NZ continues to be a leader among the Futsal developing nations

Futsal is one of the fastest-growing sports in New Zealand (NZ). At almost any NZ school, you’ll find rugby posts, a basketball backboard or netball hoop. In futsal, the five-a-side indoor variant of football keeps growing at the remarkable pace it is, it could feature just as prominently on the Kiwi sports landscape. Since New Zealand Football (NZF) implemented futsal in 2010, it has expanded from just 700 players in loosely unaffiliated leagues to nearly 21,000 registered players by the end of 2015. For the first time next year, NZF will launch a Futsal Ferns women’s team, as well as men’s and women’s under-18 national sides, who will attempt to qualify for the 2018 Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires. NZ is one of five countries bidding for the 2020 Fifa Futsal World Cup with the host country to be announced early next year. The rival bids are from Japan, Iran, Costa Rica, and Lithuania.

New Zealand’s FIFA Futsal World Cup Bid for 2020

Since New Zealand Football (NZF) implemented futsal in 2010, it has expanded from just 700 players in loosely unaffiliated leagues to nearly 21,000 registered players by the end of 2015. For the first time next year, NZF will launch a Futsal Ferns women’s team, as well as men’s and women’s under-18 national sides, who will attempt to qualify for the 2018 Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires. New Zealand is one of five countries bidding for the 2020 Fifa Futsal World Cup with the host country to be announced early next year. The rival bids are from Japan, Iran, Costa Rica and Lithuania. Now, New Zealand Football are looking to expand further, Dave Payne the country’s Futsal Development Manager explains:

“You may see a new role for the NZF Futsal Development Manager appear today. I’m not disappearing from the scene. We are just continuing our vision to see futsal become “The Nations best and biggest small-sided sport, the world’s leading futsal development system.” Here’s why:

“Given the rapid growth in Futsal and its continued strategic priority, we have decided to increase our delivery capability for 2017.
I will continue to lead the strategy for futsal development from a newly shaped senior role as NZF Head of Operations. This role covers New Zealand Football Operations as a whole and will enable strong long-term outcomes for futsal. A new Futsal Development Manager will continue to lead the domestic delivery of Futsal in NZ, via the 7 regional Federation Futsal Departments, and will be supported by a new Futsal Competitions Manager and Futsal Marketing and Media Officer(PT). National Futsal teams will receive further support and be aligned to all of our other international teams. There are exciting times ahead.”

Dave Payne NZF Futsal Development Manager

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