Australia–New_Zealand_soccer_rivalry

Australia–New Zealand soccer rivalry

Australia–New Zealand soccer rivalry

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The Australia–New Zealand soccer rivalry is a sports rivalry that exists between the Australian men's/women's vs. New Zealand men's/women's national teams.[1][2][3][4][5] It forms a part of a wider Trans-Tasman rivalry between the geographical neighbours of Australia and New Zealand in a range of sports including cricket, rugby league, rugby union and netball.[2][3][6] Due to the countries' similar histories, language, and cultural and sporting interests, this wider rivalry is frequently referred to in the press as analogous to a sibling rivalry, although some fans, especially in New Zealand, reject this analogy as condescending.[6][7]

Quick Facts Other names, Location ...

The rivalry was more intense when Australia and New Zealand were both members of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) and regularly contested finals of the OFC Nations Cup and for top position in OFC World Cup Qualification campaigns.[6] The rivalry has since been less frequent since Australia left the OFC to join the more competitive Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in 2006.[8][4][6] In 2022, Football Australia and New Zealand Football planned a home and away series, to mark the 100th anniversary of the first meeting between the two nations, which was first played in Dunedin back in 1922.[9][10] Australia has the better record overall in both the men's and women's fixtures.

History

Men's

The first Australia team playing New Zealand in 1922

Both Australia and New Zealand's first official internationals were played against each other during the Australian 1922 tour of New Zealand.[11][12] They played three matches at Carisbrook in Dunedin, Athletic Park in Wellington, and Auckland Domain. The results were two 3–1 wins to New Zealand and a 1–1 draw in Wellington.[13][14] New Zealand would go on to win four of the first six matches with Australia picking up one win in the first game between the teams in Australia.[3][15][16] From 1923 to 1954, the sides played for the "Soccer Ashes" trophy, a razor case carried by a former Private serving in the Gallipoli campaign, containing the ashes of cigars smoked by the teams' captains, Alex Gibb and George Campbell, after the sides first international series in 1923.[17]

Australia and New Zealand would become regular opponents in exhibition matches for the next 36 years, with the trans-Tasman neighbours playing each other on 21 occasions in seven test series during that time period.[18] This included Australia's largest victory over their rivals with a 10–0 win in 1936 at the Basin Reserve in Wellington.[19]

By 2015, New Zealand had only won 13 games out of the 64 times the two teams met.[11]

In 2022, the 'Soccer Ashes' were found in storage, having been lost for nearly seventy years. The teams subsequently announced that they would play a friendly for the Soccer Ashes in England in October 2023.[17]

Women's

The Australian Women's Soccer Association (AWSA) was founded in 1974[20][21] while a New Zealand women's national team was formed the year after when they were invited to take part in the 1975 Asian Ladies’ Football Confederation Cup in Hong Kong. (Later recognised as the first Asian Cup).[22][23][24] While the two teams would meet at the tournament, with New Zealand beating their Australian rivals 3–2,[24][23]:28 it wasn't considered the first official meeting between the countries due to the Australian side being a composite of players largely from the St. George-Budapest Club in Sydney.[20][25][23]:27 This changed in 2022 when Football Australia recognised the former players as official national team members.[26]

What was considered the first official international match between the women's teams until the change in 2022, was on 6 October 1979 when New Zealand travelled to Australia for a three-match series.[20] The game, played at Seymour Shaw Park, ended in a 2–2 draw.[21][20] This was followed by a second match at the same venue with New Zealand winning 1–0 before the teams moved to Perry Park in Brisbane for the third game with Australia picking up their first win 1–0 ending the series in a draw.[20][25][24]

Governing bodies

The New Zealand Football Association would become officially affiliated with FIFA in 1948,[27] with the Australian Soccer Football Association given FIFA provisional membership in November 1954[28] and confirmed in June 1956.[29] Both associations, along with Fiji and Papua New Guinea would go on to become the founding members of the Oceania Football Confederation in 1966.[27][30]

Men's matches

As of 18 October 2023

Australia and New Zealand have played 66 official matches. Australia have the better record overall in the fixture, with 42 wins to New Zealand's 13. There have been 11 draws, only two of them goalless. Australia have scored 158 goals to 70 by New Zealand. The record margin of victory in the fixture was Australia's 10–0 win in 1936, while New Zealand's biggest victory was 4–1 in 1923.

 Australia wins
 New Zealand wins
Draws
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Women's matches

As of 5 June 2011

Australia and New Zealand have played 53 official matches. Australia have the better record overall in the fixture, with 35 wins to New Zealand's 10. There have been 8 draws, only two of them goalless. Australia have scored 95 goals to 43 by New Zealand. The record margin of victory in the fixture was Australia's 6–0 win in 2007, while New Zealand's biggest victory is 3–0, done twice in 1984 and 1991.[25]

 Australia wins
 New Zealand wins
Draws
More information Competition, Date ...

Overall summary

The FIFA World Rankings evolution of Australia and New Zealand (men's team).
As of 17 September 2023
More information Men's Team, GP ...
As of 12 April 2022
More information Women's Team, GP ...

Top scorers

As of 5 June 2011

Players in bold are still available for selection.

See also


References

  1. "Football Ferns History". New Zealand Football. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  2. "Socceroos wary of out-of-sorts All Whites". ABC News. 2 June 2011. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  3. "Trans Tasman Rivalry Stirs The Emotions". Socceroos. 29 May 2004. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  4. Cockerill, Michael (18 November 2009). "All Whites flag new rivalry era". The Age. Archived from the original on 16 August 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  5. "Soccer: All Whites v Socceroos confirmed". New Zealand Herald. 19 April 2011. Archived from the original on 16 August 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  6. Cunningham, Taylor (13 February 2018). "The All Whites and their fans deserve an annual trans-Tasman clash". Stuff. Archived from the original on 16 August 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  7. Hollingsworth, Julia (28 February 2015). "NZ and Aus' friendship tested". 3 News. Archived from the original on 18 March 2015. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  8. Micallef, Philip (11 November 2016). "Let Socceroos, All Whites fight for Tasman title". SBS Sport. Archived from the original on 16 August 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  9. "All Whites to play rare home game against big opponents". NZ Herald. 7 June 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  10. Atkinson, Neill; Watters, Steve (5 September 2013). "'Football - Men's international football'". Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  11. "Australia Vs New Zealand 1922". OzFootball. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
  12. Hilton, Tony; Smith, Barry (1991). An Association with Soccer: The NZFA Celebrates Its First 100 Years. New Zealand Football. pp. 143–144. ISBN 978-0473012915.
  13. "NZ Football results 1904-59". www.ultimatenzsoccer.com. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
  14. "Defeated in First Test". Waikato Times. Vol. 97, no. 15261. 11 June 1923. p. 5. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  15. "Australia Wins". New Zealand Truth. No. 917. 23 June 1923. p. 8. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  16. "Australian Socceroos". australiansocceroos.com. Archived from the original on 1 January 2014. Retrieved 29 April 2013.
  17. "New Zealand's Failure". New Zealand Herald. Vol. 73, no. 22471. 15 July 1936. p. 20. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  18. "History of Women's Football in Australia". Football Australia. 23 September 2021. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  19. Connolly, Paul (15 September 2017). "'They ARE feminine': the Matildas' long road from sexism in '79 to sellouts in '17". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  20. Stokkermans, Karel; Cruickshank, Mark; Fadeyev, Sergey; Lewis, Tom; Garin, Erik (30 May 2013). "Asian Women's Championship". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  21. "History of the AFC Women's Asian Cup" (PDF). AFC. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 January 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  22. Ruane, Jeremy. "History". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  23. Ruane, Jeremy. "NZ v. Oz". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  24. "About New Zealand Football". New Zealand Football. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  25. Roy Hay, Bill Murray (2014). A History of Football in Australia: A Game of Two Halves. Hardie Grant Books. p. 291.
  26. "History". Oceania Football Confederation. Archived from the original on 25 March 2019. Retrieved 10 May 2019.

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