The organisation congratulated New Zealand Football on its improved performance across the recently-completed cycle and showing at the London Olympic Games with funding of $800,000 per year for 2013 and 2014.
Women’s football has been considered a Campaign Investment Sport with the Football Ferns international performances convincing High Performance Sport NZ they are tracking towards a medal at the Olympic Games in 2020.
New Zealand Football high performance director Fred de Jong welcomed the increase in funding which he put down to the hard work and leadership of the Football Ferns, particularly in the form of head coach Tony Readings.
“We are grateful to High Performance Sport NZ for recognising the progression of women’s football over the past four to six years and providing funding to help us improve further,” de Jong says.
“The Football Ferns have built a strong evidence-based case over the past campaign to highlight their improvement on the international stage and benchmark against other leading nations and it is a great reward for the hard work of Tony and his team.”
The gradual improvement culminated in the Ferns making the quarter-finals of the London Olympics, the first New Zealand women’s team to progress past the group stage of a world event.
New Zealand Football’s high performance strategic plan outlined a need to move toward more effective professional coaching and support, with access to consistent and high-level competition.
“The reality of the Football Ferns’ situation is that they have to travel to play quality international matches and that travel costs money,” de Jong says.
The funding is up for review in 2014, in time for the next FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada in 2015 and the Olympic Games in 2016.
In addition to the cash injection, women’s football will have better access to athlete carding, Prime Minister’s Scholarships and performance enhancement grants.
With 15 of the 18 Football Ferns that played in the London Olympic Games now plying their trade overseas, the funding will also benefit the next tier of international players coming through.
The High Performance Sport NZ funding is ring-fenced for women’s football and is separate to the Sport New Zealand funding for the Whole of Football Programme.
Story courtesy of New Zealand Football.
For more on New Zealand Football visit www.nzfootball.co.nz

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