Bringing a sense of sisterly solidarity to the Fifa Women’s World Cup 2023 are volunteers Lekshmi Dinachandran and Nathalie Wierdak.
Both see the games as an opportunity to celebrate the contributions women make to football, despite it often being overlooked by men’s teams.
Wierdak said her journey with football was "as international as it gets".
Born in Ecuador, raised in Venezuela, and of Polish descent, Ms Wierdak has proudly called Dunedin home since moving to the city in 2015.
"As a lifelong football enthusiast and a strong advocate for women in sports, this opportunity allows me to merge my passion with my values to support the beautiful game on a global platform, making this an exciting new chapter in my journey."
She fell in love with football at an early age while growing up in South America.
This stayed with her even when her family moved to Venezuela, a country where societal norms discouraged girls from engaging in the sport.
"Instead, we were directed towards sports like volleyball and kicking ball.
"Despite the circumstances, my passion for football never waned."
She is now a referee for Southern Football, officiating matches for the Southern Football Women’s Championship, the Women’s South Island League Playoffs, and the Kate Sheppard Cup.
Part of being a referee was being able to be part of the game, and making sure everybody was safe and having fun, Wierdak said.
The transformative power of sport was something she had always believed in.
"Moving to New Zealand further solidified that belief. I’ve been impressed by the initiatives and opportunities here for sports development for young girls and women.
"There is a strong sense of community and an emphasis on empowerment, and it’s an environment that I am proud to be part of."
Dinachandran said football was closely followed in her home state of Kerala, India.
"It’s a very small place but people are completely hooked on football.
"For the Fifa men’s World Cup, most of the Indians who were on the stands were from this tiny sliver of land at the southern tip of the country."
Football was hotly debated, closely followed, and wholeheartedly loved, she said.
However, all this was largely with regard to the men’s teams, even though women at home were as enthusiastic as men about football.
"Women’s football is just not talked about at all. It’s not because we women don’ t like football, it is just like there is no awareness."
Ms Dinachandran arrived in Dunedin only about six months ago.
"But before I came here I read that the women’s World Cup was going to happen here and I just wanted to be a part of it.
"I am volunteering so that I can spread a bit of awareness about women in football among those in my home state, and of course, I want to be part of the big bash."
Being able to raise awareness of women’s football was important, she said.
"I think that it would be really awesome for all the young girls out there to know."
She would be following the Argentina team.
"Coming from where I do, it’s always like Argentina first," she said.
But beyond supporting one particular team, what really excited her was being able to celebrate all the women players.
"There are so many young girls who love football, who play football, but they just sort of like taper off after they end school."
The World Cup was an opportunity to show young girls where their passion could lead, she said.
Dunedin games
• Philippines v Switzerland, Friday July 21, 5pm.
• Netherlands v Portugal, Sunday July 23, 7.30pm
• Japan v Costa Rica, Wednesday July 26, 5pm
• Argentina v South Africa, Friday July 28, noon
• Switzerland v New Zealand, Sunday July 30, 7pm
• Vietnam v Netherlands, Tuesday August 1, 7pm
NOTE: There will be no ticket sales at the stadiums. All tickets must be pre-purchased at FIFA.com/tickets
