Mark Keown

Sometimes a sports story comes along and slips through the net. More often than not it involves a woman who does something extraordinary, but because of the grip rugby has on this nation, no one takes much notice. How about Rebecca Smith! She is NZ's women's soccer captain and today SHE WAS NOMINATED IN FIFA'S SHORTLIST FOR THE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD! Now forgive me if I am wrong, but this is absolutely extraordinary! We have had some great players. Wynton Rufer, the Oceania player of the century who won a UEFA cup! He and Maia Jackman have both played in Fifa All Star teams. But this is something again! She has been named with Germany's three-time world player Birgit Prinz and Marta of Brazil, last years player of the year, the best player at the recently complete world cup and the top goal scorer for the tournament! Sure it is 'only' women's soccer, but soccer is the nos one sport in the world! And here we have global star. S...

This whole NZ soccer and the A League thing is another example of NZ sports administration at its worst (cf. 2003 rugby world cup). It continues the Kings, Knights fiasco which has been a disaster. NZ soccer en masse should hang its head in shame. Nothing could be better for NZ soccer than to have a competitive team in the A League. It would provide a pathway for NZ juniors into professionalism, gets them onto the world stage and provides a stepping stone to the All Whites and overseas teams. What on earth is going on? Supposedly NZ soccer has no cash! Is there no wealthy sponsor in this land who sees the value of sponsoring a team? I have no idea concerning the ins and outs of this but one thing is certain; it will be a total disaster if it does not come off! Come on or you will see further dominance from rugby and the best athletes going off shore or to other codes. I don't get it!