Foord teams up with Hawks as ambassador

The Illawarra Hawks are proud to announce that Australian Matildas star Caitlin Foord has joined the foundation club as an ambassador ahead of the NBL23 season.

The Shellharbour-born forward, who's represented her country on 101 occasions, has been a supporter of the Hawks since she was a child.

"Growing up, I tried my hand at all sports, including basketball, which I thoroughly enjoyed before choosing to pursue football," Foord, 27, said.

"I've been to numerous Hawks games over the years and always try to get to matches when I'm back home".  

" I am really looking forward to cheering on the Hawks at some games in the upcoming season."

The Illawarra Sports High School alum, who now plays for Arsenal in the English Women's Super League, jumped at the chance to team up with the Jacob Jackomas-coached NBL side.

"Being a local girl, supporting the local team is a natural fit - especially when it comes to sport," said Foord, who started her career as a junior at Warilla Wanderers.

"I can appreciate all the hard work and sacrifices the players and coaches have to give to their craft to be successful.

"I've even trained with a couple of the Hawks players at BaiMed during my time at home, so I know the commitment they have to be the very best."

Foord, who joins reigning UFC featherweight world champion Alex Volkanovski and Australian Indigenous rapper Senator Briggs as Hawks ambassadors, is pleased to see the direction the Wollongong-based club is headed.

"It's great to see the club be successful once again because being involved in finals is why any of us play - all athletes want to compete and win," she said.

"Back-to-back semi-final appearances show the club is not far away from a second championship and I'm excited to be a part of their journey moving forward."

Hawks acting president Mat Campbell is thrilled to have someone as accomplished as Foord, who's played at three FIFA Women's World Cups and two Olympic Games, join the club he played 524 times for.

"Caitlin is one of the region's top athletes, excelling in her field all over the football globe and we're really excited to have her part of our journey," Campbell said.

"She optimises what it means to be an athlete from the Illawarra, with her hard-working pursuit of excellence and is a great role model for people young and old.

"I'm confident, with the two brands teaming up, we can help each other reach new heights."