In July the New Zealand men’s and women’s teams competed in the World Medical Football Cup (WMFC) for the first time. The tournament featured seven days of exhilarating football against teams from around the world.

The women gave it their all in challenging but well matched games against Australia and Canada. These competitions were said to be “the games to watch” by spectators. They secured a draw against Brazil, earning a spot in the playoff for 3rd and 4th place. In a hard-fought rematch, Brazil claimed 3rd place, leaving the New Zealand women with a respectable 4th.

The New Zealand men's team combined with players from Panama to form a full 11-a-side squad. Despite only playing together for the first time the day before, the team quickly adapted on the field. They faced many strong teams such as Australia and Great Britain and their competition culminated in a thrilling penalty shootout against South Korea - ending in a victorious finish for New Zealand where they placed 15th overall.

Off the field, the tournament was held in conjunction with the 28th International Symposium of Sports Medicine, offering a wealth of insightful talks from global experts across various medical disciplines. Between matches, the team enjoyed tropical weather, dinners together and many new friendships were formed.

The entire experience was so rewarding the New Zealand team are already planning to attend the next WMFC in Ireland with the Women’s team as well as a full 11-a-side Open Men's team and Men's >45 years old team.

Get in touch if you are interested!