Tasmania's push to become a 2023 Women's World Cup training base could also see the state play a bigger role on the national soccer scene.
Football Tasmania is hoping planned upgrades to four venues around the state - including two in Launceston - will attract other elite opportunities.
A state government pledge of $10 million will see $3 million spent on both Devonport's Valley Road and Lightwood Park, Kingborough, with $2.5 million for Launceston's Churchill Park and $1.5 million for Birch Avenue.
The improvements are intended to provide a training base for one of the competing nations but Football Tasmania chief executive Matt Bulkeley said it should provide a longer legacy.
"The vision is for football to have regional facilities that could accommodate national youth and A-League camps plus fixtures like FFA Cup latter-stage games," he said.
"We want to host those things and don't have the facilities but this funding will help achieve that."
Now one of the largest global sporting tournaments, the ninth edition of the Women's World Cup will be jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand in nine cities.
Although UTAS Stadium was cut from the list of potential match venues in April, Football Tasmania is optimistic the state can be a training base for one of the 32 competing nations
Bulkeley confirmed that FIFA still intend to look at all base camp venues with inspections expected around February-March. Decisions will then be made on the most suitable which are then offered to qualified countries to consider.
Tasmania is seen as a preferable training base due to its relative safety plus short flying time to Melbourne and Sydney.
"The second phase will come once the teams start qualifying and we are expecting a bit of a bidding war," Bulkeley said.
"A Launceston working group will engage with those countries to have Launceston front and centre of those discussions."
The working group is expected to include representatives from City of Launceston council and Northern Tasmania Development Corporation.
A video is also being produced on the base camps which will be presented to FIFA.
Bulkeley said Football Tasmania is working closely with the Federal Government and opposition candidates seeking to have the $10 million of state funding matched.
At Birch Avenue the required work includes fixing drainage on the second pitch, upgrading lighting on both pitches and an expansion of the changerooms.
Churchill Park work includes lighting on new pitches, upgraded lighting on existing ones, improvements to existing buildings plus additional shading and shelters.
Bulkeley said work will also get underway at Valley Road, Devonport, and Lightwood Park, Kingborough, seeking to take those venues "to the next level".
"With our masterplan, Valley Road and Lightwood Park would be high-level venues and compare favourably with mainland facilities and we hope to get Churchill Park and Birch Avenue to that level too.
"Elsewhere, Windsor Park is now a really good facility, Prospect Park will be when it gets better changerooms. We are seeing venues rise to another level."
Rob Shaw
Heralding the impact of Tasmanian sport without saying "punching above its weight" is not as easy as it sounds.
Heralding the impact of Tasmanian sport without saying "punching above its weight" is not as easy as it sounds.
