Woolworths has extended its partnership with Cricket Australia for another three years, reaffirming its long-term commitment to helping Australian kids get active, stay healthy, and build a lifelong love of sport.

Since first joining forces in 2018, the partnership has seen nearly half a million children take part in Woolworths Cricket Blast, a program designed for five-to-ten-year-olds to learn cricket through fun, game-based play. Backed by the Woolworths Community Fund, the initiative has already provided more than $2.5 million in support, giving over 50,000 kids the chance to play for free.

Woolworths will also continue as the Official Supermarket Partner of Cricket Australia and the Australian Men’s & Women’s International Cricket Teams.

B&T was honoured to be invited to the extension of the partnership yesterday at Woolworth’s Ashfield North store. Speaking with B&T live at the event, Sarah De La Mare, Woolworths’ head of community and sponsorships, said the renewed agreement is all about doubling down on the company’s role in raising healthy Australian kids.

“Almost half a million kids playing cricket, it’s a lot of kids,” De La Mare told B&T. “Sport as a kid is such a memorable moment in life, and as technology comes into kids’ environments, it’s so important we get them outside. What’s really great about cricket is it allows them to spend time with other kids and be really social at the same time.”

That social connection, she said, is a big part of why Woolworths’ support extends beyond just funding. “We’re the fresh food people, so we have permission space in food. What we don’t have is permission space in activity and being healthy from a lifestyle perspective. And we know to be healthy and well-rounded, you need both,” she explained. “Our partnership with cricket definitely plays into that portfolio… sport is a key part of our customers’ lives. It’s their passion point.”

Woolworths’ investment in community sport connects directly with its broader health strategy, one that spans from what families put in their lunchboxes to how kids spend their weekends. The program’s structure, short, one-hour sessions packed with games, is deliberately designed to balance the demands of modern family life.

That accessibility extends into areas where cost, distance or circumstance could otherwise keep kids out of the game. “We fund cricket for disadvantaged communities, whether that’s because they’ve been part of a natural disaster, are financially struggling, or are just really remote and don’t have access to ovals or equipment. Woolworths Cricket Blast turns up and gives those kids a go,” she said.

For Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood, who first picked up a ball in his backyard as soon as he physically could, the Woolworths program captures the spark that drew him to cricket in the first place.

Josh Hazlewood

The investment in grassroots, he says, is “hugely important”.

“That’s obviously where you start your cricket journey, between those ages of five to ten,” Hazlewood said. “It’s just amazing how much work they’ve done since 2018.”

He said meeting young participants reminds him what cricket is really about. “They bring the enjoyment, the energy, it’s something you can forget when you’re doing it day in, day out. That’s why we first started playing at that age… It’s quite infectious when you’re around it”.

Hazlewood laughed when recalling his own early days: “It would have been the backyard against my brother… as soon as I could pick one up and bowl it.”

That joy, he said, is what keeps the professional game connected to its grassroots. “You see it in their faces, it’s that same excitement we all had. And it reminds you to appreciate the game for what it is.”

Inclusion From Every Angle

Diversity and inclusion remain key priorities in the next phase of the partnership. “We have a lot more girls playing now than we did in 2018, I believe the participation number for Woolworths Cricket Blast is about 40 per cent female, which has been a really great achievement for us,” De La Mare said.

She also pointed to growing engagement from migrant and multicultural communities. “The shape of our customer base is the shape of the Australian cricket community,” she said.

“Lots of particularly subcontinent cultures are migrating to Australia. So for us, they’re our new customers as well, the new people that we want shopping with us. Cricket can become a form of connection with others, and by having a community fund that focuses on multicultural communities coming to Australia, it enables that first interaction to be one that feels authentic to them.”

Woolworths is also looking beyond traditional participation models to reflect the diversity of Aussie kids. “There are cricket teams in the blind and deaf space, a lot more now than used to be, and that’s something we’re trying to focus on as well,” she said.

“We’ve even introduced accessible wheelchair checkouts in some of our stores; it’s all part of the same mindset of creating spaces where everyone feels welcome.”

As the summer season approaches, with both the men’s and women’s teams preparing for blockbuster series, De La Mare said Woolworths’ renewed partnership will continue to focus on accessibility, health, and community spirit.

“The Ashes this summer is very exciting, but I’m just as excited about the women’s series against India in February,” she said. “I hope it inspires young girls to pick up a bat and get involved. I’d love to see much more than half a million kids by the end of this partnership playing Cricket Blast.”

With cricket season just around the corner, Woolies is firmly on board with the mission of turning healthy living into a shared national habit, keeping Aussie kids active, and the grassroots of Australia’s national sport strong.

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