Bringing Ferns home key in plan

New Zealand Football has unveiled its plan to build on the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup and ensure it leaves a legacy for the game in this country.

But as it looks to use the tournament to generate momentum when it comes to growing the women’s game in particular, those in charge know a key factor will be getting the Football Ferns some fixtures on home soil.

Come February, the national women’s football team will have played in New Zealand just once in the last seven years – the 3-1 defeat to Japan in Wellington in 2018.

The Covid-19 pandemic has been a factor over the past two years, preventing the Ferns from benefiting from Fifa’s decision to award the season after and what we need to build around them. Bringing in a loan player doesn’t lock us in, where if we had to sign a free agent, they are always going to want an 18-month contract.’’

The Phoenix will be hoping they are still in the top six hunt by the time any new signings are available in January, and they can make that a reality by extending their current unbeaten streak as long as possible, starting today against the Mariners.

They finished last season by going 11 matches without a loss and began the new season with a 1-1 draw away to Macarthur FC last Sunday, when Gary Hooper’s first half penalty was cancelled out by a goal from Lachlan Rose at a set piece on the hour mark.

Fullback Louis Fenton is set to be available for selection against the hosting rights to New Zealand and Australia in June last year, but a lack of home fixtures has been a long-term problem.

There have been just 17 in the 15 years since 2006.

But NZ Football chief executive Andrew Pragnell is looking forward to the day when the Ferns can come home and give a boost to its plans to make the most of the World Cup – and to having them play at home more often once that tournament is said and done.

‘‘The visibility of the team to not only create local heroes, but to drive the inspiration of all of our young footballers, boys and girls, is so important, and it shouldn’t just be at the tournament itself,’’ he said.

‘‘We’re feeling increasingly confident that in the latter part of 2022 and in early 2023 there’ll be

Mariners, after making a fasterthan-anticipated return from a knee injury.

The match brings the Phoenix back to Wollongong, where they were based last season and are set to play at least four home fixtures this season, as a result of the Covid-19 border restrictions in place in New Zealand.

Whether that number will grow is set to depend on whether the Government is willing to compromise on its plan to replace the managed isolation system with a seven-day home isolation period from midJanuary, and to only allow foreigners to enter under those conditions from the end of April, which makes week-in, week-out transTasman travel impossible.

The Phoenix – and those involved in Super Rugby Pacific – will be hoping a bespoke arrangement can be sorted, but the Government has treaded carefully so far with regard to Covid-19 and will be wary of giving sports teams special treatment.

Speaking about his team’s return to Wollongong, Talay made clear just how big an impact their long stays across the Tasman were having.

‘‘It’s our home away from home, but it’s not really home at all, to be honest. I want to get back as soon as we can.

‘‘We’ve been away for such a long time. I don’t think it’s good for our club, being away this long too, I don’t think it’s good for our players, I don’t think it’s good for our fans.

‘‘We just want a bit of normality, we want to be training out of Martin Luckie, and to sleep in our own beds, and to prepare for a home game, where the opposing team has to travel to New Zealand.

‘‘We want to just get home and play at home as soon as we can, but this group has adjusted to whatever has been thrown in front of them.’’ opportunities for home games, and it’s something that must happen and unless there’s further unforeseen circumstances relating to border restrictions, it will happen.’’

NZ Football launched its legacy plan Aotearoa United: Legacy Starts Now yesterday at a function at Wellington’s Sky Stadium – one of four venues to be used at the World Cup, alongside Eden Park in Auckland, Waikato Stadium in Hamilton, and Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin.

It is built around four pillars: Whakamana (power of opportunities), Ara (pathways), Mana Ngatahi (partnerships), and Tiaki (people and places) and outlines an ambitious set of plans.

Two items that fall under the Ara heading are securing regular home fixtures for the Ferns and developing a trans-Tasman series with Australia.