Picture: The Lionesses on a beach on the Sunshine Coast and, right, the notorious Aussie bin chicken.

You’d think a bin chicken would be no match for a whole pride of Lionesses. In an unexpected turn of events during the England women’s football team’s training at the Sunshine Coast Stadium in Australia, the pitch was invaded by a mischievous bin chicken.

Lucy Bronze, the England defender, had a close encounter with the notorious bin chicken (Australian white ibis) as the team prepared for the Women’s World Cup. The long-beaked intruder decided to join in on the action, amusing players and spectators alike.

As Bronze spoke to reporters about the ongoing discussions over performance-related bonuses with the Football Association (FA), the bin chicken’s antics provided some light relief. Bronze and her teammates took the unexpected visitor in stride, capturing the spirit of Aussie humour.

Apart from the bin chicken’s antics, the England team also experienced a heart-warming welcome from the Gubbi Gubbi people, the traditional custodians of the land in south-east Queensland. 

The locals, along with the mayor of the Sunshine Coast and the British High Commissioner to Australia, greeted the Lionesses warmly, setting the stage for a memorable tournament. With the bin chicken’s unexpected appearance, the training session added an element of quirky humour to the otherwise serious preparations for the prestigious tournament.

England beat Haiti at Brisbane Stadium, the final score 1-0. 

They also faced Denmark on July 28 at Sydney Football Stadium. England had a 1-0 win over Denmark in their crunch Group D clash. Lauren James’s curled finish was enough for the Lionesses, but Keira Walsh was stretchered off with a knee injury.

England played China in their final World Cup group game, facing their opponents for the first time since 2015. The game took place on August 1 in Adelaide with England scoring a stunning 6-1 victory.

The Lionesses will play Nigeria on Monday, August 7. The game will be played at Lang Park, Brisbane. Of course, Brisbane is well known for its high population of bin chickens. Let’s hope they don’t make a nuisance of themselves during the game.