You could be forgiven for thinking that the New Zealand women’s soccer team no longer exists, such has been the length of their absence from the international stage.     Five games in the last fifty months is a record which a senior national team of no national association worth their salt should boast, but those are the sorry statistics sported by the SWANZ since they last played on home soil in October 1998.     Those five games came in the inaugural Pacific Cup tournament, which took place in Australia in June 2000, and it is to Australia where they will head for their next series of full internationals.     Ten entries have been received for the 2003 Oceania Women’s World Cup qualifying series which takes place in Canberra between April 5-13 next year, with the tournament winner earning automatic qualification for the fourth FIFA Women’s World Cup Finals in China next September.     A still-to-be-confirmed series of matches against top-level American college teams is planned immediately prior to the qualifiers, games which will, at this point in time, serve as the squad’s only match preparation prior to the Canberra tournament.     If New Zealand Soccer’s new Director of Football, Paul Smalley, has anything to do with it, such irregular bursts of action for all New Zealand’s national soccer teams will become a thing of the past.     "To provide as many experiences as possible for all our international teams is one of the most crucial of all the strategies I’m endeavouring to implement".     As the Assistant Coach of the England women’s team at the 2001 European Championships, Smalley is well aware of how big the female side of the game has become.     "It’s massive. Women’s soccer is the biggest participation sport for females across Europe, to the extent that it how boasts a Women’s UEFA Cup for the champion club teams across the continent, as well as the Women’s European Championships.     "Here in New Zealand, the numbers playing the game continue to rise, and enhancing and improving the opportunities for girls and women to play the game is something we need to build on from a national perspective.     Increasing playing numbers also means increasing the number of coaches, particularly female coaches, of whom there are all too few at present. "While we need to identify, recruit and develop the best women’s players in New Zealand on the park, we also have to encourage our elite women’s players into elite coaching roles, with the carrot of coaching an international team the ultimate goal for them to target.     "By getting the best players into development pools and providing them with regular international experiences, with better-educated coaches, particularly enthusiastic women’s coaches, to enhance their progress, we’ll be able to plan for and implement more development pools, and improve the quality and depth of the women’s game in this country".     Having the national team playing on a regular basis is an important part of this philosophy, as is allowing aspiring young talent the opportunity to see our best players in action on a regular basis, in the form of the National Women’s League - "A refreshing step in the right direction for the women’s game", says Smalley.     It’s not just about the SWANZ, however. Providing teams from each age group with the opportunity for regular international experience is also being explored.     "In December, Regional Academies for the women will take place, with the best U-14, U-16 and U-18 players coming to King’s College for the National Development Academy.     "Then in January, a development programme for the elite players at senior, U-19 and U-17 level will be put in place. By introducing an Under-17 Development pool with a specific programme to supplement the development of those players, we’ll be establishing what will effectively be a production line which will enjoy its ultimate benefits at senior level".     "In summary, while it is good that New Zealand Soccer has provided the players with opportunities to perform on the international stage, not enough such opportunities have been provided to enable both players and coaches to compete against the best, and to strive to be the best they can be.     "With a fresh, dynamic approach offering them such opportunities, I’m convinced the future will be very bright indeed".