Coronation: ‘Nerves’ striking soccer superstar Sam Kerr
Sam Kerr says she thinks King Charles is ‘cool’, but the goalscoring machine who will spearhead the Matildas’ upcoming World Cup campaign admits she is nervous.
Sam Kerr thinks King Charles is “cool” but the goalscoring machine who will spearhead the Matildas’ upcoming World Cup campaign admits she is nervous.
Not about soccer or the World Cup, but about the “massive” honour bestowed on her to carry the flag into Westminster Abbey as the head of Australia’s delegation for the coronation of King Charles III.
The 29-year-old striker has been doing all she can to concentrate on soccer rather than let nerves get the better of her. She refused all media interviews until her team, Chelsea, played Liverpool in south London on a bitterly cold Thursday night (Australian time) in front of 1700 fans.
True to script, Kerr was the hero, scoring the winning goal with less than four minutes of regular time left. Chelsea fans chanted “Aussie Aussie Aussie” to spur her on during the come-from-behind victory.
After the match, in her first interview, she told The Australian she thought King Charles was “cool” and “sat on the fence” on whether she was a supporter of the monarchy.
But she said it was a massive honour to be asked to lead the Australian procession into Westminster Abbey.
“I haven’t really thought about it to be honest, but it will be massive and obviously it’s an amazing honour, so (I’m) a bit nervous but it’ll be good,” she said.
Kerr said when she was first told by her agent, she was worried the coronation day would clash with a Chelsea match.
While it had been in the back of her mind, she now had time to think about what it means.
Asked what she thought of King Charles she replied: “All the royal family, yeah, they’re cool.”
Asked if she was a monarchist, she said: “I don’t even know what that means. I just sit on the fence, I don’t really get involved at all with that stuff.”
Kerr, awarded an Order of Australia in 2022 for her services to football, is one of the most recognisable footballers in the world. She is Australia’s all-time leading international goalscorer.
Kerr will lead the Matildas during the world cup in Australia beginning in July.
Kerr is one an eclectic group of 14 Australians, which includes footballers, artists, comedians, dancers, doctors, nurses, academics and soldiers, who will attend the coronation as the official guests of the Australian government.
Many of the group attended the Australian high commission in London on Thursday to talk about the moment.
“I’m absolutely thrilled. Obviously I am very honoured that I was invited to represent the country, it’s going to be amazing and something I never expected to be a part of” said professor Merryn Voysey, who played an instrumental role in the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine trials.
She said her mother-in law saw the Queen’s coronation in 1953, so there was a family link to the occasion. She said she was honoured to represent her vaccine team.
“I’m really proud of the team and what we achieved during the pandemic. In the end the vaccine was rolled out in 170 countries and saved millions of lives so that’s what I am so proud of.”
Leanne Benjamin, a former award-winning ballerina, said she was thrilled to attend the coronation after spending much of her 21-year dance career performing in front of members of the royal family.
“I’m just terribly excited. I had the opportunity to dance for the royal family and to have met quite a few members of the royal family, including Princess Diana, Princess Margaret and I performed for the Queen Mother when she turned 101. I even had the opportunity of meeting her backstage’” she said.
“I am really happy for King Charles III. I feel like I’ve grown up over the years, I’ve been to parties with the royal family at Buckingham Palace and Clarence House and I see the work that he has done, and it’s just phenomenal. He has always been very gracious and very warm and very curious about the arts and I know he’s passionate about music as well so I’m really looking forward to seeing more of him at the Royal Opera.”
The group include Richard Joyes who was awarded the Cross of Valour in 2003 for his courageous efforts following the 2002 Bali bombings. Along with others, Richard helped to rescue the wounded and carry them to safety.
It also includes Jasmine Coe who is a Wiradjuri-British artist and the creator and curator of Coe Gallery, the first and only Aboriginal-owned art gallery in the UK.
Comedian, presenter, disability advocate and host of Spicks and Specks, Adam Hills, will also attend.
Others include rocker Nick Cave, youth advocate Yasmin Poole, Covid nurse Emily Regan and soprano Yvonne Kelly.
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