If the announcement had been made during the daylight hours it would have stopped the nation.
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Despite that a portion of the country sat up into the week hours on Friday morning to see whether Australia and New Zealand would be awarded the rights to host the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.
When the decision was announced it was greeted with euphoric celebration across the country.
Slowly the rest of the nation awoke, rubbed the sleep from their eyes, made their coffee and caught up with the news that one of the world's biggest sporting events was headed our way.
And it was met with even greater joy around the Illawarra, knowing one of this region's favourite daughters will have a chance of representing Australia at her fourth World Cup with many of the games to be played just an hour or so up the road.
The Illawarra is extremely proud of Shellharbour's own Matildas striker Caitlin Foord.
She debuted for her country at the World Cup at just 16 and at just 25 years old has already now been a part of three World Cup campaigns for the Mastildas.
As much as the country has wrapped its arms around the Matildas, the Illawarra has wrapped its arms around supporting her journey around the world.
For her mum Simone and the Foord family, this is yet another extremely exciting page in an incredible family photo album.
If anyone in Lake Illawarra heard screams in the early hours of Friday morning, odds are it was just Simone jumping around her lounge room in joy.
"I was just in the lounge room with my sister and I think I screamed out," Simone said.
"We're ecstatic the girls will play on home soil in front of Aussie crowds. It will just be fantastic, especially for my mum (June) because she hasn't had a chance to see her play at a World Cup, Mum started crying, she's wanted to go the World Cups that Caitlin has played at but she's been unable to travel that distance. So for it to be here is just unbelievable."
That's pretty special. To the Foord family and the Matildas, the Illawarra is right there with you all the way. The Illawarra is #AsOne. Bring it on.
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