Northern Ireland v New Zealand Match Programme

NEW ZEALAND FACTFILE

Association football has traditionally been the poor relation of rugby in New Zealand.

ERH GPYF XIEQW JVSQ )YVSTI 8LI] [IVI JSYRHIV QIQFIVW SJ XLI 3GIERME *IHIVEXMSR MR ERH IRXIVIH XLI ;SVPH 'YT [LIVI XLI] PSWX EX XLI ƤVWX LYVHPI XS -WVEIP SR EKKVIKEXI *VYWXVEXMSR JSPPS[IH YRXMP [LIR XLI %PP ;LMXIW UYEPMƤIH JSV XLI ;SVPH 'YT *MREPW MR 7TEMR [MXL E

8LI %PP ;LMXIW EW XLI] EVI ORS[R LEZI WXVYKKPIH for space on the sports pages when up against VYKF] ERH GVMGOIX ERH EPWS JSV GVS[HW EX international matches compared to the famous All Blacks rugby union superstars. ,S[IZIV JSSXFEPP MR 2I[ >IEPERH GER FSEWX E TVSYH XVEHMXMSR 8LI SPHIWX GPYF MR XLI 2> *SSXFEPP %WWSGMEXMSR 2SVXL 7LSVI 9RMXIH JVSQ %YGOPERH GER XVEGI XLIMV VSSXW FEGO XS 8LIVI [IVI representative matches between the major towns ERH GMXMIW MR XLI PEXI XL GIRXYV] [LMPI XLI ƤVWX SJƤGMEP GSQTIXMXMSR FIKER MR 1MRH ]SY MX [EW VIEPP] SRP] MR XLI IEVP] W XLEX XLI KEQI FIKER XS QEOI QENSV WXVMHIW ERH MR XLI ƤVWX REXMSREP PIEKYI [EW JSVQIH 2S[EHE]W XLIVI MW E 4VIQMIVWLMT [MXL GPYFW 8LI GLEQTMSRW JSV WIEWSR [IVI %YGOPERH 'MX] [LS [SR XLI XMXPI JSV XLI JSYVXL WIEWSR MR succession. 7MRGI XLIMV JSYRHEXMSR MR %YGOPERH 'MX] LEZI [SR XLI 4VIQMIVWLMT IMKLX XMQIW [LMPI ;EMXEOIVI 9RMXIH LEZI [SR MX ƤZI XMQIW %RH SRI 2I[ >IEPERH GPYF Ʉ;IPPMRKXSR 4LSIRM\ currently play in the Australian A League. 0EWX .YRI 2I[ >IEPERH [SR XLI 3GIERME 'YT *MREPɄ JSV XLI JSYVXL XMQI EKEMRWX LSWXW 4ETYE 2I[ +YMRIE SR TIREPXMIW EJXIV E WGSVIPIWW QMRYXIW -X [EW E ZMGXSV] [LMGL UYEPMƤIH XLI %PP ;LMXIW JSV XLMW WYQQIVŭW 'SRJIHIVEXMSRW 'YT tournament in Russia where they will play the host REXMSR 1I\MGS ERH 4SVXYKEP Next summer the All Whites are hoping to return to Russia for the World Cup Finals but will have to navigate their way through a couple of play-off games later this year for that to become a reality. New Zealand and the World Cup -R 2I[ >IEPERH FIGEQI E QIQFIV SJ *-*% and began to play friendlies against Australia

play-off victory against China. 8LIMV STIRMRK KEQI EX )WTERE ŭ

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7GSXPERH 8LI] PSWX

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Steve Wooddin grabbing their goals. 2I\X YT [IVI 7SZMIX 9RMSR ERH XLI /M[MW PSWX 8LIMV PEWX KVSYT KEQI [EW EKEMRWX &VE^MP ERH XLI] [IVI FIEXIR 2I[ >IEPERH UYEPMƤIH JSV E ;SVPH 'YT *MREPW XSYVREQIRX JSV E WIGSRH XMQI ]IEVW PEXIV EJXIV defeating Bahrain in a play-off. 8LIMV EHZIRXYVI MR 7SYXL %JVMGE STIRIH [MXL E HVE[ EKEMRWX 7PSZEOME ũ ;MRWXSR 6IMH WGSVIH MR XLI VH QMRYXI But the highlight for the Kiwis came in their next game when reigning world champions Italy were the opponents. The game saw the All Whites take the lead XLVSYKL E 7LERI 7QIPX^ XET MR 8LI -XEPMERW XLIR FSQFEVHIH XLI 2I[ >IEPERH KSEP ERH IZIRXYEPP] IUYEPMWIH JVSQ XLI TIREPX] WTSX XLVSYKL :MGIR^S -EUYMRXE The Italians continued to pile forward but the Kiwis LIPH SYX [MXL HIJIRHIVW 6]ER 2IPWIR ERH ;MRWXSR 6IMH TVSHYGMRK QEKRMƤGIRX TIVJSVQERGIW MR particular. 8LIVI JSPPS[IH E HVE[ [MXL 4EVEKYE] ERH 2I[ >IEPERH ƤRMWLIH MR XLMVH TPEGI MR +VSYT * FILMRH 4EVEKYE] ƤZI TSMRXW ERH 7PSZEOME JSYV FYX ELIEH SJ -XEP] X[S 2I[ >IEPERH [IVI XLI SRP] XIEQ RSX to lose a match in the tournament. Words: Roy Kitson

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