Chinese champions take Asian Cup build-up to Newcastle ovals

newy.com.au – China’s women’s national football team has begun training in Newcastle, using Darling Street Oval at Hamilton South and No. 2 Sportsground at Newcastle West ahead of the 2026 AFC Asian Cup in Australia next month.

The defending champions, known as the Steel Roses, are holding a pre-tournament camp in the region as City of Newcastle looks to showcase its sporting infrastructure to elite teams and major events.

Sports Infrastructure Working Party chair Cr Peta Winney-Baartz said the council was proud to play a role in the lead-up, despite Newcastle missing out on hosting matches. “Even though Newcastle missed out on hosting games, the defending champions have clearly seen the value of our facilities for their preparations,” Winney-Baartz said.

Winney-Baartz pointed to a $3 million upgrade at Darling Street Oval in 2024 aimed at better supporting women’s football, and said council staff kept No. 2 Sportsground “in pristine condition” with an “incredible playing surface”.

The Chinese squad held its first session at Darling Street on Saturday in front of Newcastle Olympic youth players, before signing autographs and speaking with locals.

China will train at No. 2 Sportsground for the rest of the week, before relocating to Sydney ahead of its opening match against Bangladesh on 3 March at Western Sydney Stadium.

Assistant coach Ivan Jolic said the Newcastle base had provided the “perfect home away from home” for the squad. “We have everything we need to get our players ready to defend our title,” Jolic said.

“Our objective is firmly set on reaching the final of the Asian Cup and the two facilities we’re using for our pre-tournament camp will give us the best possible chance of achieving that goal,” he said. Jolic said qualification pressure was high, adding: “There’s so much riding on this tournament with the top six finishers automatically qualifying for the 2027 Women’s World Cup, so our preparation needs to be flawless.”

Executive manager community and recreation Lynn Duffy said the city’s grounds crews were maintaining surfaces despite a crowded calendar of local sport and major events. Duffy said the Sydney Swans had used No. 1 and No. 2 Sportsgrounds for training camps in November, while No. 2 was also used last week for a promotional visit by the Rugby World Cup trophy.

Duffy said No. 1 Sportsground had hosted the Country NSW Cricket Championships and the Under 19 National Female Cricket Championships this summer, with more events scheduled later this year, while No. 2 was set to host a run of rugby league, rugby union and police championships, alongside local competitions.