Niche Cache on Tilly James. As Wittlebutt mentioned ex NZ age group futsal.
One to watch maybe re the Ferns
The 24yo versatile defender made three appearances for Calgary Wild last year, including two starts, though was hampered by injury most of the way (there’s an interview linked below in which she’s wearing a pretty hefty knee brace). And here’s the thing... despite her Wikipedia profile and NSL player page both claiming that she was born in Vancouver, and her signing last year being treated as a local player progressing to the new local professional league... those are bold-faced lies. James (and her whole family) hails from Aotearoa.
One to watch maybe re the Ferns
The 24yo versatile defender made three appearances for Calgary Wild last year, including two starts, though was hampered by injury most of the way (there’s an interview linked below in which she’s wearing a pretty hefty knee brace). And here’s the thing... despite her Wikipedia profile and NSL player page both claiming that she was born in Vancouver, and her signing last year being treated as a local player progressing to the new local professional league... those are bold-faced lies. James (and her whole family) hails from Aotearoa.
TJ was born in NZ and spent a lot of her childhood (and football development) here. She constantly refers to herself as a New Zealander in interviews and if you need any more evidence, well, her older sister, Ella James, plays for the Futsal Ferns and was part of the squad for last year’s Futsal World Cup. Tilly herself played NZ U18s Futsal for Aotearoa prior to moving back to Canada for university. Here’s a yarn from eight years ago...
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1674999909218463
Tilly James: “It's so funny. I feel like every time like I say I'm from New Zealand, people hear me talk and they're like... yeah. When I met Ally and Mouse for the first time, I felt so fake being like, ‘Hey, my family's from there!’ But, no, I was born in New Zealand. My whole family was except for my little brother. So my whole lineage, everybody's from New Zealand. When I was about two we moved to Vancouver, Canada for my mum's job - she worked for a Canadian company. And through her work, we had the privilege of growing up in some really cool places: we spent five years in Vancouver and then went to Dallas, Texas for five years, back to New Zealand for five years, and then moved back to Vancouver. It wasn't until university when I actually started and finished [at the same] school.”
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1674999909218463
Tilly James: “It's so funny. I feel like every time like I say I'm from New Zealand, people hear me talk and they're like... yeah. When I met Ally and Mouse for the first time, I felt so fake being like, ‘Hey, my family's from there!’ But, no, I was born in New Zealand. My whole family was except for my little brother. So my whole lineage, everybody's from New Zealand. When I was about two we moved to Vancouver, Canada for my mum's job - she worked for a Canadian company. And through her work, we had the privilege of growing up in some really cool places: we spent five years in Vancouver and then went to Dallas, Texas for five years, back to New Zealand for five years, and then moved back to Vancouver. It wasn't until university when I actually started and finished [at the same] school.”
You can see how this one slipped under the radar last season but it will do so no longer. Tilly James, you are a Flying Kiwi.