Oh for sure. 4x or more the player base. Football Australia much wealthier than NZF. Hosting the Asian's Womens Cup early year, maintains the Matildas high profile in Oz. Smartly to be played late Jan-early Feb, in the gap between Ashes cricket series finishing & winter codes yet to start.
FA also getting financial help from WA Govt to bring the next 4 Tillies games to Perth/Bunbury. It is high end dining verus Georgie Pie.
Female player numbers have grown alot in NZ off the back of the 2023 WWC. A major plus. It's just a real shame the Ferns ain't playing non OFC teams at home. But yeah isn't easy for NZF to make it happen.
An Auckland FC ALW team, would be a major future positive, as an extra shop window for the women's game. But it's getting very tight now to launch for next season.
Edit - Being in OFC and not AFC, probably actually hurts the FFs more than the AWs, re lack of profile and getting meaningful games. Would be far more likely the Ferns would qualify for every WWC (soon to also be expanded to 48 teams) than the AWs getting to every mens WC if we were in AFC.
The Ferns being at the Olympics (11 other higher ranked teams) is always just damage limitation. Apart from dronegate, I can't remember anything from their pool games in France last year. But at a Womens Asian Cup, the Ferns would be quarterfinalists, maybe even squeak into a semi.
FA also getting financial help from WA Govt to bring the next 4 Tillies games to Perth/Bunbury. It is high end dining verus Georgie Pie.
Female player numbers have grown alot in NZ off the back of the 2023 WWC. A major plus. It's just a real shame the Ferns ain't playing non OFC teams at home. But yeah isn't easy for NZF to make it happen.
An Auckland FC ALW team, would be a major future positive, as an extra shop window for the women's game. But it's getting very tight now to launch for next season.
Edit - Being in OFC and not AFC, probably actually hurts the FFs more than the AWs, re lack of profile and getting meaningful games. Would be far more likely the Ferns would qualify for every WWC (soon to also be expanded to 48 teams) than the AWs getting to every mens WC if we were in AFC.
The Ferns being at the Olympics (11 other higher ranked teams) is always just damage limitation. Apart from dronegate, I can't remember anything from their pool games in France last year. But at a Womens Asian Cup, the Ferns would be quarterfinalists, maybe even squeak into a semi.