The Football Ferns squared off against the Korea Republic (South Korea) on Saturday, in the first of a two-match series.
The national team is building towards next year's FIFA Women's World Cup and are keen to emulate the success of their oval ball colleagues.
The Football Ferns arrived in Christchurch last week ahead of two international friendlies against South Korea.
It was their first game on New Zealand soil in four years and the first time they'd played in Christchurch for more than 30 years.
"It's a really exciting time to bring our national teams home.
"They'll be playing a lot more at home.
"It's brilliant as well to have them in Christchurch, where so many [players] began."
New Zealand and Australia will jointly host the FIFA Women's World Cup in July next year.
However, it wasn't a dream return home for the Football Ferns who went down 0-1 on Saturday to the higher-ranked South Korean team.
The Football Ferns have a chance to level the series in their second game on Tuesday, needing a win to get them on track for next year’s home World Cup.
- By Geoff Sloan
- Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
