``It's a massive boost for the team and programme because it means we can plan with surety for at least two years and get top fixtures for the team,'' New Zealand Football high performance director Fred de Jong said. ``We haven't been able to do that in the past because we have never been quite sure we could afford to play the games. It has allowed us to talk to opposition teams and commit to games.''
Australia are ninth in the world rankings and Japan third and the Football Ferns have already played the seventh-ranked English (lost 3-1) this year and are due to meet the US, who have topped the women's rankings for five years, and Switzerland later this year.
HPSNZ expect the Football Ferns to beat a top-10 side each year.
New Zealand are presently ranked 20th in the women's rankings - they have been in and around the early 20s for some time - and have targeted a medal in Rio. That might sound ambitious given the increasing quality of the women's game but they finished eighth in the small field of only 12 teams in London (not all the best teams get through qualifying because of limited numbers) and have achieved results against good teams like France, Italy and England in the past.
``Women's football is an area we can make strides in and we should focus on,'' de Jong said. ``The impact we can make is so much more achievable than men's football. It's also a massive growth area in the sport and, if we do well at the international level, we will see a real benefit of that right throughout the programme.''
The Football Ferns haven't beaten Australia since a 2-1 win in Port Moresby in 1994, although they probably should have done it in their 1-1 draw in Wollongong last year when Australia equalised in injury time.
They will be without skipper Rebecca Smith, who has missed most of the German season with a knee injury, and Hayley Bowden for this week's games. Defender Abbey Erceg will captain the side in Smith's absence.