In The Journey to the Cup, The Athletic follows six players as they work towards a place in the 2023 Women’s World Cup. Follow along as we check in with them each month in the build-up to the tournament, tracking their progress as they prepare both mentally and physically for a chance to shine on the game’s biggest stage.
Ali Riley is on the move, again.
In our first call for The Journey to the Cup, she was grabbing her luggage on the way to a Football Ferns camp in Wellington/Te Whanganui-a-Tara. During our second, she was once again in Ferns camp. This time she was in Hamilton/Kirikiriroa about to board a bus to the stadium for a friendly against Argentina – part of a three-game home series simulating a World Cup group stage in preparation for the summer tournament.
The team was welcomed into Hamilton/Kirikiriroa with a traditional Māori pōwhiri, a welcome ceremony.
“Since we were coming in as, like, foreign beings into this sacred space, we were welcomed and then a gift was presented. That was the fern on the ground,” Riley said. “By accepting it and raising it up, it’s showing that we accept your welcome, and we come in peace.”
But while the players embraced Māori tradition and prepared for the tournament, they were also waiting for information on a…
