New Zealand All Whites return to soccer world stage for first time in 28 years!

It has been a long time coming, but New Zealand’s 1-0 victory over Bahrain in the second leg World Cup play-off match at Wellington’s Westpac Stadium made it worth the wait. Rory Fallon, the striker from UK championship team Plymouth Argyle, scored the decisive and only goal in injury time of the first half to put the All Whites into their first World Cup Finals since 1982.

Despite rugby union being hailed as the nation’s number one sport, this unprecedented match was a total sell-out, with Westpac stadium filled to its 36,000 capacity. Thousands of people also gathered in bars and pubs around the country, and in Wellington itself a “Fan Site” was set up at Queen’s Wharf, where thousands of fans flocked to witness this momentous occasion on the giant LED video screen set up there.

The national team will be looking to replicate their heroics in South Africa in June and July, although the task will be a hard one having been drawn alongside Paraguay, Slovakia and, in arguably the biggest encounter in the team’s history, defending World Champions, Italy. Despite the great rivalry between the Kiwis and their Australian neighbours, the All Whites will be looking to replicate Australia’s form of the 2006 World Cup and qualify for the next stage, but will have to overcome the mighty Italians to do so – something the Socceroos came only a minute away from four years ago.

Due to the huge increase in the popularity of soccer in the country since New Zealand’s historic qualification, Nvisage Media have reached an agreement with Wellington Council to set up two Fan Sites to broadcast all of the All White’s matches during the World Cup, along with every match of the knockout stages, including of course the World Cup Final itself. In addition, other matches with teams that have a high visitor or inhabitant population in Wellington will be shown, including those involving Australia, England, and tournament hosts South Africa. All the matches in question will be broadcast LIVE and uninterrupted.

The Fan Sites will be set up in the heart of Wellington’s CBD. Queen’s Wharf will once again play host to the main site, with a forty square metre screen located at the water’s edge, whilst another screen will be running above the Embassy Theatre. Both venues will be free of charge to the public.