A Queensland council is set to host the 2027 Women’s Softball World Cup Finals, marking a big year for world cups in the state, that includes the Men’s Rugby World Cup.
The City of Moreton Bay will host the eight best teams in the world as they go head-to-head for the Women’s Softball World Cup Finals in April 2027, with four games per day played over six days, showcasing Queensland as Australia’s premier sporting destination.
The Queensland Government’s tourism road map Destination 2045 includes a dedicated events fund that will support Queensland’s vision to be Australia’s home of events with more sport, concerts and cultural events.
City of Moreton Bay Mayor, Peter Flannery, said that Council was proud to be providing the venue for the event, which would help lift local participation in the sport and raise the City’s global profile.
“We are thrilled to be hosting this major international women’s sporting event, which will boost participation in softball locally and showcase our facilities at Talobilla Park at Kippa-Ring, including a new softball clubhouse,” Mayor Flannery said.
“This event is expected to generate more than 10,500 visitor nights and contribute $6.3 million in economic spend. Additionally, it is anticipated to have a global TV audience of around 60 million and a similar social reach as softball is very strong in Japan, South Korea and the USA among other countries.”
Queensland Minister for Sport, Racing and the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Tim Mander, said that the event was a coup for Queensland.
“We want to see more global sporting events call Queensland home over the next seven years to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Women’s Softball World Cup is a perfect fit,” Mander said.
“This is a sport with a strong Olympic history, having been included in the Games in 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2020, and it’s fantastic to see it returning at LA 2028.
“We all remember the impact of the Matildas in 2023 and competing on home turf in a Softball World Cup in 2027 will inspire more young women to emulate their sporting heroes on the field.”
Queensland Minister for the Environment and Tourism, Andrew Powell, said that major sporting events like this provided a significant tourism boost for local communities, attracting visitors from around the world.
“The State Government promised to bring more events to Queensland in the lead up to the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic games and this announcement is delivering on what we said we would do,” said Powell.
“The Women’s Softball World Cup is a major event that will bring more visitors to the state and help position Queensland to be Australia’s events capital.
“Teams from around the world will be staying for an extended period and enjoying all that Queensland has to offer while thousands of locals will turn out to watch the games and take part in a range of community activities.”
Federal Minister for Sport, Anika Wells, said that the Softball World Cup was another great edition to the green and gold runway towards 2032.
“We are committed to investing in women’s sport, whether that’s at a global or grassroots level – and I’m proud we’ve been able to help secure the Women’s Softball World Cup Finals for 2027,” Wells said.
“The Softball World Cup will build on our successful hosting of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023, the Women’s Asian Cup next year, the Netball World Cup in 2027 and Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2029 – all events the Federal Government has invested tens of millions of dollars to host.
“This event means our Aussie Spirit side can have home support for what will be the first Softball World Cup in Australia since 1965.”
Softball Australia CEO, Sarah Loh, said that the tournament would be a tremendous boost for the sport in Queensland.
“The return of the WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup to Australian soil is a powerful opportunity to inspire the next generation with Olympic dreams, boost grassroots participation and deliver lasting benefits to local communities,” Loh said.
“The strong support from all levels of government to bring the WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup to Brisbane is both welcome and vital.”
