How New Zealand are trying to build on co-hosting last summer's World Cup
It's not easy for New Zealand to build momentum and develop world class talent, but the federation has a clear plan to try and maximise their potential after welcoming the world 12 months ago...
They are not the lowest ranked nation in the 12-team Olympic Games tournament, but on paper many regard New Zealand as the weakest side. on paper at least, competing in France right now.
Harsh? Possibly, given they beat Norway at last summer’s World Cup and pushed defending gold medallists Canada hard in their opening game, but there’s also the reality of where OFC [Oceania Football Confederation] is at as a developing confederation across the sport as a whole – male and female – and therefore a lack of competitive action for a continent somewhat cut off from the rest of the world.
New Zealand’s squad is made up of the odd player currently playing in some of the top leagues, but many are still finding their way as the two-island nation of just five million people still waits for its major breakthrough.
Co-hosting last summer’s World Cup alongside neighbours Australia was hoped by those involved to give things a kickstart in a country dominated more by rugby and cricket than it is football.
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There is no professional league, with its top couple of teams instead competing in the Australian A-Leagues, but whenever we talk about tournament football, particularly in the women’s game, the word legacy always arises, and there’s one person in particular in charge of that in New Zealand.
Paula Hansen, the federation’s Head of Women’s World Cup Legacy, has been tasked with implementing strategies to capitalise on co-hosting last summer’s showpiece, and 12 months on as New Zealand once again competes on the world stage, she offers an update on how things have progressed.
“It’s a tough one to summarise, if I’m honest,” Hansen admits. “Here, especially with FIFA’s involvement, the word legacy was getting banded around left, right and centre, everything seemed to point towards legacy.
“As one of the co-hosts, along with our friends at FFA, we launched our legacy plans 18 months before the tournament and the reason we did that was two-fold. One, we wanted to have a really clear strategy moving forward, not just because of the tournament, but also how we could really leverage FIFA being in our backyard to maximise every opportunity?
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