New Zealand Football hadn’t planned to stage home games this month, with the Northern Hemisphere more likely, before the opportunity of the Fifa series was presented, which changed the equation. “He told me last September that this had been planned around him not having an international break and being able to come back and go to the wedding. [But] had we been in Europe or America or somewhere like we normally are, then Ryan wouldn’t have been with us. So it aligned.”It has also made for an extra special period for Thomas’ parents, who attended the match on Friday night before the nuptials on Saturday. “If she came I would have said what the hell are you doing, you got to stay at home,” laughed Thomas.

Source: New Zealand Herald March 28, 2026 15:54 UTC