Pōneke pōwhiri delights soccer players

Wednesday, 12 July 2023

An official pōwhiri welcoming two international women’s football teams was received with delight by the international athletes.

Tuesday saw the women’s football teams for South Africa and Sweden welcomed in an official pōwhiri by tangata whenua and Wellington officials, ahead of the start of this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup.

South Africa and Sweden's national women's football teams were welcomed to Te Wharewaka o Pōneke with an official pōwhiri.

The Wellington evening was surprisingly windless, allowing both teams a clear view of the harbour as they were welcomed to Wharewaka Function Centre with a karakia by Felicity Buchanan and Lois McNaught.

Mayor Tory Whanau, Palmerston North Māori Reserve trust chairman Liz Mellish, and Wellington Tenths Trust chairman Anaru Smiler were also in attendance. Mellish personally welcomed both teams to Aotearoa, saying that the entire nation was excited to be chosen to host the internationally renowned sporting event.

“It’s a real honour and a privilege.”

Both teams’ players looked solemn and touched by the gesture of welcome. The South African team responded to the pōwhiri through song and dance, influencing Swedish captain Caroline Seger to lead her team in singing their national anthem, although she joked that Swedes were not known for their singing.

The captains of Sweden and South Africa's national women's football teams at Tuesday’s welcome. From left, Caroline Seger and Refiloe Jane.

Seger and South African team captain Refiloe Jane presented Whanau with a jersey from each of their teams. The South African team will be based in Porirua and the Swedish team in Upper Hutt.

FIFA Women’s World Cup is known internationally as the world’s largest women’s sporting event, reaching more than a billion viewers worldwide during 2019’s Cup.

Seven hundred and thirty six football players from around the world will come to Australasia to represent their country’s national women’s football teams, with 32 teams competing to win this year’s cup.

FIFA is predicting up to 30,000 visitors can be expected in Australia and Aotearoa.

It has been estimated the economic boost New Zealand can expect from the domestic tourism brought by the Cup will exceed $200 million, according to FIFA.

In Aotearoa, matches will be played in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, and Dunedin. The Cup will kick off at the end of the month at Eden Park in Auckland with a match pitting New Zealand’s own Football Ferns against Norway, the winner of 1995’s Cup.

This year’s tournament will be the ninth FIFA Women’s World Cup. The final match will be held at Stadium Australia in Sydney on August 20.