Where did the name Matildas come from, and when?
In 1994, the Australian Women's National Football team qualified for their first ever FIFA Women's World Cup, which was to take place in Sweden in 1995.
At the time, the team was referred to as 'the Female Socceroos', which even featured in the official match program for a Socceroos friendly against Colombia, featuring an Australian U-23 women's team and World Cup hopefuls in a curtain-raiser to the men's game.
After the match, SBS and the Australian Women's Soccer Association (AWSA) decided to run a viewer competition to find a nickname for the Women's National Team.
The shortlist included:
- Soccertoos
- Blue Flyers
- Waratahs
- Matildas
- Lorikeets
Thankfully, the Matildas name was successful, despite initial reservations from the players.
The name was regularly used in the lead up to and during the 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup, and it is still used to this day, with the Matildas now one of the most popular national teams in Australia.
