WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — They call themselves the “Flying Kiwis.” They are an eclectic group of New Zealanders from around the world who gather every time the national soccer team plays a big match, providing raucous and usually outnumbered support.
Deliberate irony: Kiwis (the bird that gives New Zealanders their nickname) can’t fly.
Since 2009, Flying Kiwi has new zealand men’s team At home and abroad, they world cup, We’re a small island with loud, proud Kiwi support.
small beginnings
In 2009, New Zealand played Bahrain in a two-match qualification series with the winner advancing to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. With the first leg in Bahrain ending 0-0, New Zealand needed a win in their return match at home to qualify for the World Cup.
Matt Fejos, a university student at the time, admits he was not a big soccer fan, but he wanted to give the New Zealand team as much energy as he could.
“So I got a credit card with a $1,000 limit and bought 32 tickets for my friends. And we wanted to do the best we could, so we got banners, we wore coveralls that said Flying Kiwis, and we got New Zealand flags,” Fejos said. “It was a very memorable moment for everyone who was there and for football’s brief arrival in New Zealand.”
Now those friends are spreading out all over the world and bringing other friends into this world. flying kiwi.
“I lived in the UK for 10 years, so in 2017 I went to the Confederations Cup in Russia with 30 people and it was kind of a special experience,” Fejos said. The Russians said: “They organized a friendly match between our fans and their fans. It took on a different meaning for me. You’re doing it for your team, but you’re actually far away and you might be the first New Zealander they’re meeting. So you’re kind of representing your country.”
“Connecting with the world through the global language of soccer is amazing and a beautiful way to travel.”
kiwi culture
The Flying Kiwis had to find a way to garner their own brand of fandom. Soccer is not a major sport in New Zealand, but rugby is the most influential sport. Since soccer traditions that are firmly rooted in other cultures do not exist in their own country, Fejos and his friends created their own soccer tradition.
The Flying Kiwis’ support arm is typically smaller than the fan base of their New Zealand opponents, but Fejos said “there are advantages to being this small. We can really come together.”
New Zealand will probably need all the support they can get at the World Cup. They are ranked 85th in the world. Group G Their opponents are 9th place Belgium, 21st place Iran, and 29th place Egypt.
“There’s a lot of confidence[among the New Zealand team]because of where the players are playing,” Fejos said of national team members based abroad. “There are a lot of other players who are playing at the highest level, at the highest level, and they’re used to playing under that pressure in such a difficult environment, in a really tense atmosphere with passionate fans.”
mascot
Kiwis are not the most intimidating of national symbols compared to other mascots such as eagles and lions.
“Sometimes it seems a little funny or judgmental, but it means a lot,” Fejos said. “Kiwis are flightless birds, but if you think about the challenges we face, we are far from the rest of the world, we are isolated, the professional game is very young here, we don’t have many professional academies and opportunities.
“Nevertheless, I think it’s incredible that some of these (New Zealand) players are playing in the best league in the world and contributing to the world at the World Cup.”
Mr. Fejos said, “This metaphor has a great meaning of betraying overseas expectations.”
“People think of us as a rugby nation and maybe a hobbit nation, but that allows us to go in without fear and with an underdog mentality,” he said. “We want to put our stamp on it and show something different.”
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AP Soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
