Former Matilda Sally Shipard was present for the unveiling of the newly named Sally Shipard Oval at Bolton Park at an event held on Sunday 15 March.
Sally was accompanied by her partner, family and friends, alongside Wagga Wagga City Councillors and staff and Wagga Wagga football representatives as the new sign at field three was revealed.
Sally Shipard was raised in Wagga Wagga and began her football career with PCYC and Wagga United.
She made her debut for the Matildas at 16 years of age, playing over 60 international matches.
Sally represented Australia at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, two FIFA Women's World Cups, was part of the AFC Asian Cup winning team in 2010 and was inducted into the Wagga Wagga Sporting Hall of Fame in 2015.
Mayor of the City of Wagga Wagga Councillor Dallas Tout said naming the field after Sally Shipard is a great outcome.
"Sally is a positive representative of the City of Wagga Wagga, for a decade she was a professional footballer, and she reached the highest level of her sport," Cr Tout said.
"Sally has also done great things off the field, including advocating for mental health and raising funds and awareness for Ovarian Cancer Australia through her Get Your Kicks campaign in the Bega Valley where she now lives, this year raising around $22,000.
"Along with the support from the community, it was an easy decision for myself and the Councillors to name the field Sally Shipard Oval."
Sally Shipard said she is very proud and honoured to have a field at Bolton Park named after her.
"Even though I don't live here anymore, I love Wagga and I often come back to visit my family. To drive past the oval and see my name on the sign is going to take some getting used to," Sally Shipard said.
"It inspires me to keep doing good things in the community, and maybe it will inspire children and young people to pursue what they are passionate about.
"I also think it's a positive step forward for Wagga to have one of its sporting facilities named after a female sportsperson, especially given women's sport is growing in popularity globally."
Community consultation was undertaken in June and July 2024, inviting the community to provide input on the future naming of the field.
The feedback from the consultation was considered by Council before they agreed to name the field Sally Shipard Oval at its Ordinary Meeting on Monday 15 December 2025.
