Young girls play football at the foot of Aoraki Mt Cook in Tourism New Zealand's new video.
Video / Tourism NZ
With just a month to go until the opening game of the Fifa Women’s Football World Cup, a game of football has been staged against the magnificent backdrop of the Southern Alps.
The teams, Pukaki and Tekapo, were made up of 22 girls from the Canterbury region with a little help from Football Ferns Emma Rolston and Katie Bowen, who will be representing New Zealand at the World Cup next month.
The girls head out onto the specially created pitch for their game. Photo / Phibbs Visuals
Immy Ivey, 8, from Twizel Area School was amazed she was able to play beneath Aoraki Mt Cook.
“it’s cool playing football in the mountains because when you score a goal, instead of just having plain grass, you can see the big mountains instead, which is nice for a change,” Immy said. “I score lots of goals, I’m a super striker.”
Rolston, no stranger to scoring goals herself for Wellington Phoenix and the Football Ferns, is excited about the biggest thing in football to hit New Zealand.
The Southern Alps and Aoraki Mt Cook made for a stunning backdrop to the game. Photo / Phibbs Visuals
“New Zealand is going to be the best host country for the World Cup because we have so much to offer,” Rolston said. “The people are incredible, so kind and welcoming to anybody that comes through as well as having the most stunning scenery in the entire world. What a privilege it is to play here.”
The full-size pitch, measuring 105x68 metres on the tussock plains of Mackenzie Country in front of Aoraki Mt Cook was created by hand over six weeks using the strictest environmental and sustainability principles to ensure the land could be restored to its pristine condition after the game.
Referee and New Zealand Football national referee development manager, Lindsey Robinson, officiated and said after the game that it was a great game of football, especially given the surroundings.
The pitch was created using strict environmental guidelines to ensure the area could be returned to its pristine state afterwards. Photo / Phibbs Visuals
“I came here today to referee the game in the most beautiful place on earth,” said Robinson. “There’s certainly future talent here and I’m hoping to see some of these girls playing with a fern on their chest in the future. I’m incredibly excited about so many visitors coming to New Zealand to enjoy the game and enjoy this beautiful part of the world.”
Tourism New Zealand worked with local iwi and the Department of Conservation to ensure the project respected mana whenua and had no lasting impact on the land.
The game ended in a 1-1 draw, but football was the winner on the day. Photo / Phibbs Visuals
Playing at the foot of Aoraki was important, said Tourism New Zealand chief executive, Rene de Monchy. “The mountain represents the most sacred of ancestors, from whom Ngāi Tahu, the local iwi/tribe, descends, to provide us with a sense of communal identity, solidarity, and purpose.
“This is the biggest women’s sporting event in the world, with nearly two billion people expected to watch the games from our beautiful corner of the world. In New Zealand, we’re blessed with a special connection between our people and place – we have some of the friendliest and most welcoming people, in some of the most magnificent places in the world.”
