Oh, it was absolutely incredible. Amazing atmosphere. It was quite surreal, to be honest, and it was fantastic to be there. I sat for quite some time just looking around and thinking, wow, would we have thought in 1991 that this is how far the game would come. Just to have the following that it did, right the way through to the final, was pretty surreal.
Were Spain worthy winners?
At the end of the day, they were. It’s funny when you get to that stage. There is a bit of push and pull around who you really want to kind of win. There were reasons why I wanted England to win. They still had a female coach, who didn’t quite make it the last time with the Netherlands. They had a lot of history in terms of being European champions, and obviously their men’s team haven’t won the World Cup since 1966. But the Spanish played some amazing football throughout the tournament. They were exciting to watch. Their skill level was above and beyond. They had a bit of controversy coming into the tournament, and obviously at the end, but they just so deserved it. I was really happy they won.
The controversy rolls on after the Spanish football boss grabbed the Spanish player and forced a kiss on her. Are you sad or frustrated that, a week after the tournament, a bloke is getting the headlines?
Yeah, totally. Yeah. I think it’s important the world is seeing what the team had to put up with before the tournament, during the tournament and right up until after the final whistle. You don’t want to take the shine away from what they achieved as a team. You want the talk to be about the football — it shouldn’t have to be about the other stuff. It’s really unfortunate it’s ended up that way.
Apart from the final, what were your overall impressions of the tournament?
Having been there in 2019 with the Football Ferns, that was a real eye-opener in France. I’d gone to 2015 as a spectator, and I’d played in 2007. Just the progression of the game each time — I thought in 2019, how can it get better than this? For me, I’m just really proud that both New Zealand and Australia went above and beyond. They reached the expectations and surpassed them. As a Kiwi and an ex-footballer, I’m super proud we turned on a tournament that everyone is talking about.
How will we measure the legacy of this tournament?
It does go beyond just football. I think the legacy it’s left for everybody is that women can play sport, and they can play it pretty well. Often we are compared to the men, and it’s not about that. It’s about playing our own game, and playing entertaining football or whatever sport. For me, what this has done is show that if you put women’s football on TV, people will watch it. Make it accessible in stadiums, and people will go. I’ve just come back from Australia and it is just massive. The legacy the Matildas and this World Cup has left is huge.
The Football Ferns gave us a thrill with that early win but could not quite reach the knockout stages. What did you make of their efforts?
That was fantastic. You couldn’t have asked for a better opening night. It certainly wasn’t expected by the New Zealand public. Those around football knew what they could do, but it was a matter of whether it clicked on the night. It started to turn heads. They were disappointed with that second game [against the Philippines]. I went down to Dunedin and watched that game [against Switzerland] and I guess I was just sort of sad for the Ferns that they couldn’t quite do it. Had they won, and gone through to the next round, it would have been amazing. They certainly showed the nation they can play football against the world’s best. For me, they did a great job. They stood up and they were noticed.
What’s the biggest change in women’s football since your day?
The fact you can make a career out of it. It’s really only become professional for Kiwi footballers since the mid to late 2000s. Just to see young players going: this is something I love doing and I can make a career out of it — that’s the biggest change. And just being recognised, you know. I look back over my career, and our accomplishments back then, and they weren’t really notable in New Zealand. You kind of came back and slotted back into work and away you went. Now women can make football a career and play on the world stage.
Ten years from now, where will women’s football be?
It should just continue to grow. Hopefully it gets better and better in New Zealand, and there are streamlined pathways to the Football Ferns or playing overseas. I hope there are more opportunities for anyone who wants to get into the game.
Are you still involved with the sport?
Not at all. After 2019 and Covid, I just quietly stepped away from the game. You really do need to give up your career to stay at the top level. I kind of missed that opportunity to do it fulltime. I’m an avid spectator now.
