White-out takes over New Zealand

New Zealand is headed into a mid-winter white-out as football fans prepare for the All Whites World Cup outing against Paraguay early Friday morning (25.06.2010) New Zealand time.

Plans to watch the game live at 2am include all night vigils at some of the official supporter bars around the country, and a major public gathering on Queens Wharf in Wellington where the match will play out on a giant screen.

New Zealanders are being urged to take part in a white-out on Thursday and Friday - by whiting out streets throughout the country and wearing white to work or play.

All Whites on Facebook
Online traffic is brisk with social networks and major news and information websites buzzing with support for the team from fans around New Zealand and the world.

The All Whites Facebook pages are being updated by the minute with messages of support and comments from existing supporters and new fans - some of them Kiwi ex-pats and others newly acquired New Zealand supporters who formerly backed foreign teams.

In just one day the All Whites fan base jumped by more than 20,000 - after they drew against Italy. There are already 58,817 fans signed up to track the team’s progress and that is expected to grow in the build up to the Friday morning match.

Following the All Whites success against the Italians on Monday, one blogger posted the following comment: "Population of Italy - 59 million, number of Facebook fans for national team 14,000. Population of NZ - 4.3million, number of Facebook fans for national team 57,000 & counting.....priceless!"

Sky Tower turns white
Aucklanders will have a very visual reminder to back the national soccer side on Thursday night for the big game - the city’s iconic landmark and New Zealand’s tallest building, the 328m Sky Tower will turn ‘All White’ to support the team.

SkyCity will also become a hub of entertainment for supporters with the game broadcast live in bars across the complex.

There are 27 official All Whites supporter bars around New Zealand from Whangarei in the north to Queenstown in the south - with several in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch planning special functions overnight.

Fox’s Alehouse in Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour plans to white-out the bar and customers dressed to support the All Whites will get a price reduction on drinks. For the first time, the bar will show the World Cup matches on split screens - the All Whites / Paraguay game in the main bar, and the Italian match in the back bar.

Newzealand.com white-out
New Zealand’s main tourism portal, newzealand.com has adopted a white-out in support of the national footballers, and news and information website Stuff is calling on all of New Zealand to take part in the street and clothing white-out on Thursday and Friday.

Stuff says the response to their live commenting on the All Whites through Facebook and Twitter has been phenomenal in terms of response and coverage.

They’re suggesting All Whites fans change their avatar and profile photos to show they’re behind the team as they head into their next challenge.

Retail support
New Zealand radio stations are also joining the call to support the national football team and retailers in one of New Zealand’s top shopping districts, Newmarket in Auckland, are whiting out their windows and decorating shops and offices to support the All Whites.

"Fifteen years ago we all put on red socks to help the late Sir Peter Blake win the America's Cup. We're now asking people to go all white to show their support for our greatest football team ever," said Cameron Brewer, chief executive of the Newmarket Business Association.

"Designer fashion stores are dressing up their windows, banks are dressing their staff in white, offices stringing up trendy white washing on their balconies, cafes selling white cupcakes, and bars dreaming up white cocktails."

More than 100 Newmarket businesses have already committed to the white-out over the next 48 hours, and local primary schools have ditched their uniforms in exchange for white clothing.

A rush on replica All Whites strip has also exhausted supplies throughout the country, and some fans on Facebook are suggesting sports people haul out their summer cricket whites to wear on Thursday and Friday.

Sporting history on sale
While white clothing is the order of the day, one fan’s black bra is attracting interest on New Zealand’s TradeMe website.

The bra was given world coverage during the All Whites game against Italy when its owner joined male colleagues and removed her shirt in the heat of the moment as New Zealand drew with Italy.

The images of Tracey Hodge, a Wellington receptionist and mad-keen football fan, clad only in the black bra waving her shirt above her head, were beamed worldwide.

Now she’s decided to offer the undergarment for sale - billing it as a piece of sporting history.

Hodge is a member of the White Noise travel group who are in South Africa to support the All Whites during the World Cup. She had not expected the New Zealanders to do so well and was due to fly home on 27 June.

The group is now looking to extend their trip, and Hodge says she is hoping the sale of her bra might help with her change of travel plans.

Winter white-out
South Island fans who had posted comments on Facebook claim to have orchestrated a massive white-out led by nature.

Earlier today (23.06.10) one blogger who said "South Islanders have organised for the Southern Alps to be coated in pure white snow in support of the All Whites for their match against Paraguay" - had his claim substantiated with a major snowfall in the region.

Schools were closed in Queenstown and a number of roads in the area were impassable. More snow was forecast and a severe weather warning was also issued for other parts of the country.

Wellington plans heroes welcome
Irrespective of the outcome of Friday’s match, the All Whites can be assured of a heroes welcome when they come home to New Zealand.

Wellington Mayor Kerry Prendergast is suggesting a ticker-tape street parade to welcome home the team and says that should be capped off with Ricki Herbert receiving the keys to the city in recognition of his impressive coaching record with the All Whites and Wellington Phoenix.

Wellington City Council would also help in any efforts to bring an All Whites game to Westpac Stadium in the coming months.

Ms Prendergast said Wellington deserved to host a big parade because it was "the capital of football in New Zealand" and had five Phoenix players in the All Whites squad, more than from any other club.

Phenomenal support
The acting CEO of NZ Football, Peter O’Hara, says the game is enjoying unprecedented exposure in New Zealand at the moment and the increase in interest and support is phenomenal.

The World Cup coincides with a football festival being staged in New Zealand this month involving schools and young people around the country which although part of a planned strategy, was being fuelled by the All Whites’ success.

"The timing couldn’t be better and we are enjoying a historic moment in terms of support for football in New Zealand. There’s a lot of Kiwi spirit behind this - it’s galvanised the whole country and the good thing is we are in a position to capitalise on this exposure," O’Hara said.

Money earned from the World Cup would be used to promote football at grassroots level in New Zealand, he said.

Independent poll
A poll released today showed more New Zealanders cared about the All Whites’ World Cup performances than how the All Blacks fared in tests against Ireland and Wales - or in the upcoming Tri-nations series against Australia and South Africa.

The independent UMR Research poll results were based upon an online survey of 1112 New Zealanders taken between 16 - 22 June.

It also showed that New Zealanders were more interested in rugby generally (62%) than football (53%).