Matildas stars including Sam Kerr and her pregnant fiancee Kristie Mewis flock to their teammate Emily Van Egmond’s stunning wedding

Emily van Egmond has married her partner Kat Thompson and so many of her Matildas teammates were in attendance that you might have thought the entire squad was there.

The pair beamed from ear to ear as they were seen holding hands as they greeted their guests after the ceremony which took place at a winery on the Krinklewood Estate in New South Wales’ Hunter Valley.

Thompson dazzled in a beautiful white dress while Egmond wore a black tuxedo jacket with bow tie.

The pair were joined by several of Van Egmond’s Matildas teammates, including Sam Kerr and her pregnant fiancé Kristie Mewis.

Kerr and Mewis posed for photos alongside Ireland and Arsenal star Katie McCabe, as well as her partner Caitlin Foord.

Clare Polkinghorne, Mackenzie Arnold and Steph Catley were also in attendance, while Lydia Williams, who has just retired, also posed for photos, wearing a glamorous red and white dress.

Hayley Raso, who recently signed a two-year deal to join Tottenham, dazzled in a flowing blue dress while fellow Matildas stars, Alanna Kennedy and Steph Catley, also smiled as they celebrated the happy couple.

Kerr was also spotted alongside her father, Roger, who flew in from Perth to celebrate the occasion.

Located just two hours and thirty minutes outside of Sydney, the Krinklewood estate sits on 150 hectares of land among the Brokenback Mountains.

The venue provides a beautiful venue for weddings and events, with Van Egmond and Thompson’s party on Friday dazzling as the sun shone down on them.

Wedding guests can be married in the venue’s courtyard, fountain garden, residence balcony or on the tiered lawn, which overlooks the mountain range that surrounds the vineyard.

Van Egmond popped the question to Thompson in June last year and posted the happy news on Instagram with a series of beautiful photos of the happy couple near the beach in San Diego, California.

She was joined by fellow stars including Sam Kerr, her pregnant fiancé Kristie Mewis, Mackenzie Arnold, Hayley Raso, Caitlin Foord, Alanna Kennedy, Clare Polkinghorne, Lydia Williams and Steph Catley for the ceremony in NSW’s picturesque Hunter Valley.

Chelsea striker Kerr, 31, and West Ham midfielder Mewis, from the US, flew in from Perth where they had spent time with the Matildas captain’s family over the Christmas period.

During the flight to Australia, Kerr had worn a black compression sleeve on her right leg to care for her cruciate ligament injury, but she was seen in Perth after ditching the device.

The hunt for the next Matildas coach could continue beyond the February international window, with Football Australia determined to take its time to appoint the right long-term candidate.

Former mentor Tony Gustavsson left in August and interim coach Tom Sermanni has led the Matildas in six friendlies since his appointment in September.

That interim government could last until February’s SheBelieves Cup, while the FA considers candidates for the next four-year cycle.

The coach must lead Australia to the 2026 Asian Cup and qualify and participate in the 2027 Women’s World Cup and the 2028 Olympics.

But Johnson noted there were six more women’s international matches in 2025, plus two before the Asian Cup in 2026, in which they had to prepare.

“The hard deadline is as soon as possible, and as soon as possible means finding the right person,” Johnson told AAP.

“So we have a window in February, and then a window in April. I hope we’ve confirmed who our coach is at least through one of those two windows, I hope.

“But again, I don’t want to set hard deadlines because the priority is finding the right person, and the right person is important, right?

‘We now have a juggernaut called the Matildas – expectations are high.

“We have a women’s Asian Cup at home and the community expectation, as it should be, is that we will win that tournament.

“So we’re playing the long game here. And it’s about bringing in the right person, and not the speed at which we make the appointment.’

Johnson emphasizes that FA is deep into the recruitment process, including interviews and screenings, as they look for the right candidate.

“We looked under every rock,” he said.

‘We looked locally. We looked globally.

“We have analyzed many potential candidates for that role, but we have narrowed it down and are focused on finding the person who we think will best serve the team.

‘We are not there yet, but we are certainly getting closer to that point and we will make the appointment in 2025 as soon as possible.

“We’ve done hundreds of screenings. And rest assured, we have spoken to the right people, and we will continue to do so.”

FA appears to have entered the market at a difficult time, with many coaches from top national teams and clubs already having contracts.

“All your top coaches have long-term contracts with the best national teams and clubs in the world,” Johnson said.

“And if you want to find the right person, there will be some limitations.”

There remains no preference for an Australian or a foreign coach, with Johnson focusing on securing the right, ‘tactically astute’, successful mentor who can get the best out of the Matildas.

“We play a local but global sport and since I’ve been here we’ve recruited Australian coaches and overseas coaches,” Johnson said.

FA has consulted with senior players throughout the process.

“The message was loud and clear,” Johnson said.

“Just get the right person, the best person.”