https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/nz-teams/300641363/could-the-record-wave-of-fans-hit-fifa-womens-world-cup-in-new-zealand
Patterson is grateful for the ongoing help she has from the Big Four – the other three Kiwi women leading the cricket and rugby World Cups and the IWG World Conference on Women in Sport, in Auckland in November.
Patterson is grateful for the ongoing help she has from the Big Four – the other three Kiwi women leading the cricket and rugby World Cups and the IWG World Conference on Women in Sport, in Auckland in November.
They try to meet for a drink and a chat once a month, and have a WhatsApp group where they are constantly sharing information on running a global sports event, Patterson says.
An interesting concept that’s grown out of the unique sharing arrangement is ‘The Bench’ – created by Cricket World Cup chief executive, Andrea Nelson. Heading into the final in Christchurch, when an easing of Covid restrictions finally allowed a full house of fans, Nelson set up a reserve bench of event organisers in case any of her key people went down with the virus.
Patterson was on the bench alongside a number of her staff. “We gave her our venue manager from Dunedin for a week to help her out,” she says.
When the women’s Euros are over, the FA (England’s Football Association) will share the challenges they've faced with Patterson’s World Cup team. “The industry can only get better through sharing and planning," Patterson says.