2026-06-14 13:30:38
Darren Bazeley has found it “easier” for New Zealand to play in Europe than on home soil.
The 53-year-old head coach admitted one of his “toughest challenges” is getting his squad together because most of his players are based thousands of miles away and so jet lag can be a struggle.
He told FourFourTwo magazine: “One of the toughest challenges is where we’re located, because most of our players are in either Europe or America.
“There are some in Asia, some playing in the Australian A-league, but it’s actually easier for us to play games in Europe, because then the players don’t have to travel…
“Over the last two years, we’ve played a lot of games in New Zealand, but it can be difficult.
“If we have a game on, say, a Friday night, and a player has a club match on the previous Sunday, they won’t get here until Wednesday because of the time difference, and they also have jet lag to contend with.”
Despite the difficulties, Darren praised the commitment of his players.
He added: “But we’re lucky with the group we have. They’re committed, and they love coming together.
“They’re very determined to make some history and do something really big.”
With New Zealand’s best players scattered all around the world, Darren is thankful he has a great team of analysts.
He said: “I watch a lot of football all the time but I’m lucky to have great analysts who condense our players highlights into six, seven, or wight-minute chunks.
“We’re tracking about 55 players currently around the world, and I get to watch all of them every time they kick a ball.”
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