NZ, Australia form bid to co-host 2023 Women's FIFA World Cup - report

Australia and New Zealand have reportedly opted to join forces in an 11th-hour agreement to enter a bid to host the 2023 Women's FIFA World Cup before the entry deadline on Friday.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports Football Federation Australia abandoned their plans to bid for the tournament alone and have instead partnered with New Zealand Football in an attempt to secure rights to the expanded 32-team tournament in four years' time.

The increased size of the tournament reportedly wasn't the driving factor behind the Australians' decision to look for a partnership; they instead believed the partnership was simply their best chance of winning the votes needed to host the event.

The joint bid will go up against front runners Colombia and Japan with 37 members of FIFA's executive committee deciding who will get the tournament.

Brazil and Argentina are also bidding for the World Cup.

The trans-Tasman bid includes plans to host the final in Sydney with the newly-renovated stadium in Olympic Park, which seats 75,000, the likely host venue.

Other Australian venues reportedly named in the bid include top NRL locations such as Bankwest Stadium in Parramatta and AAMI Park in Melbourne.

The New Zealand venues have not been revealed however it's understood Auckland, Wellington, Hamilton, Dunedin and Christchurch are all possible locations.

The winning bid won't be known until next May when FIFA's executive committee votes.