"A long time in the making": Otūmoetai United director of football on W-League win
Joe Dixon has high praise for his players and coaches and sees continued growth across the women's game in the Bay of Plenty.
There will be a celebration at Fergusson Park this weekend, as Otūmoetai United play their first home game since winning the WaiBOP W-League.
United claimed the title last weekend with a thumping 10-1 win over Waikato Unicol at Jansen Park in Hamilton.
However, as director of football Joe Dixon explains, it was not until after their sister club, Otūmoetai FC, and second-place Lakes FC’s fixture that the championship was confirmed. A 2-2 draw in that game secured top spot for United.
“It was a bit of an anti-climax the way it worked out,” Joe admits. “But we are relieved to get it over the line.”
Learning of their conquering success may have been somewhat underwhelming but there has been nothing dissatisfying about United’s performances this season.
Their successful campaign began with a 5-0 win over their sister club and it threatened to be a procession to silverware, as they won their first nine games on the bounce.
That streak was ended by Melville three weeks ago and a 0-0 draw with Lakes followed, suggesting a more exciting end to the campaign, before their 10-1 triumph last weekend - the second time United have scored 10 in one game, having beaten this weekend’s opponents Claudelands Rovers 10-0 in May.
There have been some key reasons for United’s W-League success. Brea Venimore’s 18 goals put her at the top of the league’s scoring charts. Other members of the team have earned international recognition for their efforts. Phoebe Hawes was recently invited to a New Zealand U-17 camp while Lilly Muspratt represented her country at the World University Championships in Portugal last month.
A blend of incoming talent and a carefully curated core appears to have been the winning formula.
“It’s been a long time in the making,” says Joe. “We have had a couple of players who are new or returning to the area that have joined us.
“On top of that, we have built quite a core of a squad the last couple of years, filled with young players.
“They have come of age a little bit, along with those newer players who have come in to excel the group.”
The coaching team of Carl Newby and Nathan Metzger also receive special praise from their director.
“They are a real asset,” Joe says,
“They have a real understanding of the female game and have a real love for it and that definitely shows with the passion and people wanting to come here.”
Last week, 87,192 fans packed out Wembley Stadium in London to watch England beat Germany in the final of the UEFA Women’s Euros, a record crowd. Closer to home, the Wellington Phoenix are heading into a second season of professional women’s football and the FIFA Women’s World Cup heads to New Zealand next year. Women’s football is clearly on an upward trajectory globally, nationally and, as Joe points out, regionally.
“We have seen growth across the female game this year and we have started a girls skill school this year in the junior space which is also going really well,” he explains.
“So you can definitely feel there is more hype around the female game and it is something we are pushing quite considerably.”
As for Otūmoetai United’s ambitions, the promotion picture is not yet clear. A review of the women’s game is in the pipeline with the idea of a middle-tier league being floated between the W-League space and the current step up, the NRFL Women’s Premier League.
Last year’s runaway W-League winners Tauranga City entered the NRFL for this season. It has proved an important step but also, at times, a tough one for City, who have won just once across 15 league games this season.
United would be “well-suited” to a middle rung in the ladder, says Joe, but while the wait to discover what is next might be frustrating, this weekend is all about acknowledging the accomplishments of this term.
“There’s a game on and so we are hoping to get a bit of a crowd and some of the junior girls down as well,” says Joe.
“A few celebrations after the game as well of course.”
Otūmoetai United take on Claudelands Rovers at Fergusson Park this Saturday, August 6. Kick-off is at 11am.