Women's football the focus, at home and away
MGC player Sophie Campbell brings the ball downfield during her side's opening Zydenbos Shield match with Trojans at Oliver Park on Saturday. Photos Peter Jones
While the world and national focus will be firmly on the FIFA Women’s World Cup currently taking place in New Zealand and Australia, the female footballers of Marlborough are also lacing up their boots.
Last weekend the annual Zydenbos Shield competition kicked off. It has been running since 1978, when Marlborough Girls’ College took out the inaugural title.
The students are back again in 2023, lining up alongside teams from Blenheim Valley, Trojans and Picton in the women’s league.
The competition involves six rounds, each side playing their rivals twice.
Ian Thomas, who has been associated with the Marlborough Girls’ College side for the past five years and will take the reins again this year, feels numbers are growing at the college, especially among the younger girls as the sport slowly gains a foothold.
“There are more and more of the young ones coming through,” says Ian.
“There are more year nines in the team than I have had in the past … they are coming through from the youth grades, the 12th and 13th grades.”
He expects there to be a flow-on effect from the staging of the Football World Cup in New Zealand and the Football Ferns’ heroics, similar to what happened in women’s rugby after the Black Ferns’ efforts last year.
“Interest will rise, especially when we have success at that level … the number of girls who want to be involved is bound to go up.”
Ian says the College players were keeping a close eye on the World Cup, the team being involved in a FIFA match predictor league, and relished watching the skills of the world’s best.
While he is keen for his side to have success in the Zydenbos Shield Ian said his side’s main focus was the forthcoming Gary Sowden secondary school tournament, to be staged in Blenheim, especially since he will have a full side to call on.
Currently three of his stronger players are spending their weekends playing for Nelson Suburbs sides. Katie Pugh and Maddy Rowe are in the top Suburbs side who participate in the Southern League, while Jaimie Elrick is in the Suburbs Youth side.
After a strong showing last season, Ian again expects good things from his side at the tournament, plus in the Shield matches, as they build combinations and confidence on the ball, no doubt inspired by the feats of the ground-breaking Football Ferns.
On Saturday, MGC opened their Shield campaign with a 6-1 win over Trojans, while Blenheim Valley downed Picton 5-2.