Women's association football in New Zealand

Association football in New Zealand is one of the fastest growing and most popular sports amongst women.^{[2][3][4][5][6]} The National Women's League was created in 2002 in order to help improve the New Zealand women's national football team.^[7] New Zealand Football is now focusing its efforts on youth development so the country can be internationally competitive.^[8]

Women's football in New Zealand
Country	New Zealand
Governing body	New Zealand Football
National team(s)	Women's national team
Club competitions
National Women's League
International competitions
Olympics (national team) FIFA Women's World Cup (national team) OFC Women's Nations Cup (national team)
Audience records
Single match	42,137 New Zealand vs Norway[1]

History

The earliest development of women's football begun in 1973.^{[9][10][11][12]} The 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup was hosted in New Zealand.

Governing Board

The Women's Soccer Association of New Zealand (WSANZ) used to have sole control of the women's game in New Zealand it merged after becoming part of the national body, New Zealand Football.^[10]

WSANZ has disbanded its organisation and operates under New Zealand Football.^[13] New Zealand Football is the governs women's football in the country.^[14]

Domestic League

The National Women's League is the top tier professional Women's football league in New Zealand.

National team

Main article: New Zealand women's national football team

The women's team's greatest international achievement was to win 1975 AFC Women's Championship.^[15] The national team has never reached the second round of the World Cup.^[16] OFC Women's Nations Cup is used as a qualifier for the world cup

See also

• Association football in New Zealand
• New Zealand women's national football team
• National Women's League
• Record attendances for women's football (soccer)

References

1. Rollo, Phillip (21 July 2023). "FIFA Women's World Cup: Record crowd spurs Football Ferns to historic win". Stuff.
2. "Public Findings and Recommendations" (PDF). Sportnz.org.nz. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
3. "Changing face of women's football in New Zealand". Stuff.co.nz. 29 November 2014. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
4. "On the ball: Football by the numbers - popularity surges among youth and women". Stuff.co.nz. 20 January 2017. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
5. "Who We Are - News - Women's and youth football development making progress in New Zealand". Fifa.com. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
6. Cox, Barbara Douglas (17 July 2010). "Issues of power in a history of women's football in New Zealand: A Foucauldian genealogy" – via researchcommons.waikato.ac.nz.
7. "National women's league retains youth focus". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
8. "Wellington Phoenix reveal plan for future". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
9. Cox, Barbara; Thompson, Shona (1 June 2003). "From heydays to struggles: Women's soccer in New Zealand". Soccer & Society. 4 (2–3): 205–224. doi:10.1080/14660970512331390915. S2CID 144374128.
10. Branch, New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs Historical (23 July 1993). Women Together: A History of Women's Organisations in New Zealand : Ngā Rōpū Wāhine O Te Motu. Historical Branch, Department of Internal Affairs. ISBN 9780908896295 – via Google Books.
11. Smith, Tony (24 May 2023). "From 70s restart to Fifa Women's World Cup hosting - NZ football's remarkable revival". Stuff.
12. Smith, Tony (23 May 2023). "'Knee-length knickers, tasselled caps': How women's football first came to New Zealand". Stuff.
13. "Women's soccer becomes part of national body". New Zealand Herald. 15 December 2005. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
14. Reilly, Ella (30 April 2019). "World Cup coming at right time for women, says New Zealand Football president | Ella Reilly". Theguardian.com.
15. Rujawongsanti, Wanchai (6 June 2019). "Women's World Cup 2019 team guide No 21: Thailand". Theguardian.com.
16. Deane, Steve (5 June 2019). "Women's World Cup 2019 team guide No 19: New Zealand". Theguardian.com.