Editorial: All Whites victory would present huge promotional opportunity

OPINION: New Zealand is poised to take part in the world's greatest sporting event outside the Olympics.

Its match against Bahrain in Wellington this evening will determine whether the All Whites will be propelled into the football World Cup finals next year. If this does occur, they will take their place in South Africa in June alongside nations such as Brazil and Italy, whose names are synonymous with football excellence. This would have significant implications for the future not only of football in New Zealand but also that of its rival codes.

Some New Zealanders still might not appreciate what an achievement it would be to make it to South Africa. Only once before, in 1982, has New Zealand fought its way to the finals.

While in New Zealand we tend to regard rugby and cricket as our national games, internationally football is dominant. Just compare the number of nations from every continent and from every culture where football is the number one sport with the far more limited number of countries, mostly former British colonies, where rugby and cricket are strong.

Getting to the finals would increase even further the profile of football in New Zealand. After the euphoria of that long but successful qualifying campaign for the 1982 finals in Spain, interest in football fell away in the following decades.

There were a range of reasons for this, including administrative and financial difficulties and the poor performances of both the national team and the professional club of that time.

Already, however, there are signs that football has rebounded in popularity. It is the top participation sport for younger people and the current professional club, the Wellington-based Phoenix, has enjoyed more success than its predecessor and has a strong following.

Adding to the interest is the number of New Zealand players, such as Ryan Nelsen, picking up overseas contracts. Football also has the virtue of being a relatively easy game to understand, unlike rugby union at times, and, as the Phoenix matches have shown, it has the ability to generate an exciting big-match atmosphere.

The intense interest in this evening's game is reflected in the speed with which all tickets for the match sold out. There will be a crowd of 36,000, at a time when top rugby matches, even internationals, struggle for full houses.

And it will be intriguing to discover whether the television viewing audience for the football match surpasses those for the All Blacks tests this year.

This resurgence in interest in football is positive but it is nothing like the boost that will be provided by success this evening for the All Whites. It was the case in Australia when its footballers made the 2006 finals, triggering huge support at home for the team and a strong representation in Germany of passionate followers.

If the All Whites do prevail in what is a winner-takes-all affair, then between this weekend and the finals, each warmup match for the team will be eagerly anticipated. The Phoenix will enjoy a significant leap in support, given a number of their players will feature in the national squad.

For football authorities this will be a promotional and marketing dream. But for rugby union administrators, it could easily prove a headache as they attempt to hold interest in their sport in the year before their own World Cup.

There have been snide comments from abroad that New Zealand does not deserve a place in the football finals, ahead of higher ranked nations, like Croatia and the Czech Republic, which were eliminated. But that is simply sour grapes; New Zealand has followed the mandated process for qualifying. Besides, if football really is the "world's game" then all nations should have the ability to participate, just as the rugby and cricket world cups enable "minnows" to earn their right to compete.

Ahead of this evening's match there is no justification for over-confidence. Bahrain has a higher world ranking and the advantage that, as the away team, it will win from a tie in which goals are scored.

But the All Whites will have behind them a passionate home crowd and and a legion of armchair spectators, all united by the fervent hope that New Zealand can make it to football's big show.

- © Fairfax NZ News