Katie Rood in action for the Football Ferns.
After helping Italian football giants Juventus claim the SerieA title in their first season in the league, Whangarei footballing export Katie Rood has signed a professional contract in England.
Bristol City Women FC has signed Rood on a professional contract for the upcoming 2018/2019 Women's Super League season, which kicks off next month.
Rood joins the Vixens from Italian Serie A side Juventus Women FC, where she helped them claim the Serie A title in their first season in the league.
Not only has the striker been a part of a title winning campaign, she has also experienced international football having played for the New Zealand Football Ferns at both under 20 and senior level.
"Roody is a player who we feel will add a lot to our squad in terms of her experience at both club and international level. The style of football we're looking to play really suits her attributes and we are excited to have her on-board," said Vixens manager Tanya Oxtoby.
The Kiwi striker is looking forward to the new challenges that come with the English game.
"The women's super league is an exciting league to come in to and I feel as though I'm at a great club,'' Rood said.
"There is a great sense of ambition here at Bristol and a strong long-term plan put in place by Tanya.
"Being a professional footballer you get very lucky to experience different countries and each country possesses a different style of play so I'm looking forward to adapting to the challenges that come with the English game.''
Rood wasn't the club's only signing this week, with the Vixens also picking up former Liverpool Ladies left-back Ali Johnson.
Johnson, 19, joined Liverpool from Blackburn Rovers in 2017 and was released by the WSL club on Friday.
The Vixens boast an effective player pathway with a Skills Centre and Regional Talent Club for girls aged six to 16, and a college programme for players aged 16-19 to train, play and study at SGS College.
A number of graduates from the Youth Academy and SGS College programme are currently playing for Bristol City Women in WSL1.
In 2005 Bristol Rovers Women's FC became known as Bristol Academy WFC under a new partnership agreement with South Gloucestershire and Stroud College (previously Filton College).
By 2011, Bristol Academy WFC Limited was formed and won a licence to compete in the new FA Women's Super League. This allowed the team to become semi-professional and an untested Mark Sampson stepped up from head of the College Girls U18 Development Squad to first team manager.
Sampson was to remain in post until he left to take up the prestigious England Women's manager post in 2014.
In that time Bristol Academy reached two FA Cup finals (2011 and 2013) and competed in the Champions League (2011 and 2014). In 2013 they also finished second in WSL1.
In 2015 Willie Kirk was appointed as manager, following a brief spell by Dave Edmondson.
At the end of the 2015 season, following relegation to WSL2, the FA Women's Super League management committee approved the name change for Bristol Academy Women's Football Club to change to Bristol City Women's Football Club. This ensured football is secure in Bristol and the club will be able to move to a fully professional club in due course.
Vixens records and honours:
WSL1 runners-up: 2013
FA Cup runners-up: 2011, 2013
WSL2 runners-up: 2016