Of the Women’s World Cup
the head of women’s football, appointed himself coach and then wrote his own reviews. Eventually 12 players refused to play for Heraf. Martin resigned followed by Deryck Shaw, the NZF president.
The review into the scandal by lawyer Phillipa Muir found that Heraf had ‘‘breached (the) Human Resources policy on harassment and WorkSafe New Zealand’s bullying guidelines’’.
Paul Ifill, perhaps the finest player to have represented the Phoenix and now a successful coach of women’s football in the Wairarapa, was aghast at the time.
He cited a failure to do due diligence into Heraf and corporate ‘‘stupidity’’.
Ifill now believes this Women’s World Cup can be a wonderful incentive for some of New Zealand’s best young players, but there is an awful lot to do in a very short space of time. Ifill says: ‘‘I’ve been here 11 years. Most of the time women’s football is an afterthought.
‘‘Everything is geared to the men’s game. There are things done for the women’s game just to stop them complaining. A lot of the men I speak to look down on women’s football generally, although they’d never be brave enough to say so publicly.’’
These attitudes have left women’s football chronically underfunded. Abby Erceg, New Zealand’s second most capped player, retired internationally because she was not paid an allowance due to a funding cut. The country is about to spend millions of dollars on a World Cup but cannot afford a national women’s league because of a lack of money.
So where are the pathways? How is New Zealand going to win its first game at a Women’s World Cup without some meaningful support? And don’t tell me the World Cup will grow the game. This is another myth with no supporting evidence internationally. Even in New Zealand both rugby numbers and cricket participation has continued to drop since the country hosted the respective World Cups.
The landscape of New Zealand women’s football is so dire that Maya Hahn, one of the stars of the heroic under-17 team, has shifted her allegiances to Germany. She said: ‘‘Going into camp, it wasn’t like it was fun being there. I love football so much but when I go into that environment I don’t really love football that much . . . I felt when I was in Germany, despite being with a completely new group of people and the different language I was having fun playing football and enjoying it, which is important.’’
You bet it’s important. It’s everything. Recently another young player opted out of the Future Ferns Domestic Programme and came back to the Ole Football Academy in Porirua. No wonder Ifill asks if there is a pathway and wonders why players are looking to do other things.
Time and time again New Zealand Football has failed a women’s game that is propped up by dads coaching up and down the country. Yes, there are women’s coaches, but nothing like enough. And now Fifa has granted New Zealand the World Cup. It’s shameful really.
Oh well, we might as well be happy about it, because it is very doubtful that there will be many other benefits.
But joy and happiness can go a long, long way. And if you are listening New Zealand Football, so can fun.