Minister unveils FIFA U-20 volunteer uniforms

Sport and Recreation Minister Jonathan Coleman has today unveiled the FIFA Under-20 World Cup volunteer uniform at a football event in Auckland.

“Volunteers play a vital role in the successful hosting of world class sporting events like the FIFA U-20 World Cup,” says Dr Coleman.

“The uniforms launched today have a distinct New Zealand feel and the 1,500 volunteers wearing them around the country are going to look great.

“These volunteers are passionate about football, with over 970 indicating that after the World Cup they would like to take up future roles as administrators, coaches or referees.

“They will be joining the 750,000 Kiwis who give around 50 million hours of their time volunteering in sport every year.”

The volunteer uniforms were unveiled at St Peter’s College today. The event also marked the launch of the FIFA U-20 Leverage and Legacy plan for New Zealand.

“Encouraging more Kiwis to be involved in football for longer is a key part of the plan, with volunteers playing an essential role,” says Dr Coleman.

“New or improved playing fields are another valuable legacy of the tournament with four new fields built in Whangarei and upgraded pitches in Hamilton and Christchurch.

“The tournament also presents a great opportunity to cultivate new players and further grow the game. Through the College Futsal programme participation in the five-a-side version of the game has grown from 11,218 participants in 2013 to 18,853 at the end of 2014.”

The FIFA U-20 World Cup features 52 matches across seven host cities.  The Tournament kicks off on 30 May when New Zealand plays Ukraine at North Harbour Stadium.

For further information head to: www.fifa.com/nz2015.