Congratulations to Riley Bidois and Lisa Evans on their recent New Zealand selections.

U-17 men looking to impress 

Many players in the running to represent their country at the upcoming FIFA U-17 World Cup, including Riley Bidois from Tauranga, will get a further chance to impress coach Jose Figueira when a New Zealand U-17 men’s identification camp is held in Wellington next month.

A total of 30 players have been invited to attend the four-day camp in mid-July and all will be aiming to establish themselves in Figueira’s plans for the World Cup, which will be staged in the football-mad nation of Brazil from 26 October to 17 November.

U-17 women heading to China 

Lisa Evans from Otumoetai has been selected with some of the country’s most-promising young female players, with the opportunity to test themselves on the international stage next month in China.  

New Zealand will take part in an U-16 women’s tournament from 14 to 22 July in Weifang City, where they will play three matches against yet-to-be-confirmed Asian opposition. 

A squad of 18 has been selected for the event by Leon Birnie, who is tasked with leading New Zealand’s bid to make an impact at the 2020 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.