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Former Football Fern Kirsty Yallop in action during an international friendly against Japan in 2014.
As the wife of a Matildas player, former Football Ferns midfielder Kirsty Yallop has a foot in both camps heading into the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
She spoke to Stuff about her split loyalties between New Zealand and Australia, what it’s like rooting for the two trans-Tasman rivals and whether she misses playing international football after retiring in 2017.
You played more than 100 games for New Zealand but your wife Tameka currently plays for Australia, so who are you going to be supporting at the World Cup; the Football Ferns or the Matildas?
Definitely both. Obviously I’m a proud Kiwi and have been a Football Fern, so I’ll definitely be cheering for them, but now I’m married to Tameka I’ve had to become an Aussie supporter.
Brendon Thorne/Getty Images
Kirsty Yallop’s wife Tameka is part of the Matildas’ World Cup squad.
It must be a bit strange cheering for Australia…
It’s been a different trying to get your head around cheering for Aussie when you’ve always been so competitive with them and they’re bitter rivals of ours, butm no, I fully support her and the Matildas, and I’m excited to watch their journey as well.
New Zealand and Australia play on opposite sides of the Tasman on the opening night of the World Cup on July 20, so which game are you going to go to?
It’s a little more complicated because I’m working for FIFA as part of the TSG (technical study group) team where I will be an expert analyst, analysing all the games, which makes me quite busy. I will be mainly based at Eden Park so I’ll see the Football Ferns’ opening game and then I’ll be travelling across the ditch to watch the Matildas games from there.
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As the partner of a player how much access do you get to the Matildas squad during the World Cup?
Their environment is really inclusive and progressive. If you are a mother with young children they are welcome in the team environment with a carer, which is obviously myself. Another player, Mini [Katrina Gorry], has come back from having a child and Harper her little girl is also in the environment. We’re essentially just a part of the team. We don’t go to training or meetings but all meals we’re welcome to and when the girls are around the hotel and what not, we’re a part of everything there. Tony Gustavsson the head coach has really helped the team move forward in that way. When you have young children it’s hard to be away from them if you’re a mother or a father, so I think it’s really cool what they’re doing.
How do you feel being a former New Zealand player infiltrating the Australian team environment?
I played against most of the girls in that team and have known them for a long time anyway so they’re welcoming and it’s really nice to be a part of it, in the different position of a supporter and Tameka’s wife.
As an analyst would you ever work on a Matildas game?
No. I’ve asked not to because I’d rather be a supporter and have Harley there and watch the game. Depending on how far they progress in the tournament it might change my mind but at this stage I’ve asked not to.
How did you and Tameka actually meet?
We played Australia a lot more back then so I always knew a lot of the girls and had been friends for years and just met her through them during the 2015 World Cup in Canada. That’s where we met, we started talking and here we are today.
You are only 36 and there are going to be many players older than you playing at the World Cup, do you ever regret retiring so young?
I definitely miss football, of course, and it would have been cool to be part of this World Cup, but I was more than ready to retire and start the next chapter of my life and have children. In New Zealand we don’t have the same support as Australia do or the bigger nations where they are really supportive of their players coming back from having a child, but it never really crossed my mind to come back.
You were part of the Football Ferns’ most memorable World Cup result, when New Zealand scored two late goals to secure a dramatic 2-2 draw with Mexico and earn the nation’s first-ever point in 2011. What do you remember from that game?
Being 2-0 down at halftime, everyone wasn’t happy, so we made a few changes and I was fortunate to come on and be part of the comeback. It just showed our mentality at the time, being a ‘never give up’ team. I took the corner and Bex [Smith] headed in that first goal and we thought cool we’re back in this and everyone was trying to hurry and get another. If there was a bit more time we probably could have got the third.
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