Eden Park to host the opening match of ICC women’s cricket world cup 2021

New Zealand’s national stadium Eden Park will be hosting the opening match of the ICC women’s cricket world cup 2021.

The 2021 tournament will be hosted across the country with a memorable opening weekend due to be held at Eden Park.

Six New Zealand cities will be hosting the tournament's 31 One Day International matches, likely to be held in February-March 2021.

The other cities to get the chance of hosting cricket fixtures are Wellington, Hamilton, Tauranga, Dunedin and Christchurch, with Christchurch’s Hagley Oval hosting the finals.

Eden Park Chief Executive Officer Nick Sautner said, “After delivering several successful World Cup events, Eden Park is proud to be hosting the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup next year as part of its commitment to women in sport.

“A focus on further promoting women’s sport demonstrates a step change in trends and consumption,” Nick Sautner said.

New Zealand Cricket Chief Executive Officer David White says the World Cup would be a significant milestone in the ongoing transformation of women’s cricket in the host nation and beyond.

New Zealand Cricket Chief Executive Officer David White says the World Cup would be a significant milestone in the ongoing transformation of women’s cricket in the host nation and beyond.

Meanwhile, Eden Park is focussed on working with partners to explore options to upgrade its facilities, including the changing rooms, to be fit for purpose and gender appropriate at women’s fixtures.

“We want to ensure that all athletes are provided with world-class facilities and feel comfortable in all aspects of the stadium’s design, achieving equality. It’s our desire to host more and more women’s games and come together to support all sport,” Nick Sautner said.

2021 is set to be a blockbuster year for Auckland with the 36th America's Cup, while Eden Park hosts events such as Te Matatini; the festival of Kapa Haka, the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2021, Rugby World Cup 2021 and further events yet to be announced.