Breakfast celebrating the afc women's asian cup australia 2026

Sydney is stepping confidently onto the global stage and this gathering of more than 150 leaders across politics, business, sport and community showed just how strong the support is for what lies ahead.

Business, sporting and community leaders joined Business Sydney for a breakfast in support of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup Australia 2026, with the energy in the room reflecting the scale of opportunity this tournament represents for Sydney and NSW.

We were honoured to have NSW Minister for Sport, the Hon Steve Kamper MP, in attendance, alongside Dr Marjorie O'Neill MP, and Deputy Leader of the NSW Opposition, The Hon Natalie Ward MLC, a strong demonstration of bipartisan support for women’s sport and major events.

A highlight of the morning was the outstanding facilitation of the panel by Stephanie Brantz, one of Australia’s leading sporting commentators guiding a powerful discussion featuring the of the Head of local organising committee Sarah Walsh, Deputy CEO of Football Australia, Heather Garriock, Matilda’s Coach, Joseph Montemurro and CEO of Destination NSW, Karen Jones. Together they explored the growth of women’s sport, the leadership required to succeed on the world stage, and the enormous cultural and economic benefits major tournaments deliver.

With world-class voices on stage and strong cross-sector support in the room, the message was clear: Sydney is ready to embrace this historic moment and maximise the opportunities it brings for business, tourism, community pride and the next generation of athletes.

The countdown is on and if this event was anything to go by, this will be a moment our city won’t forget.

A big bouquet to Dr Ashley Tsacalos, his colleagues and the team at Clayton Utz for their wonderful support of the breakfast.