KEY POINTS:
New Zealand Football is preparing to ride the wave of success of the Fifa Under-17 Women's World Cup and pitch a bid for the 2015 Women's World Cup. And they are likely to find support in high places.
Speaking after yesterday's group A match between Colombia and Denmark, Fifa's head of women's football, Tatjana Haenni, said there was "no reason whatsoever" New Zealand could not host a World Cup.
"The local organising committee has shown they are 100 per cent able to put on a Fifa tournament," said Haenni. "Fifa now have 20 tournaments on a four-yearly cycle so there are opportunities for countries like New Zealand to host.
"The local committee has done a fantastic job. They have gone out to the schools and done all they can to promote the tournament. It is still only the beginning of the event but what we have already seen has been very, very positive."
In comparing this inaugural under-17 tournament with the most recent women's age group tournament - the 2006 Under-20 World Cup in Russia - New Zealand is already well ahead.
The opening game in Russia, between the hosts and Brazil, attracted a crowd of only 10,200. The final attracted 8500 but the average over 32 matches was a paltry 1250.
Tuesday's night's opener between New Zealand and Canada at North Harbour Stadium had what is being touted as a record crowd for women's sport in New Zealand - 13,123. Add in the 6759 who turned up yesterday and the opening matches could boast almost 20,000 spectators.
LOC chief executive Chris Simpson had secretly hoped for 10,000 on opening night.
Yesterday was the "school promotion day". Pupils were able to buy tickets for $5 and their supervisors were admitted free. That exercise was repeated in Christchurch and will follow in Hamilton and Wellington today.
Already, organisers have moved to attract another bumper crowd on Saturday. They have sent 5000 vouchers to schools offering a free child's ticket (worth $7) with every adult ticket bought at the regular [low] price of $10.
"Everything is first class," said Haenni. "There is nothing we can improve. Hopefully, given the success of this tournament, we can bring more girls, and boys, into our game."
