Representing at the highest level: Women’s game ready for an explosion ahead of biggest World Cup yet

Every movement starts with seeing what’s possible, and where you belong.

For women and girls in Cerebral Palsy (CP) Football, that couldn’t be truer.

For Dutch attacker Lyan Kas, determination was a key attribute right from the start of her CP Football journey.

It’s been seen plenty of times on the big stage, but a serious injury threatened to derail her first involvement with the national team in 2018.

Kas was not about to let that get in the way.

My first real memory of CP Football goes back to 2018,” the Netherlands star reveals.

“I had just undergone Achilles tendon surgery and was still wearing a cast, but I didn’t want to miss the first training sessions of the Netherlands women’s CP Team.

“I attended my very first national team training with my leg still in a cast, together with a small group of players from across the Netherlands.”

Kas proved an important player for the Dutch in their first international tournament at the 2022 IFCPF Women’s World Cup, scoring three times.

The Netherlands finished fourth in Salou that year, with their number seven grabbing a brace against Spain in a 2-0 win, the Netherlands’ first in the women’s game.

Despite starting the campaign with a heavy defeat to finalists Australia, the experience was an enlightening one.

“My first international experience came at the 2022 World Cup in Salou, Spain, where I made my international debut against Australia.”

“Although we lost the match, it was an unforgettable milestone.

“I scored three goals during the tournament, and although we narrowly missed out on the bronze medal, finishing fourth in the world made me incredibly proud.”

The game is growing.

This October, the biggest IFCPF Women's World Cup in history will bring together eight teams from around the world.

But growth isn't measured by numbers alone.

Every new team means another generation of girls can see themselves on the world stage.

Kas believes visibility is the biggest reason the game continues to grow.

“Social media, international tournaments, and the work of IFCPF and national football associations have helped more people discover the sport. Players sharing their personal stories also inspire others to get involved.

“The sport needs more awareness and media attention. Many people still don’t know that women’s CP Football exists.

“We also need more countries to develop women’s teams and create more opportunities for girls with cerebral palsy to start playing.”

For Australia’s Tahlia Blanshard, the lure of CP Football was irresistible.

A talented swimmer, the ParaMatildas star had dreams of representing her country in the pool rather than on the pitch and was a tenth of a second away from a Tokyo Paralympic Games butterfly appearance in 2021.

With a Women’s World Cup the following year, their focus shifted, and from then on, the ParaMatildas took over.

“My retirement came just pretty naturally after the 2022 IFCPF World Cup,” Blanshard explains. 

“I came back home, and I was doing a little bit of training in both swimming and football, but I think it was as we were starting to talk about Australia hosting the Asia-Oceana Championships in 2023, and we were gearing up for Nationals at the end of 2022.

“It was really different coming from an individual sport. Suddenly, I had a whole team of athletes around me, and also I think it was the fact that they didn't mind if I made a mistake.

“I realised that this was the sport where my heart was pulling me to, and I never looked back.”

Persuaded to pursue the sport by Japan internationals Mai Ohta and Miyabi Hamada in 2018 after initial reluctance given her aquatic career, the Northern NSW product listened to them, and her heart, and moved across.

During her time in the game, Blanshard has excelled and has the resumé to prove it: a World Cup winner, an Asia-Oceania Championships MVP, and a player at four tournaments. 

“It's such an honour and a privilege to be seen as a role model. I often talk in Australia about how important it is to have disabled athletes in media. 

“Growing up, I was about 14 or 15 when I got my first ever poster that featured a para athlete, and that poster remained on my wall for years and years and years because I never wanted to take it down because finally, I was actually represented by someone. 

“For that to be flipped to where I've got young kids bringing up posters of myself for me to sign is special.

“It's so beautiful to have those little bits that bring so much joy to myself and to the community, and really gives me something else to push me to keep going every day and be the best person, the best athlete I can.”

Ask Blanshard what keeps people coming back, and the answer isn't complicated.

“It’s football, a game anyone can recognise, but it’s unique, it’s different, and it’s more than a game.

“There’s just been so many people that come across this sport, and they can't help but fall in love with it. 

“It's such an interesting game to watch. It's such a fun game to play, and at the end of the day, I think everyone who sees this sport knows that these are elite athletes and they deserve that pathway. 

“We deserve to have these big grand tournaments, and I just think that the more that the world gets to see our game, the stronger and faster that it will grow.”

For Blanshard, the dream doesn’t end with a World Cup.

“Brisbane 32, it's possible, and as long as everyone just gets behind it, it may actually be the case that CP Football could be back, and for women’s CP Football that would be such an incredible opportunity. 

“Whether it's myself or other athletes, getting to see them on that Paralympic stage, it doesn't get any better than that. 

“I think a Paralympic Games will forever be my lifelong goal, but when I'm pushing for ’32, it's not about me.

“It's about what that means for the sport, what it means for all the athletes, what it means for the wider disability community, and I really, really hope that Australia and the rest of the world can show how much we love CP Football and how much it deserves to be in Brisbane 32.”