Wagga girls taking on every chance to play high level soccer

With the countdown on for the kick off of the Women's World Cup, seven Wagga hopefuls have already started making tough decisions to follow their dreams of playing for the Matildas.

Georgia Gorostiaga, Urbi Otumbo, Annie Surian, Asha Hastie, Olivia Saboisky, and Freya Rudd joined boys teams after low numbers meant the Wagga City Wanderers were unable to nominate the girls teams they'd previously played in.

While grateful for the opportunity to play, the girls remind onlookers they've earned their spots.

Not after special treatment, the girls know the boys need them as much as they need the boys.

"If we weren't here, the boys wouldn't have had a team anyway, they need us too," Rudd said.

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For Saboisky, it was an easy decision to move into the boys competition temporarily as club soccer simply wasn't at the level she needed it to be.

"I still wanted to play Wanderers, it's a big step up from club soccer and it's a lot harder and more of a challenge," she said.

Watching as their city-based counterparts get access to greater opportunities, Gorostiaga said country soccer is on the rise, and she believes soon the Matildas will be brimming with country talent who has taken similar pathways to them.

"Some of the girls that are in the Matildas now are country girls like us, and there's going to be even more when there are people our age," Gorostiaga said.

"The World Cup is giving girls inspiration to give it a go."

Rudd said she can already see the overwhelmingly positive impact the rise of the Matildas in the public consciousness has had on their sport.

"It's influencing us and shows us what we could do if we want to keep doing this," Rudd said.

"The World Cup is promoting soccer to girls, club soccer is getting a lot bigger in Wagga, and a lot more girls are interested in playing."

Australia's national women's side, the Matildas, begin their World Cup campaign in Sydney on Thursday night against Republic of Ireland.

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