The Girls Football Festival held at English Park on Saturday was a great success. 

Girls and Women’s Month is an initiative running through March designed to introduce girls and women to the beautiful game across Aotearoa, New Zealand. In 2020, Girls and Women’s week was a major success across the country, so this year it has been rightfully extended to an entire month. Mainland Football is proud to be hosting and helping to run multiple events across Christchurch. 

The largest event was the Girls Football Festival on Saturday where one hundred girls came to English Park to participate in a fun-filled day. Canterbury United Pride players were there to take the girls through skills games and mini football. 

Having the Pride there was special for the girls because it allows them to meet their role models.

When asked about why days like the Girls Football Festival are important, Pride player Sammie Senior said, "When I was this age... I didn't even know who the Pride women were, so it gives girls the opportunity to learn from their role models. To play with other females is a lot more empowering." 

Similarly, Pride Head Coach Alana Gunn commented that it's important to give girls the opportunity to do things in girls-only environments, "The confidence that you see in girls that don't normally try things when they're surrounded by their brothers or boys is great. They're running around with their mates, making new friends and learning new skills." 

Click here to learn more about Girls & Women's events happening this month. 

Check out the video from the day. 

Article added: Monday 08 March 2021