One of the final pieces of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 puzzle fell into place in Tauranga with the arrival and official welcome for the powerful Netherlands team.

The Oranje Leeuwinnen - or Orange Lionesses - finished runner-up to the United States at the 2019 tournament and flew in from Sydney as one of the final teams to arrive in New Zealand.

The tournament will kick off in Auckland today with a record crowd of more than 43,000  expected between the Football Ferns and Norway at Eden Park.

The Dutch start their campaign against Portugal in Dunedin on Sunday and have been delighted by their reception in Tauranga, with more than 500 fans turning out to Bay Oval to see them train.

"We feel really welcome here and the people have been really kind - it's such a nice country and so many people came out also today, which was amazing," says star midfielder Lieke Martens, who plays for French club Paris Saint-Germain and has 59 international goals.

"We need that too - we want to feel the Dutch people here in New Zealand are here to help us and support us."

Bay Oval, normally one of New Zealand's top international cricket grounds, has been converted for football training, with the Dutch based in Tauranga for their group stage matches.

And the pristine ground also served another purpose, used by tangata whenua to welcome players and management to the city with a pohiri, led by kapa haka group Tutara Kauika ki Rangataua, with support from Te Kura o Matapihi. 

Tauranga City Council commissioner Shad Rolleston led the formal whaikorero, with the Netherlands responding with their team song - Zie die Leeuw (See the Lion) - which became a nationwide hit after their 2019 World Cup performances.

It was an especially poignant moment for Martens, who played in the Netherlands' 2017 European title win and was voted FIFA Women's Player of the Year that same year, and has seen incredible development in women's football since her international debut as an 18-year-old in 2011.

"Everything has been growing so much. I think it's so good that our generation is making it to the next steps and I hope when I'm done, it's even growing further because I think that's what women football deserve."

Fans from all over Bay of Plenty watched the team run through their paces, decked out in orange, with the Dutch flag flying proudly over the sun-drenched ground.

It was also a proud moment for Tauranga City Council commissioner chairperson Anne Tolley.

"It's such a privilege to host the Oranje Leeuwinnen – the Orange Lionesses - in Tauranga for their FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 campaign, and we're proud to be able to welcome them to our beautiful city," she says.  

"This is a chance for our community to feel connected to one of the biggest sporting tournaments on the planet and showcase Tauranga Moana on the world stage."