All Blacks coach Ian Foster says watching his daughter make her debut for the Football Ferns was one of the proudest moments of his life.
On a professional level, Foster has endured a difficult 12 months, with plenty of ups and downs in the country’s most high-profile sporting role, butfor a few hours last Monday night he could just enjoy being a dad.
And there was probably no one prouder at Waikato Stadium than Foster and his wife Leigh, as they watched Wellington Phoenix defender Michaela Foster make her international debut, coming on in the 62nd minute of the Ferns’ 2-0 loss to Argentina.
They were in the grandstand — among all the other punters — with their delight unmistakeable as she took the field.
“[I was] just really proud, sitting here with my wife and my [other] daughter Jamie,” Foster told the Herald. “We know how much this means to her to try to get to this level, so it was a pretty special occasion.”
The second-half stint completed a remarkable rise for the player, who only played her first professional match last November, after completing a football scholarship at the University of San Diego.
After returning home, the former New Zealand Under-17 captain was playing amateur football and teaching at Hamilton Girls’ High School before being picked up by the Wellington Phoenix.
“She is like a lot of players, she went across to the American scene, had four years in San Diego and that was a really good foundation for her football,” observed Foster. “She has come back and the opportunity that Natalie [Lawrence] has given her through the Phoenix has really grown her confidence too and prepared her for this. Everyone getting to this level has a story to tell and a few ups and downs but we are incredibly proud of what she is doing.”
Football Ferns head coach Jitka Klimková speaks to Michaela Foster. Photo / Photosport
Michaela’s debut was extra special, coming at the venue where Foster became a local hero for Waikato — playing a record 148 games in the red, yellow and black jersey, including three Ranfurly Shield reigns — before his coaching tenures with both Waikato and the Chiefs.
“Perhaps finally they can get rid of my Foster name against the stadium and put her one down,” he laughed. “I couldn’t be more proud and it is pretty special for her to be able to have her first game for the Ferns in her backyard. That doesn’t happen too often and makes it pretty cool too.”
Watching Michaela play in the flesh has been a rare event in recent times, with his work commitments and her American base.
“There’s been a lot of streaming over the years but I have been down to watch a couple of Phoenix games, which I have loved,” said Foster. “It is great having her back in the country and watching her in a black shirt caps everything off for us.”
With the Ferns based in Hamilton for a week there were a couple of catch-ups, though Foster was conscious of letting Michaela focus on her preparations.
“She was loving the time in there and soaking up an environment that she has targeted for a long time,” said Foster. “It’s her show and I’m just a dad on the sideline.”
But there was an impromptu gathering at the Foster residence in Hamilton, as Michaela invited some of the squad over to the family home during an afternoon off.
“She brought a few of her teammates around for a swim,” said Foster. “She said she wanted to come around and I said yep. So I went and got her and she said ‘I hope you have got plenty of seats because there are about five of them’. [But] when they all turn up [at home] I escape, I go.”
For a few hours last Monday night, Ian Foster could just enjoy being a proud father. Photo / Getty Images
Despite his long high-performance background, Foster has taken a softly-softly approach over the years, wanting Michaela to enjoy pursuing her dreams and wary of being an overbearing parent.
“I’m a dad, she’s a daughter,” laughed Foster. “I only speak when I am given permission.”
But will he have time to attend any Fifa Women’s World Cup games — the Ferns play Norway (Eden Park), Philippines (Wellington) and Switzerland (Dunedin) in their group matches — should Michaela make the final 23-strong squad?
“I haven’t looked that far ahead,” said Foster. “I know enough about World Cups to know that you don’t look too far ahead. She will just take a week at a time and we will wait and see. I know she has got a lot of work to do.
“There are some top players in this team and you can see them growing in each game. If they take another step then I am sure they will be in a good space for the World Cup, with a lot of competition for places. So we will just see but it is hard to be grumpy with Fifa for keeping us off all our grounds for rugby when my daughter is vying for a spot.”
