Tauranga will be a ‘home away from home' for the Netherlands team while they compete in the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 - or FWWC2023.

The team were officially welcomed by the city with a powhiri at the Bay Oval today, the same place that was host the team for their training.

Nicknamed the Oranjeleeuwin (Orange Lionesses), the Netherlands are currently ranked number six in the FIFA Women's World Rankings and were finalists in the FIFA Women's World Cup 2019 in France.

Team representatives visited Tauranga in October when they were in New Zealand for the tournament draw. After visiting several potential training camp options, they selected Tauranga as their preferred Team Base Camp.

Tauranga City Council venues and events manager Nelita Byrne says it's a great honour for Tauranga to be selected as base camp by such a high-ranking team.

"We are thrilled, we can't wait for the team to experience the manaakitanga our city is becoming renowned for.

"The selection recognises Bay Oval as a premier sports facility and is a testament to how wonderful our city is. We stood out to one of the world's best football teams as the place to be.

"We look forward to embracing the Orange Lionesses alongside our community and supporting them in their World Cup campaign."

A total of 15 Team Base Camps have been confirmed in New Zealand. Most of the camps are spread across four host cities where the FWWC2023 games will be played, and the remainder are confirmed for Tauranga, Christchurch, and Palmerston North.

FWWC2023 Aotearoa New Zealand Chief Operating Officer Jane Patterson says the inclusion of the three regional centres meant the tournament could now be shared with even more New Zealanders.

'We are delighted that the tournament's footprint will be spread even further across Aotearoa with the inclusion of three additional cities – giving more Kiwis the chance to engage with the world's biggest women's sporting event,” says Jane.

Team Base Camps are a first for a FIFA Women's World Cup, and are designed to offer teams a place to train, rest and recover.

With the team staying at Trinity Wharf in the city centre, and training at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui, they'll be able to enjoy a variety of what Tauranga has on offer.