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2006
Ria Relishing Life In A Land Of Opportunity
by Jeremy Ruane
Playing in the three group phase matches at the recent FIFA Under-20 Women's World Cup Finals was far from the mind of Ria Percival six years ago.
Indeed, she was just starting out in the game, one of any number of eleven-year-olds among the intake at the Colchester United Girls Academy in 2000.
“My sporting life started as a hockey player”, recalls the native of Harwich, Essex. “I didn't get much from it, however, and one of my teachers at Harwich School got me into kicking a ball around, rather than hitting it with a stick, and I got really interested in it.
“So at the start of the 2000-01 season, I signed up with Colchester, and was playing in midfield and on the right wing against same-aged teams from the likes of Arsenal, Fulham and Doncaster Belles. The grades were U11, U12, U14 - the three age levels I played in, then U16 and U19”.
In 2003, however, a complete change of scenery was in store for the Percivals. Ria's parents, Dawn and Ray, wanted a change of lifestyle, and settled on New Zealand as their new homeland. So it was that Ria and her brother, Jay, found their `Pommy accents' a figure of fun in their early days at Green Bay High School.
“Life here is a lot more friendly and relaxed - it`s completely different compared to England”, declares Ria of her adopted country. “The schooling, for instance - teachers in England are very stand-offish, whereas here they are far more friendly and approachable.
“And there are differences aplenty football-wise, too, mainly positive. It's more competitive at a younger age here in New Zealand. You're playing representative football at a younger age, while when playing for your club, you're playing alongside and against women, rather than just girls of the same age”.
Ria has thrived on that competitive edge, so much so that at the conclusion of just her second full season here, she was named Northern Premier Women's League Young Player of the Year.
Less than a year later, the sixteen-year-old became the youngest-ever winner of the SWANZ Cup Final MVP award, crowning a goalscoring performance in Lynn-Avon United's 3-0 triumph over Western Springs.
“Those are a couple of my career highlights to date, of course, and winning the all three SWANZ Cup Finals
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in which I've played, too. My biggest highlight, though, is representing New Zealand on the international stage.
“Having all these age-grade opportunities - I'm currently in the NZ U18 Development Squad which has the 2008 FIFA U20 Women's World Cup Finals in Chile as its target - presents me with a big chance to realise my dreams. It's something I would never have enjoyed with England”.
Of course, Ria has already realised one of her dreams, and playing every minute of New Zealand's matches in the recent U20 Women's World Cup Finals was of the `beyond wildest' variety.
“It was a really good experience to travel to a country where the atmosphere and scenery are so different from anything you've encountered before, not to mention play football there as well.
“Playing against the likes of Brazil and Russia was a great experience, as was the chance to experience the high speed and tempo of the game. And even though we lost the game in the last minute, the match against Russia holds fond memories for me - the way we came back and outplayed them was really special”.
Understandably, the whole Russian experience ranks as one of the biggest influences on Ria's career thus far, but it's not the only one. “My family, coaches Jill and Dene Gilmore, and team-mates Terry McCahill and Kirsty Yallop also rank very highly.
“It's now my ambition to emulate Terry and Kirsty in playing for New Zealand's senior women's squad, while beyond that, securing a scholarship to play overseas is something to which I aspire, as is go into coaching or management long-term”.
Meantime, the sixth former, who will be part of the NZ Secondary Schoolgirls squad heading to Brisbane for a three-test series against Australia in January, has her sights set on establishing herself in either fullback berth for the U20s squad.
“I only occupied the fullback role for a couple of minutes against Australia in our first international, yet I've been there ever since. It's different from playing the right midfield role for Lynn-Avon, but I'm just grateful that the opportunity has come my way”.
New Zealand's gain, no question.
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