Local Focus: Gisborne football women get the surprise of a lifetime

The secret is finally out for Tatapouri Marist Thistle football goalkeeper Eden Schollum, who has had to keep tight-lipped since May about a huge surprise for her football teammates.

Schollum received an email to become a part of an elaborate plan to surprise her team with a FIFA Women’s World Cup Football experience through World Cup sponsor TAB. But it wasn’t easy keeping it quiet. Gisborne is a tight-knit community so she had to pull in the club’s committee and men’s team to help pull off the masterplan.

Schollum lured her team to the Thistle clubrooms by telling them she had organised a physio to come to their Wednesday night training to teach them about strapping.

Once all the women had arrived, TAB marketing manager Pip Eriksen popped out of hiding and invited them to follow her outside.

“Three, two, one” was the call and floodlights lit up Childers Road Reserve to show off a container full of Adidas football gear.

Gisborne Thistle Marist coach Mandy Owen said: “It was like a little Christmas surprise.

“She was like, just help yourself. There’s boots, shorts, jackets, socks and make sure you get one of everything and grab a ball.”

Until then the team had been provided only with playing shirts, so it was a much-needed boost.

“Twenty-two of us get new strip, kits, boots, balls, new everything. It’s pretty amazing,” Schollum said.

The team had been picked as a result of the Gisborne floods and because the region was geographically cut off from the Women’s World Cup, Eriksen said.

“We wanted to change that and make it more accessible, first and foremost, and provide the equipment and means for these girls to actually play the game.

But the giveaway gear was not the only surprise Eriksen had in store.

Gisborne Thistle AFC turns 100 next year and coach Owen said the club had a lot planned for the centennial, including the return of players from around New Zealand to join the celebrations and play some friendly matches.

“What we’ve also done is brought down a big cheque to pay for their centenary uniforms next year,” Eriksen said.

The $11,000 cheque was met with cheers from the team. But there was still more to come.

Eriksen then proceeded to hand out airline tickets and accommodation vouchers, telling the women the TAB was shouting them a trip to the World Cup quarterfinals in Auckland on August 11.

“They are supplying us with ticket flights and accommodation for all 22 of us to go to Auckland to watch the quarterfinals as a team. That’s pretty awesome,” Schollum said.

And while New Zealand are not in the knockout rounds, the Tatapouri Thistle women will definitely be at Eden Park, wearing the sponsor’s product.

Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ on Air