The Football Ferns are in danger of losing most - if not all - of their high performance funding, after a disappointing showing at the Women's World Cup.
On Sunday morning, a handful of New Zealand-based Ferns returned home, after losing all three of their games in France - far below what they hoped to achieve.
Under new coach Tom Sermanni, their goal was to win their first game at a World Cup and advance out of the group stages for the first time.
They did neither and three days after they were knocked out, midfielder Katie Duncan still felt gutted.
"It's a hard pill to swallow, coming away from a World Cup like that," Duncan told Newshub. "Gutted we weren't able to reach our full potential."
The result could have greater ramifications than just the heartache of being bundled out at the group stages for the fifth consecutive time - it could see them lose their funding from High Performance Sport New Zealand.
"The tough thing is, with High Performance Sport funding, it often hinges on a single pinnacle event," NZ Football chief executive Andrew Pragnell told Newshub.
And the Ferns' failure to perform at these pinnacle events is costing them.
After being knocked out in the group stages at the 2015 World Cup, the Ferns had their funding cut from $950,000 to $800,000 the following year. In 2017, it was reduced to $500,000, when they failed to advance to the knockout stages at the Rio Olympics.
They were given that same amount every year until March 2020 to assist with preparations for the 2019 World Cup.
Newshub understands NZF were given a strong indication they would lose some - if not all - of that money next year, if they failed to make it out of their group in France.
That decision will happen after a debrief between NZF and HPSNZ, and Pragnell's hoping the latter can see the bigger picture.
"You'd hope they'll look across the whole performance and the whole gambit," he said.
"Beating England in the number three side in the world, beating Norway the number 12 side in the world and former European champions are great results."
"We're fully confident of their ability, so what becomes critical for us is to have those conversations with High Performance Sport NZ and make sure they're across the full gambit of results on where we think they are placed to achieve."
Duncan backs up the CEO's sentiments.
"You see the results at the World Cup and you'll be like, 'where have they come since the last World Cup?'
"But we know that we have changed and we still have a long way to go," Duncan added.
Former Ferns skipper Maia Jackman can see it having major implications for the programme, especially with the Olympics around the corner.
"I think they're on the cusp of getting there with Tom," Jackman told Newshub.
"If you take it away now. it's going to be a shame."
Ultimately, though, that decision lies with High Performance Sport NZ.
"I'd hate for a rash call to be made," Pragnell said.
That call won’t be made official until December.
Newshub.
