They are lumbered with a fairly unimaginative nickname, they go about their work in far-flung corners of the world, and they get little profile at home.
But the Football Ferns might just be the best-kept secret in New Zealand sport.
The All Whites saw their World Cup dreams go up in smoke after two brutal hidings at the hands of Mexico, but the New Zealand women's football team had a year for the ages.
It started in March with the Cyprus Cup, in which the Football Ferns beat Scotland, Italy and England, followed by a draw with Japan.
Then it all got a little crazy.
The Ferns claimed their first piece of silverware outside Oceania in 38 years by thumping China 4-0 in the final of the Valais Cup in Switzerland in September. Earlier, they had beaten powerhouse Brazil. Yes, Brazil.
A month later, New Zealand held the United States, the world and Olympic champion, to a draw in the second of two internationals on American turf.
The success has led to New Zealand rising to a lofty 16th in the Fifa world women's rankings, and to stars like Amber Hearn (our all-time leading scorer with 35 goals), Hannah Wilkinson, Sarah Gregorius and Rosie White finally getting some recognition.
It seems to have happened very quickly but it was no overnight success story, striker Gregorius told The New Zealand Herald last month.
''We can fully understand why it might seem like it has come out of nowhere, but our group has been together for so many years now and we've been working hard for so long that for us it did feel kind of inevitable that we were going to start getting those sorts of results,'' she said.
A combination of factors have come together at the right time: a core group which has risen through the ranks together; New Zealand Football recognising the potential for growth in the women's game; increased investment from High Performance Sport; and more players getting chances to play in top leagues around the world.
Gregorius is based in the United Kingdom, where she plays for Liverpool in the FA women's league. Hayley Bowden (wife of former Highlanders five-eighth Daniel) is contracted to Chelsea.
Hearn, Ria Percival and Abby Erceg play in Germany, while White and Wilkinson are in the American college system.
The experience and insight gathered overseas has contributed to an increasingly professional approach in the Football Ferns, aided by a well-structured and resourced high-performance programme run by coach Tony Readings.
Women's football is played in more than 120 countries but few commit any meaningful resources to their teams, which extrapolates out to a greater likelihood of return for New Zealand at pinnacle events.
The Football Ferns' victory over Brazil was their first over a nation ranked inside the top 10, and hailed as ''historic'' by NZF high performance manager Fred De Jong.
For Readings, backing it up with a win over China marked several important milestones for his team.
''We keep calling on these players to get better every game and by winning this tournament and backing up the Brazil win we've taken more big steps forward,'' Readings said after the Valais Cup.
''It was also important for our team to beat China away from home as that again is something we've never done before.
''We're still working towards major goals in 2015 and 2016 but we will savour winning this tournament and the progress it represents for us.''
The Football Ferns have a big couple of years ahead. They play in the Cyprus Cup in March, and tackle Japan in Osaka in May. Beyond that is the 2015 World Cup in Canada, and the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.
- Additional reporting The New Zealand Herald.
TOMORROW: The Lydia Ko effect, and Farah Palmer's reflections.
YOUR THOUGHTS: Email hayden.meikle@odt.co.nz
Football Ferns
The timeline
• 1975: First international v Hong Kong.
• 1980: First home international v Australia.
• 1981: Second at world invitational in Taiwan.
• 2006: 100th international v China.
• 2007: First appearance at World Cup.
• 2011: Drew with Mexico at World Cup.
• 2012: Reached London Olympic quarterfinals.
• 2013: Beat Brazil and China, drew with US.
