Photo: LHC88 / CC BY 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons
Aggie Beever-Jones has described Chelsea's pre-season tour of New Zealand and Australia as an "amazing opportunity", arriving in Auckland days after signing a new contract through 2030.
Chelsea are the first Women's Super League club to undertake a pre-season tour of both countries, with the squad receiving a traditional Māori welcome ceremony on Wednesday.
"I've always wanted to come to New Zealand and obviously Australia too," the striker said. "The jet lag's testing me right now, but the coffee is definitely making up for it. It's not every day you get the opportunity to come to the other side of the world."
The tour's opening match is a friendly against Auckland FC at Eden Park on the weekend, before the squad travels to Australia on Sunday.
Beever-Jones acknowledged the significance of playing in front of supporters who may never have had the chance to watch Chelsea in person. New Zealand and Australia co-hosted the Women's World Cup in 2023, where large crowds packed stadiums throughout the tournament.
"It does feel a bit surreal to have the opportunity to come here," she said. "As a club, it's a super exciting time to connect with the fans, be amongst the local culture and come somewhere completely new to us."
The forward added that the tour reflects the growing profile of the women's game. "I think it shows the exposure the women's game is having. Even as a fan, when I was watching the World Cup from the outside, the stadiums were packed out."
"Auckland FC are a super exciting prospect of a team, so I hope it'll be a great game all around," Beever-Jones said ahead of the Eden Park fixture.