Rachel Major, from Hamilton, brings national-level playing experience and coaching leadership to the game. She is currently Assistant Coach of the Cambridge FC Women’s First Team and Head Coach of Sacred Heart Senior Premier Futsal and Waikato Diocesan School for Girls First XI Football.

Rachel played National Women’s League football and represented WaiBOP in futsal before earning a scholarship to study and play in the United States. She attended Bluefield State University in West Virginia from August 2021 to May 2025, combining tertiary study with four years of collegiate football.

Since returning to New Zealand, she has coached in the Wahine Toa programme, completed her Futsal C-Licence in Wellington, and taken part in WaiBOP Football’s Regional Women in Leadership programme, and her next step will be completing her Football C-License in Wellington later this month.

For Girls and Women’s Month 2026, focused on the places football can take you, Rachel reflects on her scholarship journey and the lessons learned along the way.

How did the opportunity to study and play in the USA happen?
Since the start of high school, I became interested in the whole US scholarship thing. Then I met Amrit from Platform Sports Management at a football camp, and I knew that’s what I wanted to do. I signed up for Platform and they helped me through the process.
 
What did the process look like to securing a scholarship — trials, video, contacts, academics — and what did you find most challenging?
Once I signed up, Amrit would give me tasks to complete and I made my way through them. I had to go back and watch my game footage from the season and record the timestamps of whenever I touched the ball so that someone from Platform could make me a highlight video. Aside from that, it was mostly a lot of paperwork. The most challenging aspect was just the amount of small tasks that had to be done.
 
Looking back, is there anything you wish you had known earlier about the US college recruitment process?
Not really for me, but for people who are interested in it, I would say the biggest misconception is that you have to be the best football player to get a scholarship. There are thousands of universities in the US so there is pretty much a place for everyone as long as you work hard at school and your sport.

Rachel Major: Coaching for Diocesan School 

What stood out to you about the women’s football environment in the USA compared to New Zealand?
There are just so many more teams and so many more players, and there is a much bigger focus on strength and conditioning over there.
 
How did the daily training culture and expectations differ from what you experienced at home?
In season, we trained most days with 1-2 games per week and the season was only 3-4 months long so it is a much more condensed set up. However, this allowed a lot more time spent in the gym preparing our bodies for the next season, which is something I never got in NZ, especially playing futsal as well.
 
You studied psychology while playing. How did that shape the way you approached performance and pressure overseas?
I would say my interest and knowledge in psychology shaped the way I approached the whole experience before I even got there. My mindset going over there was that every experience is a good experience because I knew that it wouldn’t always be smooth sailing and things are never perfect. That way, whenever I faced obstacles or pressure, I still managed to get something positive out of it because I was prepared for it.
 
Are there any lessons from the US system you think would translate well into the New Zealand game?
I think the main aspect that I would take from the US and put into the NZ game is the strength and conditioning focus. I would suggest making the seasons slightly shorter, allowing more time for a proper off-season where players can get in the gym and get really strong, fit and fast so that their bodies are prepared for the upcoming season. I think that it would reduce injuries and increase the level and speed of play.

Rachel Major, top right, Wahine Toa 2025

 
For young players in WaiBOP who might dream of a scholarship, what practical advice would you give them right now?
If you are young, just keep training and working hard at school as well. The ball is your best friend – the more you spend with it, the better you will become. If you are coming to the end of high school, make sure your games are being filmed so you can put together a highlight video. I would also try to become familiar with the gym as you will probably be spending a bit of time there! Most importantly, I would find an agency like Platform who can help you with the whole process – it takes a lot of stress away.
 
What should families understand about the realities of moving overseas to play — both the positives and the sacrifices?
Even though you will probably get some form of scholarship, there will still most likely be costs, and not everyone will be able to afford it. Things will inevitably go wrong, just like with every experience in life, but it is all about how you respond. Some people get homesick, and that is totally normal and understandable. However, if you can, I cannot recommend this experience enough. It is an extremely unique, once in a lifetime opportunity, and not everyone gets the chance. You get to play the sport you love at a high level while getting a degree at the same time, in a completely new environment with different players and coaches around you. You get to live and travel with your teammates from different countries who will most likely become lifelong friends. The thing about it is, if you go, and you want to come home, you can, but if you never try, then you’ll never know.
 
Since returning and coaching in Wahine Toa, how do you approach passing on what you learned while in the US?
I absolutely love sharing what I’ve learnt in the US, both in the classroom and just from the experience itself. I have found that the mentality of young female athletes is changing, and I would love to be able to educate and mentor them so that they have the mental skills and the confidence to use them, not just in sport but in life.
 
If you could give one message to young girls playing football in our region today, what would it be?
Find out what your motivation is for playing football. You won’t last long or enjoy yourself if your motivation is coming from external things like winning, pressure, or the people around you. Try to find something in life that you enjoy doing, that you want to get better at, and that you are passionate about. If that is football for you, great. It is for me! If not, then there’s nothing wrong with trying something new.

Article added: Tuesday 03 March 2026