The Queensland Government has secured The Women’s Softball World Cup Finals 2027, which will be held in the City of Moreton Bay local government area.
Talobilla Park, just 45 minutes outside of Brisbane, will host the top eight teams in the world in a battle for the title of World Champions from 5 to 11 April 2027, with four games a day to be played over six days.
Minister for Sport, Racing and the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Tim Mander said 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,” said Minister Mander.
“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.”
Minister for the Environment and Tourism Andrew Powell said major sporting events like this provided a significant tourism boost for local communities, attracting visitors from around the world.
“The Crisafulli 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 Minister 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.”
City of Moreton Bay Mayor, Peter Flannery said 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,” he said.
“With eight countries competing, our community will get to see many of the sport’s greatest athletes in action while our local businesses will benefit from increased tourist activity.
“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.
“The influx of visitors and global attention on our City will support our push for more hotel investment ahead of the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games. We’d love to see softball part of the 2032 Games, and we are investigating how we can support their push for inclusion in the sports program.”
The Mayor confirmed a new modern and accessible clubhouse at Talobilla Park will also be constructed ahead of the international event. The $4.8 million clubhouse project, which will support more than 700 members in the Redcliffe Leagues Softball Association, is being jointly funded, with the Federal Government and City of Moreton Bay each contributing $2.4 million.
Softball Australia CEO Sarah Loh said 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,” said Ms Loh.
“The strong support from all levels of Government to bring the WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup to Brisbane is both welcome and vital.”
