The Story of kōtuitui Sport

A glimpse into the 2023 educational programme linking football with culture.

Kōtuitui Sport

Kōtuitui Sport was an educational learning programme connected to the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 in Aotearoa New Zealand. It brought together classroom learning, football, futsal, culture and collective identity through one shared sporting context.

The programme used a major international sporting event as a way to explore wider questions about people, place, culture and belonging. Football and futsal were not treated only as games. They became practical ways to examine how communities connect, how identities are shaped and how people learn from cultures other than their own.

At its centre, Kōtuitui Sport connected local stories with global sport. The wider structure of the programme can be seen through its learning experiences, which moved from local identity to international connection and then toward the planning of a shared World Cup-style festival.

A learning programme shaped by the 2023 World Cup

The FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 gave Kōtuitui Sport its wider setting. The tournament brought teams, cultures and football stories from around the world to Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia.

For Kōtuitui Sport, the World Cup created a real-world context for learning. It gave students a way to think about how sport connects countries, how players represent communities and how major events can create opportunities for cultural understanding.

The tournament also helped connect classroom learning with movement, teamwork and practical activity. Through football and futsal, students could explore ideas that were social, cultural, historical and physical at the same time.

How Kōtuitui Sport worked

Kōtuitui Sport combined two connected strands of learning.

The first strand focused on classroom experiences. These explored culture, collective identity, whakapapa and tūrangawaewae, community connections, migration, rights, responsibilities and the role of sport in society.

The second strand focused on football and futsal experiences. These used games, movement, teamwork, tournament planning and match day activity to support the same themes in a practical way.

Together, these strands made the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 more than a background event. It became a learning frame for understanding Aotearoa New Zealand, its local communities, its bicultural and multicultural identity, and its connections with the wider world.

Connecting locally

The first major part of Kōtuitui Sport focused on local connection. This section began with identity, place and belonging.

Whakapapa and Tūrangawaewae explored ancestry, belonging, place and the stories that help people understand who they are. Community Connections looked at schools, kura, whānau, rohe, local clubs, sports fields and the histories that shape community life.

The local section also included Rights and Responsibilities, where rules, roles, fairness and shared obligations were explored through both sport and society.

Celebrating Our Heroes brought attention to local and national football stories, including players, clubs and communities connected to football and futsal in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Connecting globally

The second part of the learning journey moved from local identity to global connection.

Understanding Others explored cultures, countries, customs and communities connected to the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023. Understanding Migration looked at how movement between places has shaped culture, identity and community life.

Football, Futsal, Culture and Identity examined sport as a cultural system with its own rules, values, histories, organisations and shared meanings.

Celebrating Global Heroes focused on international players, national teams, preparation for the World Cup and the wider history of women’s football.

Running a World Cup

The third part of Kōtuitui Sport focused on planning, hosting and participating in a World Cup-style event.

Journey to the World Cup looked at player preparation, training, qualification, sports reporting and tournament structure. Manaakitanga – Hosting a World Cup explored hospitality, care, welcome and the responsibilities of hosting.

Plan and Deliver a World Cup Festival turned the learning into practical organisation, including planning, risk, roles and event structure.

Participating in Your Own World Cup Festival brought the learning journey together through match day activity, displays, media work, presentations and shared celebration.

Football and futsal as learning tools

Football and futsal were used throughout Kōtuitui Sport as practical examples of culture, teamwork, identity, rules and belonging.

A team has its own history. A club has its own place in a community. A player carries personal stories, family connections, cultural background and sporting goals. A tournament brings together planning, hosting, hospitality, responsibility and celebration.

Through this lens, football became a way to discuss much larger ideas. It connected local stories with international ones and gave students a practical way to understand how sport can influence culture and collective identity.