as well as community football initiatives. The vision for 2022 includes a W-League fixture as part of a broader festival of football in the state.
“The philosophy of Western United has always been to ‘dream big’ and we believe the partnership reflects this. The shared values of being self-made and hardworking naturally align both the people from Victoria’s west and the Tasmanian community,” Pehlivanis said.
The partnership also aims to grow the game of football at a grassroots level in Tasmania and work with tourism bodies to help boost the industry after the pandemic lockdowns.
Football Tasmania CEO Matt Bulkeley said the announcement marked an exciting step forward for the World Game in Tasmania.
“With close to 40,000 participants, football is Tasmania’s most-played team sport and continues to rise in popularity, especially among junior players,” Mr Bulkeley said.
“The next step in growing the sport in Tasmania is to increase the A-League’s presence, and partnerships like this are integral to maintaining football’s position as Tasmania’s most-played team sport.
Mr Bulkeley went on to thank Western United and the State Government for bringing the A-League back to Tasmania.