Courtesy: New Zealand Football


Roadshows spreading the futsal word

Saturday, September 17th, 2016

One of the fastest-growing sports in New Zealand is set to continue its rapid rate of development with a series of NZF Futsal Roadshows currently winding their way across the country.

The roadshows are held annually across the federations and take place over a jam-packed weekend that features appearances by the Futsal Whites national team, as well as giving players both young and old the chance to experience the game.

A range of activities are on offer at each event, including workshops, tournaments and school festivals, as well as coaching and refereeing courses.

NZF Futsal Development Manager Dave Payne says the roadshows have a vital role to play in introducing new players to the game and giving the public the chance to engage with members of the Futsal Whites.

“The roadshows provide the opportunity for the futsal development team and the Futsal Whites to get out in the community and engage new audiences, as well as further upskilling and gaining insights on the local futsal family,” he says.

One of the highlights of each roadshow is an exhibition match between the Futsal Whites and a representative team from the hosting area, which Payne says is a thrill for all involved.

“The Futsal Whites love getting out into the community and sharing their knowledge, as well as putting on a good event in the featured showcase matches against assembled top-class local sides,” he says.

“The NZF Futsal Roadshows have been a big success since their introduction and have helped introduce the game to thousands of kids and adults with fun and exciting activities. It’s a great opportunity for anyone interested in the game to come and see why it’s one of the fastest-growing sports worldwide.”

The roadshows arrive at an exciting time for futsal in this country with New Zealand Football having submitted a bid to host the 2020 FIFA Futsal World Cup and the NZF National Futsal League set to kick off in October.

Huge growth has already been experienced in the game in recent years since it was brought under the New Zealand Football banner in 2010.

Just a decade ago, futsal in New Zealand was a largely unrecognised, low-participation sport with a number of private operators running their own futsal businesses and minimal national organisation.

In the years since, New Zealand Football has turned the running of the sport into a fully-integrated, well-managed operation. It now runs as a department of the national body, which rolls out the sport through futsal development departments in each of the country’s seven regional football federations.

There are now over 20,000 registered futsal players in the country and it is the fastest-growing indoor team sport in the secondary school system.

Futsal Roadshows have already been held in the Mainland Football and WaiBOP Football regions while Northern Football’s is taking place this weekend before the spotlight turns to Capital Football next weekend.

For more information on the activities taking place in each region during the respective Futsal Roadshow weekends, please visit the federation websites.


Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com