Westfield extends backing of Australian women’s football

Scentre Group, which owns and operates the Westfield chain of shopping centres in Australia and New Zealand, has extended its sponsorship deal with Football Federation Australia.

Under the new two-year deal, which will run until 2019, Westfield will retain naming rights to Australia’s women’s national team and the W-League club competition.

Westfield will also continue to serve as the title sponsor of the women’s youth national teams, and the National Youth Championship for Girls.

Peter Allen, chief executive of Scentre Group, said: “The profile and support for women in sport in Australia has come a long way since we aligned with the women’s FFA in 2008. We hope this momentum continues as the determination, leadership and commitment shown by our female football players make them stand out role models for young girls and women in our community.

“Over the next two years we won’t just be supporting women’s football on the field – we’re also looking to bring the game and the local community closer, offering our customers a range of experiences and opportunities to connect with women’s football and their favourite players in-centre.”

In other news, men’s A-League team the Western Sydney Wanderers has extended its partnership with property development and investment company Aqualand.

The company has agreed a deal to serve as a senior partner of the club for the next two seasons, with its branding to feature on the back of the team’s shorts during league games. The initiative began with the Wanderers’ 3-1 friendly defeat to English Premier League club Arsenal on Saturday.