Jennifer Hermoso of Spain celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the Fifa Women's World Cup at Eden Park. Photo / VCG/VCG via Getty Images
Jennifer Hermoso of Spain celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the Fifa Women's World Cup at Eden Park. Photo / VCG/VCG via Getty Images
EDITORIAL
This week marks a year since the Herald on Sunday underwent a major redesign and launched a new lifestyle magazine, Reset.
It’s given us pause to reflect on the news and what a difficult year we’ve had - cyclones, a recession, a cost-of-living crisis.
This week’s end to theheartbreaking trial of Lauren Dickason, found guilty of murdering her three daughters, had the jury, her lawyers and, likely, others around the country in tears.
Her parents Malcolm and Wendy Fawkes aptly declared after the verdict that there were “no winners in this tragedy” and urged others to be aware of the symptoms of postpartum depression.
It’s heartening that, in what can be such a cruel world, sports can unify us in enjoyment.
The Fifa Women’s World Cup, held in New Zealand and Australia over the past four weeks, has brought joy and captivated the hearts and minds of the public in both countries.
Tuesday night’s semifinal between Spain and Sweden at Eden Park was a sell-out and saw total crowd figures for matches in New Zealand surpass 700,000.
As football writer Michael Burgess wrote, it’s a remarkable number, and one that puts the tournament in a rare stratosphere: of major sporting events to be held here, only the 2011 Rugby World Cup brought more fans through the gates.
The tournament far eclipsed the target of 500,000 ticket sales.
The record for a crowd at a football game in New Zealand was set three times, peaking at 43,217 for the knockout matches at Eden Park.
Early on in the tournament, on a Monday night, more than 30,000 people attended a clash between Italy and Argentina, even with no home team to be seen.
There have been new faces in the crowds at these games. Plenty of Kiwis who wouldn’t have considered themselves sports fans have found themselves drawn to the excitement of the tournament. The deeds on the field will have inspired more kids into sports.
Thankfully – and this is a big deal for sporting events in New Zealand – the weather stayed onside.
TV viewing figures have been outstanding. More than a million Kiwis tuned in to watch the opening game, the biggest TV audience for a football match shown in New Zealand in 20 years, with the tournament reaching more than 2.1 million viewers and counting. Many more were getting live match updates from nzherald.co.nz.
Whatever the result on Sunday night, it can fairly be said that the right two teams have made the final. England have played doughty tournament football – winning ugly when it matters. Spain have seized their chances – learning from defeat to Japan and overcoming late Swedish resistance.
When a team, as heavily favoured as the US was in this tournament, fall short of the final, it adds a little extra spice to the proceedings. Australia were noble and our own Football Ferns recorded four points in pool play, the most ever by a senior New Zealand side at a World Cup.
So, what now?
The challenge for New Zealand Football – and for the families that took their kids to all those games – is to build on this legacy. We must make sure kids have the opportunity to engage with sport; it really does bring out the best in us and unifies us in enjoyment.
