Football Australia is delighted to unveil the final ambassador to join the Legacy '23 lineup, welcoming popular ABC News Breakfast Sports Presenter and former professional athlete, Tony Armstrong.
A proud Gamilaroi man, Tony Armstrong was born in Paddington, Sydney before moving to the country NSW. He has been inspired throughout his childhood by amazing role models from within this diverse community, including his mother, whose encouragement and unwavering support was pivotal in him achieving his goals both on and off the sporting field.
Armstrong hopes that in his role as a Football Australia Legacy '23 Ambassador, he can leverage what he has learnt from his own lived experiences and empower the next generation to have the confidence to stand for what they believe in, go after their own goals, and help shape the future of football in Australia.
Of the opportunity to be involved with Legacy '23, Armstrong said: "I've always been a football fan throughout my life, so when I had the opportunity to become a Legacy '23 Ambassador I was humbled. The FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023TM is going to be a moment in time that we always look back on, where we took the game to the next level and built the foundations for the next generation of women and girls, and boys, to come together and move forward."
"I was very lucky to have access to high-performance facilities and coaches early on in my career, so I know how important it is to have clear pathways and infrastructure to support the growth of our game. Coming from a diverse background myself, sport was always a way in, and we are now seeing this transition to the women's game, with more young girls looking to sport as a career, not just as a player but through media and administration roles as well," Armstrong concluded.
Football Australia CEO James Johnson said of Armstrong's appointment: "We are so excited to have such a genuine and passionate advocate for our game in Tony Armstrong to join as our eleventh and final Football Australia Legacy '23 ambassador. Tony represents everything that is great about football - from the drive, passion, and humility to his commitment to high performance, diversity, and inclusion."
"With authentic voices like Tony amongst our influential Legacy '23 ambassadors, we have a wonderful opportunity to drive meaningful change and create a legacy for our sport and community, which endures long after Australia has hosted one of the largest sporting events in the world," Johnson said.
Previously announced Football Australia Legacy '23 ambassadors making up the Final XI include:
- The Hon. Julie Bishop, Chancellor of Australian National University
- Elizabeth Broderick AO, Special Rapporteur and Independent Expert to the United Nations
- Julie Dolan AM, Matildas cap #1
- Kurt Fearnley AO, Paralympic champion
- Phillipa Harrison, Managing Director of Tourism Australia
- Azmeena Hussain OAM, Director Football Victoria and social justice advocate
- Narelda Jacobs, NIAG Member and Network 10 Presenter
- Kate Jenkins, Australia's Sex Discrimination Commissioner
- Awer Mabil, Subway Socceroo
- The Hon. Annastacia Palaszczuk MP, Queensland State Premier
Elizabeth Broderick AO, Special Rapporteur and Independent Expert to the United Nations
The Legacy '23 Plan, developed by Football Australia, will ensure Australia can realise the long-term benefits of hosting this prestigious global sporting event can have on every community across the country. From economic, social, physical, and mental health benefits to its promotion of social cohesion and multicultural inclusion, Legacy '23 will introduce new and expand existing programs to ensure the future of football in Australia is stronger than ever before.
The programs will aim to increase participation, improve community facilities, optimise high-performance offerings, drive leadership and development of the sport as well as encourage local and international tourism as Australia and New Zealand recover from the global pandemic.
As the world's biggest women's sporting event, it is expected that over a billion people across the world will tune in to watch the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023TM.
