The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony is set to be broadcast live and free exclusively on Seven and 7plus, from Friday, 29 July at 4.45am.
Kookaburras co-captain Eddie Ockenden and decorated six-time squash representative Rachael Grinham have been named Australia’s 2022 Birmingham flagbearers.
It is only the second time since Australia’s first flagbearer, rowing legend Bobby Pearce led the Australian team out in Hamilton, Canada for the 1930 British Empire Games, that there have been co-flag bearers.
Tasmanian Ockenden, 35 and Queenslander, Grinham, 45 were revealed by Australian Team Chef de Mission, Petria Thomas OAM in the presence of their Excellencies Governor-General, the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd) and Linda Hurley and in front of over 300 team members inside the Birmingham University Athletes Village.
Ockenden follows in the footsteps of another Kookaburras co-captain Mark Knowles, who carried the flag four years ago on the Gold Coast as hockey’s second flag-bearer while Grinham – an eight-time Games medallist – two of them gold – becomes the first squash player in the history of the Games to carry the flag.
Three of Australia’s greatest athletes – Ian Thorpe, Cate Campbell and Curtis McGrath – will headline the Seven Network’s commentary team in Birmingham 2022.
As the exclusive home of the Commonwealth Games, Seven will deliver another broadcast with up to 30 exclusive and free, live and replay channels across Seven, 7mate and 7plus.
Australia’s most loved and respected sports broadcaster, Bruce McAvaney, returns for his fifth Commonwealth Games, broadcasting from the UK alongside three-time Australian Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Tamsyn Lewis-Manou.
Counting down to the much-anticipated Games, Seven’s broadcast hosting team will be led by Hamish McLachlan and Abbey Gelmi and will feature Matt Shirvington, Emma Freedman, Johanna Griggs, Abbey Holmes, Ryan Daniels and Trent Copeland.
See more: Commonwealth Games 2022: Everything you need to know
See more: Commonwealth Games 2022: Meet the hosts and commentators