Oranje Lionesses rush to find new training ground ahead of Women’s World Cup

Dutch football association KNVB is rushing to find another training ground three days before the first group match of the Women’s World Cup in New Zealand. On the cricket pitch in the coastal town of Tauranga, where the Oranje Lionesses have been training for the past few days, it is impossible to play 11 against 11 due to the "rock-hard" plate under the grass surface, according to the upset national coach, Andries Jonker.

The problem stems from the “pitch” of the cricket field, which is the central strip of several square meters between the stumps. It features a hard, compacted layer of soil beneath a specially prepared grass surface, providing a firm, even ground that affects the bounce and speed of the cricket ball, which are integral parts of the game.

The team already had three training sessions on this “dangerous” cricket field. This was only possible because Jonker “greatly adapted” and did not use the entire pitch, implementing “other forms of training.” This way, they could avoid the “raised edge” and the overlying piece of grass, which is "harder than artificial grass.” “I can't train there, it's just not possible,” Jonker said.

The KNVB is investigating various alternative options. "Six other locations nearby have been looked at, but none of these meet the requirements," a spokesperson said. The association even considered training in Hamilton on Friday, which is about an hour and a half drive from their base camp in Tauranga. Another alternative was to leave earlier for Dunedin, where the first group match will be played on Sunday. Both options pose significant logistical challenges, and therefore, it has been decided to train on the cricket field again on Friday, the spokesperson said. The team will train in Dunedin as planned on Saturday.

"Every coach wants to play eleven against eleven at this stage. That's what it's all about now," Jonker said about the preparation. He is annoyed that things are going this way and spoke of "amateurism of the highest order" but also said he has experienced "worse things."

The inadequate cricket field has been inspected on three different occasions over the past nine months by a KNVB team manager. The hard surface was noted each time, and FIFA promised a solution after each inspection. Jonker stated he is “very disappointed and very angry” that the solution has not arrived in time. “But the main question now is: what else can we do, and where else can we go?”Jonker emphasized that FIFA is currently exploring all possible solutions.

The Netherlands will kick off their World Cup campaign on July 23 against Portugal in the Forsyth Barr stadium in New Zealand. The Leeuwinnen will play in Group E with Portugal, Vietnam, and the United States.