Ferns star to play against the men
Football Ferns star Rosie White has made the bold decision to return to New Zealand and play against men in the leadup to the Women’s World Cup.
The 25-year-old forward has relocated to Wellington to link with the Phoenix academy following her release from National Women’s Soccer League side Chicago Red Stars.
She has spent the past two weeks training with the academy’s under20 and under-17 teams and plans to play for the Phoenix’s affiliate club Lower Hutt in one of Capital Football’s senior men’s leagues during the winter season.
‘‘I was nervous at the beginning, going into tackles and stuff. But the more you forget about it the easier it is. They’re the ones who are going to worry about it, I think,’’ White said.
The 98-cap international said the physicality and speed were the most noticeable differences between the men’s and women’s games, but she has embraced the challenge and believed it could give her an extra edge come June.
‘‘It is definitely a lot faster, their physical running is a lot faster than women, especially the 20s which is where I’ve noticed the biggest difference.
‘‘But the mentality is quite different too. Women ask a lot more questions and are a lot more methodical, even in training. There seems to be a lot more time where people are questioning things and thinking about things, where with the boys you seem to be given a drill and you just go, you don’t even ask any questions,’’ she said.
‘‘There’s a lot more aggression but I do like the fact they get quite angry at each other then leave it there, whereas with women it can get difficult to find the line between being aggressive on the field and being all good off the field.
‘‘The first few days were quite funny because they were even hesitant to pass you the ball, but I think it’s more of a case of them getting used to it and I think they are now.
‘‘They’re not afraid to say stuff to me and give me some lip or tackle me,’’ White said.
Although there were multiple factors behind her decision to take a break from the professional game in a World Cup year, a failed trade that prevented White from living closer to her partner was the clincher.
‘‘My intention was to go back to the States but the way the league is set up there the players don’t have any rights as to where they are located. My partner lives in Seattle, so I had asked the coaches if I could possibly be traded to that part of the country and they agreed that if it was possible they would make their best effort to do that.’’ However, the trade fell through. ‘‘I thought I’d go back to Chicago and I had that conversation with the staff there, but they seemed to have other ideas. It ended up that they still wanted me but under different terms. I just felt like it wasn’t in my best interests to go back to an environment where I didn’t feel like I was really wanted.
‘‘The way the year was panning out and how much I would be away with the Ferns, I’d be away for eight of the first 13 games or something and I didn’t think I would be happy so I decided not go back.
‘‘I thought it’d be easier to be in a place where I’d be settled in the leadup to the World Cup because it’s important to be comfortable, happy and supported, and I think I’ve based a lot of my decisions in my football because I feel like I have to be somewhere.
‘‘It’s nice to take that pressure off and find solutions because it’s not straight forward in New Zealand but I’ve been training with the boys and it’s been challenging so far.’’
The Football Ferns continue their World Cup preparation with two matches against Norway in Spain on April 5 and 9.
With games against the United States, Wales and England to follow, White said it was the best preparation the team has ever had in the leadup to a major tournament.
‘‘Women ask a lot more questions and are a lot more methodical, even in training ... where with the boys you seem to be given a drill and you just go.’’
Rosie White