With the Kate Sheppard Cup final only days, away we heard from Lily Jervis, the Western Springs captain. She spoke about the excitment ahead of the finals as well as the teams journey which has lead them to the final. 

How does it feel to make it to the final? 

The team are very excited to be in the final. It is a special cup and a goal we had set ourselves at the start of the season to be here. We have faced a lot of adversity throughout this season and who Kate Sheppard is and what she fought for resonated a lot with the team. We are all fizzing to get out on the pitch and in the moment. 

What was your favourite cup moment or moments so far?

The Auckland United win. It has been a challenging year for the team are there was a really special moment of unity just before we stepped out onto the field, and recognition of what we have fought for and achieved. It was a special game, and the performance of the team was incredible and matched the moment. 

Western Springs last won the competition in 2007, what would it mean to win another Kate Sheppard Cup?

The Kate Sheppard Cup has a lot of significance for this group of players and there would be no greater feeling than winning it this year. There are players who we idolised growing up on that 2007 team and are still involved with the squad today. It feels like a full circle moment and one that would hold a lot of meaning for the club. 

When did you believe that it was your year to make a deep run and potentially win it all?

Yes, we set the goal to be in the final from the first session we had this year. The cup is always tricky because it is who shows up on the day and you never know what is going to happen. The team has always had belief in each other but after the Auckland United game I think we really started to see it could be a reality, but also knew what it would take to get there. 

With a fairly evenly matched fixture on paper against wellington united, what do you think is the key to beating them?

Wellington United are an amazing team and we know it is going to be a very tough game. We always speak about those 1%’s and everyone in the squad will need to bring these. It takes a village so that comes from all the players, squad, and club. The community has been amazing this year and we know they will be vocal and loud cheering us on.

The Kate Sheppard Cup final will be played Sunday, September 10. 

Kick off 1PM at North Harbour Stadium

Book tickets by following the link below:

https://premier.ticketek.co.nz/shows/show.aspx?sh=NZFKSCC23

Article added: Tuesday 05 September 2023