Australia, NZ cleared to fly Indigenous flags at Women's World Cup

[July 07, 2023]  MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Global soccer governing body FIFA has agreed to requests from Australia and New Zealand to display Indigenous flags at the Women's World Cup, the co-hosts said on Friday.

The Australian Aboriginal flag and the Torres Strait Islander flag will be on display at all 35 matches across Australia, with the Māori flag, known as 'Tino Rangatiratanga', to feature at all 29 matches in New Zealand.

Workers raise the flag of the Torres Strait Islands next to an Australian Aboriginal flag, the Queensland state flag and the Australian national flag on a stand above the Commonwealth Games competition swimming pool on the Gold Coast in Australia, April 3, 2018. REUTERS/David Gray/File Photo

"Confirmation by FIFA that all official flags of Australia will be flown during the FIFA Women's World Cup is an important moment for all Australians, particularly First Nations People," Football Australia boss James Johnson said in a statement.

Australia's World Cup squad includes Indigenous Australian players Kyah Simon and goalkeeper Lydia Williams.

"For me, obviously, I'm proud of our culture and our First Nations people in the country," Simon told reporters in Melbourne this week.

"Every major tournament, my family's come along and brought their own Aboriginal flag and for me that's obviously a part of my history and my culture and to see my family in the crowd, obviously holding up the flag as well, is something that's close to home for me.

"I'm hoping that people that come from abroad can see that rich culture that we do have here and also be educated along the way."

The World Cup starts on July 20.

(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

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