Female match officials from Football South and Mainland Football were lucky enough to be the first cohort of the New Zealand Football Project – Whistle Wāhine.

Whistle Wāhine gives female match officials the chance to connect with World Cup Referees, watch them in action and learn what it takes to be an elite match official.

Football South sent eight women up to Christchurch for the New Zealand Football v Korea Republic.

They were able to meet the officials for a meet and greet prior to the game which was inspiring for our officials.

Allys Clipsham, Football South Referee Development Manager said ‘’Just like players, Referees have idols, and it was amazing to be able to help some of our match officials meet theirs. There has been a huge attitude shift towards women in sport recently, including having female officials at the Qatar World Cup and it shows what women in sport can achieve. It will be exciting to see and follow the stories of the female match officials on this first cohort and listen to their inspiring stories for future generations”.

Article added: Tuesday 29 November 2022