Young Fern played against boys before World Cup
Amelia Abbott remembers the look on the boys’ faces when she walked out onto the pitch.
‘‘They were a bit surprised with a girl on their team because it is a bit unusual,’’ she said. ‘‘I don’t dominate them but I just don’t let them dominate me. It [the game] is faster and when you go in for a tackle you have to go in harder because they are strong.’’
Due to the lack of competition for female football players in Nelson, Abbott, one of the region’s most promising players, decided to join a boys team to give herself the best shot of making the Young Football Ferns squad for the Fifa Under-17 Women’s World Cup in Uruguay.
‘‘I definitely learned on and off the ball; the speed and physicality you need. That was probably one of my weaknesses and I think I got better at that.’’
While other players from smaller provinces moved to bigger cities to improve their chances of World Cup selection, including Abbott’s former school team-mate Hannah Mackay-Wright, the 17-year-old midfielder was reluctant to move away from her friends and family.
She knew she would be jeopardising her chances of making the World Cup squad if she stayed in Nelson. But it was a risk Abbott was prepared to take.
‘‘I wasn’t on the radar. I was in Nelson on the down low. So I just tried as hard as I could at every tournament I went to. I just took it each game at a time and I guess the hard work just paid off.
‘‘There was always the potential option to move but I just always loved Nelson and to be honest, with friends and family at home, I wanted to stay.’’
Abbott missed selection for the OFC Under-16 Championships – where New Zealand qualified for the World Cup — and coach Leon Birnie revealed she simply was not on the radar at that stage. But as soon as he saw her play at the New Zealand secondary schools championships, he knew he needed her in the team.
‘‘I did ID days all around the country, spoke to all seven federations and for whatever reason she wasn’t put forward. But at the secondary schools I thought, who is this?,’’ Birnie said.
‘‘I can’t remember who she was playing but when I saw her play I knew she needed to be in the camp and the rest is history.’’
Abbott was sitting in class when she found out she had made the World Cup via a message from Mackay-Wright. Two players who grew up playing together in Nelson were set to reunite on the world stage.
‘‘I was at school and I had a message from Hannah saying congratulations. She had seen the email before me but it was good,’’ she said.
‘‘I came home to my parents and I celebrated. It was such an awesome moment.’’
Abbott has played every minute of New Zealand’s campaign so far, playing key roles in wins against Finland and hosts Uruguay. They will be looking to continue that winning record against Ghana today in a match that will determine who qualifies top of Group A.