As well as creating opportunities for Australian athletes and teams to use the Netherlands as a training base, the MoU will also benefit the wider sporting system through the exchange of expertise, information and resources, especially in the areas of coaching and Para sport.

Australian Sports Commission Executive General Manager of AIS Performance Matti Clements said the MoU is a perfect match, with the Netherlands punching above its weight on the world stage, just like Australia.

“We are proud that Australia continues to be recognised as a leader in sport and excited by the opportunities presented by this MoU with the Nederland Olympisch Comite and Nederlandse Sport Federatie,” Ms Clements said.

“Over the past decade, our athletes and sports have felt the benefit of having a home-away-from-home at the AIS European Training Centre in Italy. This MoU with our counterparts in the Netherlands will increase the support options available in Europe, as well as provide valuable professional development opportunities for our coaches and performance support staff.

“This international approach is crucial to Australia continuing to be a world leading sport system because we know we can’t be world’s best in isolation.”

The new relationship supports the work of the Australian Government and Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, which launched Australia’s Sports Diplomacy Strategy 2032+ at the inaugural Annual Sports Diplomacy Roundtable in Canberra earlier this year.

The AIS also has a MoU with France’s Institut National du Sport de L'Expertise et de la Performance (INSEP), which was renewed ahead of the Paris 2024 Games.

INSEP and NSF are also part of the AIS European Sport Science Sport Medicine Network that provides support for Australian athletes in Europe, including in emergency situations.