THE Western Sydney Wanderers are locked in to play a game in Bathurst.
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Bathurst Regional Council, during the confidential portion of the May 17 ordinary meeting, accepted a proposal to host a Wanderers A-League Women's fixture at Carrington Park.
While no date has been set, the game is expected to be held sometime in 2023.
Council's director of Corporate Services and Finance, Aaron Jones, said this will be a one-off game, with no long-term arrangement in place between council and the Wanderers at this time.
"This has been ongoing for some time, working with the Western Sydney Wanderers to get an A-League game here," he said.
"We figured that, with the timing of the women's World Cup, there's an opportunity for us to pursue a women's A-League game."
Council understands this will be the first time an A-League game has been played in a regional centre.
The game will be played at Carrington Park, the same venue that is used each year when the Penrith Panthers come to Bathurst for a round of the National Rugby League (NRL) season.
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It is also the home ground of the Bathurst Panthers.
As such, there will be some work that needs to be done later in the year to prepare the ground to host the soccer.
"As far the field preparation, it's just different line marking. It's a transformation from a rugby league ground to a soccer field, but we already have the design and infrastructure to be able to do that," Mr Jones said.
While council is staying mum on the dollar value it is spending to get this A-League game to Bathurst, Mr Jones did confirm the cost to transform the ground has been budgeted for within the expenditure.
It is hoped this will be the first of many games of its kind to be held in Bathurst.
"Council's preference, whenever we attract a new event, whether it be sporting or anything else, is that we go in for the long haul," Mr Jones said.
"The conversations with the Western Sydney Wanderers have been to try this and the door is open for further conversation depending on the success of the game."
For now, though, any event at Carrington Park will have to be either men's or women's, not both, due to the limitations of the change room facilities.
Council has plans to upgrade the grandstand, including the change rooms, at Carrington Park, but the full funding needed is not currently available.
"We're not able to pursue a men's and women's game on the same evening. An upgrade to Carrington Park would allow us to do that," Mr Jones said.
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