ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022 warms up
Young female cricketers inspired
With ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2022 (CWC 22) just weeks away, 40 primary school girls relished yesterday’s chance to take part in a special event to celebrate girls’ cricket in the Bay.
The Northern District Cricket Association’s (NDCA) annual Rainbow Festival at Bay Oval saw Year 4-6 girls from around the region take part in three games of modified cricket.
Alongside the tournament itself, the festival also included a ‘cricket world cup-themed carnival’ to celebrate CWC 22.
Tauranga City Council Venues and Events Manager, Nelita Byrne, says the festival provided an amazing chance to inspire a future generation of female cricket players.
“Yesterday our young female players had a fantastic taste of what’s going to be on offer once the event kicks off on March 4 at Bay Oval,” says Nelita.
“Not only will CWC 22 be a chance to delight audiences with world class cricket; it’s an opportunity to inspire a whole generation of future cricket talent in Aotearoa New Zealand.
"Again, we've seen the success of Zoi Sadowski-Synnott at the Winter Olympics, and we know this will inspire younger generations of snowboarders in New Zealand to aim high
“Similarly, we hope the presence of the best female cricketers in the world playing here at Bay Oval will be an inspiration for our younger generation of cricketers,” she says.
Scott Steward, NDCA’s Cricket Development Manager – Bays says the focus of the day was to create an environment for participants to have fun with their friends and to have a great cricket experience.
“The event was a roaring success; the girls thoroughly enjoyed the day in the sun, playing and laughing with their friends. The addition of a lunch time carnival was a huge hit!,” he says.
Mr Steward says despite COVID-19 disruptions during the past few years, cricket’s popularity among tamariki and rangatahi girls in the Bay of Plenty has been on the rise over the past three years. For the first time, the association is planning to transition into an open age-group women's competition next season.
In previous years, around 300 girls have taken part in the festival, however due to COVID-19 restrictions, less than 100 people participated this year.
CWC 22 opens in Tauranga on March 4, 2022 with New Zealand taking on West Indies at Bay Oval.
“Hosting the opening ceremony and seven games in Tauranga provides a once in a lifetime chance to showcase our city to the world and grow our reputation as one of New Zealand’s premiere event-friendly destinations,” says Nelita Byrne.
Eight teams will compete in CWC 22 in Christchurch, Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington and Dunedin until 3 April in 31 matches over 31 days.