Low-key Kiwis: New Zealand slow to embrace Women’s World Cup
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By MAX RALPH and ZACH ALLEN
Associated Press
AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — International visitors are greeted at the arrivals hall in Auckland’s airport with a display of Women’s World Cup branding, including carpeting like a soccer pitch. After that, though, the hype trails off. The global tournament kicks off Thursday but seats for some games are still available in New Zealand. The FIFA secretary general says that “Kiwis are late ticket purchasers” and is hopeful the procrastinators will snap up the remaining inventory. Just 320,000 of the 1.375 million tickets sold so far are for matches being played in New Zealand.