Leeds United to visit Australia in pre-season
Pre-season tour details confirmed.
Leeds United are pleased to announce the club will travel to Australia in pre-season ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.
The tour will take place in July and the Whites will play three friendly matches, in Queensland and Perth.
Leeds return Down Under, three years after the club’s previous tour to Australia, which proved hugely popular in Perth and Sydney.
Jesse Marsch’s side will first participate in the inaugural Queensland Champions Cup, alongside fellow Premier League side Aston Villa and A-League outfit Brisbane Roar and the side who amasses the most points will be awarded the title.
The competition will begin at Gold Coast’s Cbus Super Stadium on Thursday 14th July with Leeds taking on Brisbane Roar (7:45pm AEST).
This will be followed with the Whites taking on Steven Gerrard’s Villa side at the iconic Suncorp Stadium on Sunday 17th July (2:35pm AEST).
Official Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said: “Football has a rapidly growing, global following and these matches, featuring some of the world’s best players, will be major drawcards for Queensland.
“English Premier League’s huge legion of Queensland fans are certain to give a big welcome to Leeds United and Aston Villa when they play in Townsville, the Gold Coast and Brisbane.
“When it comes to major events, we’ve kicked plenty of goals over the years and securing these two EPL sides to play in Queensland is a great win for the state’s tourism industry.”
Queensland Minister for Tourism, Innovation and Sport Stirling Hinchliffe said: “If you’re an Aussie football fan, Queensland is the place to be in 2022.
“You don’t get EPL stars come out to Australia every day, for a lot of people, the Queensland matches will be their best chance to see some of the world’s best on Australian soil.
“The English Premier League is the best league on the planet and the fact that we’ve secured two current EPL sides to come here is a testament to the fact that Queensland is a world-class events destination.”
Queensland ticket details
Tickets will go on sale at 12pm AEST on Thursday 28th April from www.ticketek.com.au
Official corporate hospitality and VIP fan packages are available from today through TEG Live Hospitality, VIP NOW, including suites, boxes and VIP functions head to www.vipnow.com.au
Following the Queensland Champions Cup, Leeds will then play at ICON, Perth’s Festival of International Football.
The Whites will return to Optus Stadium to take on Crystal Palace on Friday 22nd July 2022 (6.05pm AWST).
On the announcement, Perth Premier Mark McGowan said: “Perth is a dynamic city with world-class sporting infrastructure, which makes it the perfect host for large-scale music, arts and sporting events.
“Perth has a strong history of hosting iconic sporting events so the State Government is delighted to bring these superstar English Premier League clubs to Perth to see this tradition continue.
“Optus Stadium is an innovative and beautifully-designed venue on the banks of the Swan River- making it a stunning backdrop for these matches, that highlights the very best of what Perth and WA has to offer.”
Perth Tourism Minister Roger Cook added: “The State Government is immensely proud to bring these phenomenal teams to Perth to showcase our incredible city on the international stage, with the potential to reach hundreds of millions of football fans across the globe.
“These unmissable matches will bring thousands of visitors to our city, driving more customers for our tourism and hospitality operators and boosting the WA economy."
Perth ticket details
Tickets will go on sale at 2pm AWST on Thursday 5th May 2022 from www.ticketek.com.au
Leeds United Members will have access to a pre-sale from 2pm AWST Tuesday 3rd May to 1pm AWST Wednesday 4th May.
Official premium hospitality and fan travel packages are available from today through www.iconperth.com.au
Need more info? Visit www.iconperth.com.au
Official ticket & travel packages
The club will be organising official travel packages for Leeds United fans for the pre-season tour to Australia (excluding international flights). Details of these packages will be released shortly and they will include hotels, transfers, match tickets and some unique experiences.
In the coming weeks we will be announcing some amazing ‘More Than A Match’ experiences, with opportunities to meet the players, head coach and attend open training. More information on these events will be announced shortly.
Speaking about the tour, Leeds United head coach Marsch said: “It’s not only a great opportunity for Leeds to play three exciting games in front of our fans Down Under, it’s also a great opportunity to visit a wonderful country which I know loves their sport and is extremely knowledgeable about football.
“This will be our club’s third playing trip to Australia and I’m very much looking forward to taking the team back for what will be an important part of our preparations for the 2022/23 season.”
