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WARWICK SMITH/Stuff
The Spanish women’s football team were reportedly bored after three weeks in Palmerston North.
In the ultimate diss, the Spanish women’s football team has reportedly ditched their base in Palmerston North after they became bored.
According to ESPN, the city’s “lack of things to do” had “taken its toll” on the players of La Roja and their families, and they decamped early to a training base in Wellington.
The team had been training at the Massey University Sports Institute during the FIFA Women’s World Cup, travelling to Wellington and Auckland for their first two games against Costa Rica and Zambia, winning 3-0 and 5-0 respectively.
It’s not the first time Palmerston North has faced international criticism; in 2005, visiting British comedian John Cleese infamously referred to the city as “the suicide capital of New Zealand”.
Warwick Smith/Stuff
La Roja were welcomed to Palmerston North with a pōwhiri by Rangitāne O Manawatū.
However, La Roja spokesperson Patricia Pérez said it was “definitely not true” that the team was bored.
“We have felt like home in Palmy and we are extremely grateful. We have moved to be closer to the stadium [where they will play Japan on Monday].”
Palmerston North Mayor Grant Smith was surprised to learn of the ESPN report.
“They picked us… We were honoured that they wanted to come to Palmerston North to experience the high-performance facilities at Massey.”
WARWICK SMITH/Stuff
Come back to Palmerston North and I’ll take you on a free night out, says Mayor Grant Smith.
He hoped the team would return to see the “true highlights” of Manawatū.
“I’d be quite happy to show the Spanish team a night out in Palmy.” He later clarified over text that he’d be happy to host them “for free”.
La Roja were welcomed to Palmerston North in a pōwhiri by iwi Rangitāne O Manawatū at Te Marae o Hine (The Square) on July 17.
WARWICK SMITH/Stuff
There are more than 5000 roses to be seen at Palmerson North’s Victoria Esplanade.
There are plenty of things for the team and their families to keep busy in Palmerston North if they take up the mayor’s offer.
They could revisit The Square at night and have their photos taken against the lights of the clock tower; a rite of passage for teenagers growing up in the town.
If they’re lucky, avian personality Mr Pickles, a tame rainbow lorikeet based at a local barbershop, might land on their shoulders – if he hasn’t already been offended by the team’s snub.
They could visit Ada St on a Thursday night and help extinguish a couch fire lit by partying university students.
For more family-orientated activities, they could visit the beautiful Victoria Esplanade, one of the country’s most significant gardens.
Grant Matthew/Stuff
Couch burning, while not encouraged and a huge waste of firefighters’ time, is an Ada St student tradition.
They could smell each of the 5000 roses in the gardens, have a ride on the iconic miniature railway or pop in to say ‘kia ora’ to the native wildlife at the Central Energy Trust Wildbase Recovery Centre.
The Esplanade is also a popular spot to hunt for rocks painted by artistic locals; a perfect Palmy souvenir.
DAVID UNWIN/Stuff
Central Energy Trust Wildbase Recovery Centre is free to visit and a great way to see Aotearoa’s native birds up close and personal.
Palmerston North’s hospitality scene is constantly being commended, including Brew Union Brewing Co which has been awarded best pub, bartender and chef at the Manawatū Hospitality Awards.
If all else fails, they could pop across the road to the Timezone arcade, or head to the cinema and see two of the year’s most highly anticipated movies, Barbie and Oppenheimer.
Friends of this reporter also suggested checking out Palmy’s vibrant street art and statues, the Manawatū Gorge Walk, Te Āpiti Wind Farm and Shannon’s Toy Circus.
Stuff passed on the mayor’s offer to the Spanish team; by the time of publication they hadn’t yet indicated whether they would take him up on it.
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