Female match officials from the South Island are among the first to participate in a national project called Whistle Wāhine, which encourages them to develop their skills by learning from the best.
A group from Football South and Mainland Football attended the recent friendly international between the Football Ferns and Korea Republic in Christchurch, as part of the New Zealand Football initiative.
It gave them the chance to meet World Cup referees, watch them in action and learn what it takes to become an elite match official.
Allys Clipsham, Football South Referee Development Manager told the federation website: “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.”
Main photo: The Whistle Wāhine group. Photo: Football South.
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