Home-based childcare provider PORSE has signed an historic deal with the ICC to provide free pop-up childcare at all 31 games in New Zealand during the Women's Cricket World Cup in 2022.
In an ICC first, parents and caregivers can now watch games safe in the knowledge that their children are in the care of New Zealand's largest home-based provider of childcare while still present at the games.
The partnership is a bid to help reduce any barriers to attendance at the Women's World Cup and looks to boost attendance numbers among families.
For Rrahul Dosshi, owner of PORSE and Rainbow Corner childcare centres, the deal combines his passion for cricket with his desire to get more families involved in sport.
He said: “Across our PORSE and 24 Rainbow Corner childcare centres we have more than 3,000 children in our care. The benefits of being active are well documented and we are committed at our childcare centres and in our in-home services, to encourage our tamariki to be engaged in sport. Whether that’s kicking a ball around or picking up a little cricket bat, we see the physical and emotional benefits in children. The running track at our Flatbush centre gets a workout every single day."
The sports fanatic is confident that this will allow more people to feel they can witness women's cricket at the highest level. Having trialled this childcare at Eden Park during Auckland Blues rugby home games, Rrahul is sure this can be successfully translated to cricket and beyond.
“The partnership with PORSE is key to helping achieve our goal of inspiring the next generation. Knowing there’s free and quality supervised childcare means more families can get along to the cricket together – we can’t wait to welcome them and showcase the world’s best women cricketers playing in our backyard,” said ICC Cricket World Cup 2022 CEO Andrea Nelson.
The pop-up centres will provide a fully supervised, safe space with toys and games. and under 5s will be looked after by registered PORSE educators while their caregivers can enjoy the cricket.
31 matches will be played across 31 days in New Zealand at what is the first global women's cricket event since the historic T20 World Cup in Australia concluded in staggering fashion on International Women's Day in 2020.
The tournament runs from March 4th to April 3rd with matches played in six host cities: Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. Eight of the world's top nations will battle it out to take the title from England who won it in 2017.
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