Kiwi Kids and World Cups

Claudia Bunge, New Zealand

My name is Claudia Bunge, I am playing for Melbourne Victory and have been in camp with the Football Ferns preparing for the FIFA Women’s World Cup. I am currently studying a bachelor’s degree of Sport and Exercise Science at Massey University, but have paused this during camp as it was getting pretty hard to juggle everything. 

I started playing football when I was five. Originally my mum wanted me to play netball, but her best friend said that her daughters and I should play football. Playing all sports growing up was the story of every Kiwi kid. At about 16 I decided football was the sport I wanted to stick with. I have not looked back since. I have been fortunate enough to represent New Zealand in U17 and U20 World Cups and now with the Ferns. 

A lot of sacrifices were made along the way. Moving away from family and friends when I moved to Melbourne was tough at first, but a great challenge. My family was hugely influential in both my career now and growing up - I am very close to my parents and siblings. 

Some of my best times are just being around my club and Ferns teammates - mucking around at training or going to get brunch. My Ferns debut in 2019 was definitely scary but a very special moment for me and my family. And winning back-to-back championships with Victory was also very memorable. 

Additionally there have also been some tough times - dealing with injury setbacks and recently getting knocked out of the A-League semi-final was heartbreaking but sometimes that is how sport is. 

What did you try to show with the photos? Was there any wider meaning with the photos?

The people in my photos are my Ferns and Victory teammates, mainly taken in Antalya, Turkey during Ferns camp, and in Sydney during our semi-final against Sydney FC. 

Other Ferns photos were during our media day - I wanted to show the girls in a relaxed setting, having a bit of fun while we got our photos taken. 

The Victory photos are a bit more serious, preparing for a big game by showing our warm-up, pre-game bare feet ritual and in the changing room. It may seem weird, but the foot photo is actually really sentimental. It was something a group of my Victory teammates would do before every game to “ground” themselves and become one with the pitch quite literally. I never took my shoes off but appreciated their routine. 

My favourite photo is definitely of Liz Anton and Malia Steinmetz sitting on Anna Leat’s lap. It sums up their friendship in a single photo. Those three are always having a laugh. 

What is one thing you always do to prepare before a game?

I am not superstitious at all, but I do always have eggs on toast and go for a coffee or a walk to relax the morning of games. Also listening to my pre-game playlist is a must. I listen to anything and everything, but love pump-up music before a game - so I have been listening to quite a bit of house music recently. Duke Dumont and Sub Focus are a few of my current favourite artists!

What role does football play in your community and New Zealand society?

Football is a game for everyone - it does not matter what gender you identify with, where you come from or how able you are: there is always a place for you. It brings people together and is a great platform to speak out about issues we face in society such as gender inequality and mental health. 

What does football and representing your country mean to you? 

Representing my country means playing for my teammates and my family, but also for other young Kiwi kids. Hopefully when people watch me play they see that I love it, and that inspires them to do the same with whatever they chose to do in life. 

It is going to be an incredible experience playing a World Cup in front of our own fans. Any opportunity to play for New Zealand is a massive honour, but to do it in front of a home crowd at a World Cup is what dreams are made of. I do not think I can put it into words. We cannot wait to see and hear the Kiwi crowd. 

What personal ambitions do you have for the future?

Alongside my football, I really want to finish my university studies and travel all over the world, but a country which I particularly love is Japan. I have been there twice for the Olympics and a Ferns tour, but unfortunately we did not get to see much so I am hoping to go back there someday and have a proper look. I love the food, people, and culture, so Japan is definitely at the top of my list. 

What does the future look like for women's football? What do you want/expect to change after the 2023 Women’s World Cup?

The future is bright. Women’s football isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. I am hoping that New Zealand and Australia get into women’s football like the rest of the world - with increased participation numbers for both girls and boys and organisations putting a lot of investment into the women’s game.

There is a massive opportunity for girls and boys to see the best women’s players in the world right in their own backyard. Kids need to be able to see their role models to become them. Football is also massively diverse, so representation across different LGBTQ and cultural groups is really important because football is for everyone.