Football fans will be able to get a taste of Women's World Cup action locally at open air broadcasts set to kick off when the tournament starts on July 20.
Maitland City Council will host a series of events at Maitland No.1 Sportsground, while City of Newcastle is expected to announce live sites for the Matildas over the weekend, after lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes asked council to investigate holding public screenings in Wheeler Place.
Wheeler Place hosted thousands at a broadcast of the Men's World Cup in December, while Maitland's Cooks Square Park attracted hundreds to its live site for the 2022 tournament.
The screenings will begin with the Matildas opening night match against Republic of Ireland on July 20 at 8pm.
Broadcasts of subsequent Matildas games against Nigeria and Canada will follow on July 27 and 31 respectively, both at 8pm.
Australia is co-hosting the World Cup and comes into the tournament ranked 10th. Maitland mayor Philip Penfold said there was "no time like the present to get involved and back the girls in green and gold".
"With the women's game soaring in popularity right now, we're hoping to see big crowds for each of the group stage games later this month," he said.
"And if the girls go the distance and run deep into the tournament, you can be sure that we'll be there every kick of the way, with plans already in place to keep these live sites going into the knockout rounds.
"It's exciting for Australia to be front and centre, hosting a major FIFA tournament for the first time. We're proud to be helping to boost the profile of the tournament and women's football locally, by bringing everyone together where they can barrack for huge stars and heroes like Sam Kerr, Hayley Raso and Ellie Carpenter."
