Co-hosts N’Zealand, Australia Begin with Emotional Victories 

WOMEN’S WORLD CUP

The scenes at the end of both games on the opening day of the 2023 Women’s World Cup told the story. 

Fans danced in the stands as players shed tears of joy after New Zealand got their Women’s World Cup campaign off to a winning start on an emotional and historic night at Eden Park. 

For Australia a few hours later, it felt more like getting the job done as they beat Republic of Ireland through a Steph Catley penalty, the Arsenal player taking the captain’s armband after Sam Kerr was dramatically ruled out shortly before kick-off with a calf injury. 

Two 1-0 victories, two different perspectives – with the New Zealand perspective one of “tears” and “goosebumps”. 

“Seeing them have tears in their eyes and enjoying it in front of their family and friends at the end, I will never forget these moments,” New Zealand boss Jitka Klimkova said after Hannah Wilkinson’s winner against Norway. 

Even Prime Minister Chris Hipkins joined in the New Zealand celebrations, hours after he addressed the nation following the deadly shooting in Auckland that had cast a shadow over what was supposed to be a day of celebration. 

“He came to the locker room and was very proud for this team,” added Klimkova, the Czech coach who was appointed in August 2021 and spent the first few months of her reign unable to step foot in New Zealand due to Covid restrictions. 

The Football Ferns had waited a long time for Thursday’s big moment. 

They had failed to win a game at their previous five World Cup appearances and few outside New Zealand gave them much hope against Norway. 

If they defeat World Cup debutants the Philippines on Tuesday then New Zealand can start planning for the knockout rounds for the first time. 

In front of a passionate crowd of 42,137 – a record crowd for a football match in New Zealand – they produced a memorable performance that will live long in the memories of those present. 

“I still have goosebumps and emotions,” Klimkova said an hour after the final whistle. 

“We have waited for this moment for such a long time. Hearing our fans getting behind us like that, it’s an unforgettable moment for me. It’s an incredible feeling.” 

Excitement had been building across Auckland as the city prepared to kick off the Women’s World Cup, the culmination of years of effort to bring the largest ever standalone women’s sporting event to its shores. 

The Football Ferns have been hard to ignore as they stared down from giant billboards, while some of the players’ faces were projected onto the city’s Sky Tower – a 328-metre-tall tourist attraction – on the eve of the tournament. 

Wilkinson, whose goal earned her country a famous win, spent the last few minutes of the match with her head in her hands, sitting on the bench as Norway threatened a late equaliser. 

The hosts had to endure 10 minutes of stoppage time before they were able to celebrate. 

“There were a lot of doubters because of the (recent) results we had, but we believed – we believed in ourselves this entire game,” said veteran defender Ali Riley, who is playing at her fifth World Cup.