Wellington Phoenix Men

Hope it Helps

83 replies · 3,290 views
about 18 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
We already have free trade agreements with Singapore (who are football mad), and are inches away from one with China. The problem with any sort of business deal in Asia is it has to be done face to face. If the buisness development branch of Trade & Enterprise NZ , could arrange for networking around asian football games that would be great. Problem is we are in Oceania conferance, and thier isnt much in the way of untapped markets in Fiji or the Solomon islands for NZ exporters.
Permalink Permalink
about 18 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
 
We're a rugby country and one successful season isn't going to change that.  Ask the average man in the street "would you like to see the government put more funding in to Rugby to enhance our chances of winning the next world cup, or invest in football with the small chance of getting to a World Cup tournament with little to no chance of getting past the group stage?"
 
I'm guessing the majority would answer the former.  If you were looking for votes, what would you do?
 
If the momentum continues, it may be different in 5 - 10 years. 
danielsleftball2008-03-10 15:43:40
Permalink Permalink
about 18 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
danielsleftball wrote:
 
We're a rugby country and one successful season isn't going to change that.  Ask the average man in the street "would you like to see the government put more funding in to Rugby to enhance our chances of winning the next world cup, or invest in football with the small chance of getting to a World Cup tournament with little to no chance of getting past the group stage?"
 
I'm guessing the majority would answer the former.  If you were looking for votes, what would you do?
 
If the momentum continues, it may be different in 5 - 10 years. 
 
might take longer than that, but i wouldn't be surprised if rugby's dominance continues to fade over time, not just because of the Phoenix effect and any future possible NZ A-league side but  alos because of the influence of global capitalism and the increasing diversity in NZ society 
 
and of course because football is the sporting drug of choice for the discerning rush-seeker
Permalink Permalink
about 18 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
rodfarva wrote:
nz government would just pay for some t.v advertising in these countries if they wanted to target them as potential tourists. much more direct and i would imagine cheaper then funding football.
 
But the point is not only how we are marketing ourselves: TV advertising or billboards or whatever, but also what the product is that we are marketing.
 
Football is an arena of heroes and villans. At international tournaments it is epic drama writ large. Football is a sport that means a lot to a large number of Asians (sorry for the generalisation!), the way rugby does to a large number of kiwis.
 
It is almost a cliche, but football is a way to show we have something in common, and also to have identifiable faces, and characteristics. The name and face of the man who scored or missed the vital penalty or cleared the ball of the line or who got sent off at a crucial moment in the finals lives on in the memory. There are many pretty landscapes, but to be able to say- oh that's where, say, Aaron Silva or Roger Millar or Dwight Yorke comes from makes it a story, makes it a human association.
 
Oh and  Uber gunner, I think we just recently have agreed to look into a free trade agreement with Korea, that would benefit both countries.


Permalink Permalink