9 Jun 2026
An Emerging Professional Member of Engineering New Zealand, Lara Wall has been working for Holmes NZ as a Structural Engineer for three years. Her work has been focused around seismic assessment and strengthening, first when she was based in the company’s Christchurch office, and now in Wellington. Outside of work, Lara is likely to be found on a football field. She plays for the Wellington Phoenix in the A-League and has been playing for the New Zealand national team the Football Ferns.
Who introduced you to the game and do you recall your first impressions?
My brother played football from a young age and I always had to go and watch him on a Saturday morning. I figured if I played myself then I wouldn’t have to go and watch, so I signed up to the same club. Once I started, I never looked back!
What do you love most about football?
Being outside and the feeling of doing something intense while also having to think tactically. I also love the team environment it creates and the friends you make for life.
Photo: Supplied
Who is a role model in the game?
My good friend Annalie Longo – she has accomplished a lot for the women’s game in New Zealand and internationally.
Where has football taken you?
In the A-League we travel every second week to Australia for our league games, so I’ve been to many places there just within this league. Recently I went to the United States and Mexico with the national team and played against the US at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, which is the first stadium in the world purpose-built for a women’s professional sports team.
What is your greatest achievement with football?
Making my debut for New Zealand against the FIFA-ranked world number two team (the US).
How much time a week do you devote to football?
It’s hard to put a number on it because it takes up my whole life. Even when I am at work I am trying to refuel and recover. Including the travel to Australia, the weekend games and trainings, it would take up as many, if not more hours than a full-time job.
How do you juggle football with work?
Working at a modern, flexible firm has enabled me to pursue my football career while still working part time and retaining my engineering knowledge. They’re very flexible with the hours I work and allow me to work remotely when required. One thing I have had to get good at is communicating and early planning with those I work with. I live with other teammates, so my life mainly consists of football and engineering!
Does being an engineer bring any advantages to the way you approach sport?
As an engineer, I really enjoy problem solving, especially as a team. This type of critical thinking comes in handy a lot during football games, when you must work out what the problem on the field is and how you can fix it using the resources at hand.
Why did you choose engineering as a career?
As a child I would come home from school and do one of two things: kick a ball or play with Lego (my choice often depended on the weather). I was always interested in how things were made and opted for the Lego sets which allowed me to build tall buildings. It’s fitting that I’m now a part-time structural engineer and part-time professional footballer.
Tell us something about being a football player in New Zealand that might surprise readers.
Football Ferns are not on contracts throughout the year, they only get paid when they are in camp. This makes it hard to find money and resources to improve and make the camps. I’m lucky I have a great club that pays me and provides me with great resources in Wellington.
You've recently recovered from an injury – how do you stay fit and focused if you’re unable to train?
We have a great facility in Wellington called the New Zealand Campus of Innovation and Sport where we have a lot of rehab and recovery facilities including a huge gym just for us. I spent a lot of mornings in this gym trying to stay fit and strong while rehabbing before I headed into work for the afternoon.
What’s next for you?
Now that I am back to full fitness I'm focused on helping my team during the A-league season final rounds. After this I would love to get back into the national team and it is a goal to be in contention for the 2027 FIFA World Cup squad. In terms of engineering, I want to continue to work part time and keep up the skill of engineering. I also know that female athletes’ careers aren’t as long as our male counterparts’ careers, so I know that one day I will go back to being a full-time engineer.
This article was first published in the June 2026 issue of EG magazine.
