New Zealand Football is proud to have today launched its FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 legacy plan Aotearoa United: Legacy Starts Now at Wellington’s Sky Stadium.

Hosted by Football Fern Anna Green, members of Aotearoa New Zealand’s football communities gathered today at Sky Stadium in Wellington to launch the plan, which sets the vision to ensure hosting the biggest ever sporting event to come to New Zealand will have an enduring impact on our game and diverse communities.

An independent assessment in 2019 forecat that FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 will deliver nearly $200 million into Aotearoa New Zealand’s economy. 2023 represents a unique opportunity to invest in the game like never before – and in Aotearoa United: Legacy Starts Now, New Zealand Football has a plan to supercharge football in this country.

Setting the plan is an important milestone said Minister of Sport and Recreation Grant Robertson at today’s launch.

“The Legacy Starts Now strategy is another important milestone in ensuring that we’re making the most of this once in a lifetime opportunity to grow the game of football and to deliver better opportunities, experiences and development pathways for women and girls.”

Legacy Starts Now is built on four pou | pillars: Power of Opportunities | Whakamana (Leading the way by breaking barriers); Pathways | Ara (Paving the way for future generations); Partnerships | Mana Ngātahi (Growing and strengthening the game through meaningful relationships); People and Places | Tiaki (A game for all and a place of connection).

They set the focus on developing pathways in the game (such as playing, coaching, refereeing, administrating), opportunities (such as professional football for female players), and partnerships to achieve greater outcomes for the game throughout Aotearoa New Zealand and across the Oceania region.

Aotearoa United: Legacy Starts Now was developed through collaboration with the six federations (Northern Region Football, WaiBOP, Central Football, Capital Football, Mainland, Football South), Māori Football Aotearoa, Oceania Football Confederation, New Zealand Football stakeholders, the NZ Government, and the wider football community.

It’s a plan developed by football, for football and Aotearoa New Zealand says Paula Hansen, New Zealand Football Women’s World Cup, Legacy and Inclusion General Manager.

“We want to work with communities to deliver football in a way that works for them and reflects them,” says Hansen.

“Be it through expanding our Goals4Schools programme, making accessible and equitable gender-neutral facilities available, creating safe spaces so that everyone has the opportunity to participate. In other words, removing the barriers that prevent people from getting and staying involved in football in all its forms.”

Aotearoa United: Legacy Starts Now is about tapping into the potential of girls and women and creating pathways and opportunities, said New Zealand Football president Johanna Wood in a speech at the launch.

“It’s about women leading and developing others and sharing these stories. There is untapped talent to be realized and nurtured in many different ways.

“Going forward, those ways will suit you and your communities. This is on all of us. We will all have the opportunity to contribute and to make a difference. And it begins today with the launch of the legacy for woman and football - Aotearoa United: Legacy Starts Now”.

Parts of the plan’s vision are already coming to life, said New Zealand Football CEO Andrew Pragnell.

“We don’t need to wait until after the tournament to see the legacy plan kick into action,” he says.

“We’re already seeing opportunities open up for our wāhine, girls, and women. This week New Zealand Football announced a major partnership with Ford New Zealand, which specifically supports the development of the girls and women’s game through leadership and mentoring programmes, as well as becoming the Ford Football Ferns’ first ever naming partner – demonstrating what a huge opportunity this is for businesses to get involved in football.

“And next week history will be made when the Wellington Phoenix Women play their first ever A-League Women game, finally adding the professional game to the playing pathway in Aotearoa New Zealand.”

“We’re at the start of an incredibly exciting time for football in this country.”

Watch the launch of Aotearoa United: Legacy Starts Now below

Article added: Friday 26 November 2021