Chelsea Women announce star‑studded squad for Oceania pre‑season tour

Chelsea FC Women have named a 28‑player squad for a pre‑season tour of New Zealand and Australia. The side will face an Auckland FC Women’s Invitational XI at Eden Park on 8 August before travelling across the Tasman to play the A‑League Women All Stars at Allianz Stadium in Sydney on 12 August. Head coach Sonia Bompastor highlighted the tour as preparation for the upcoming Women’s Super League season.

The squad is led by England internationals Hannah Hampton, Lucy Bronze, Keira Walsh and Lauren James, and also includes Scotland captain Erin Cuthbert, US defender Naomi Girma, Republic of Ireland captain Katie McCabe, Canadian defender Kadeisha Buchanan and new signing Alyssa Thompson. Australian star Ellie Carpenter returns home for the tour, while other notable players are France’s Sandy Baltimore, Colombia striker Mayra Ramírez, Japan’s Maika Hamano and a host of emerging talents.

The fixtures give Australian fans a chance to see one of the world’s strongest women’s clubs, and mark only the second ever appearance of an A‑League Women All Stars side, following a previous clash with Arsenal Women.