New Zealand gets sheep mascot 'Wooliam' for U20 World Cup

Wooliam, the mascot for the U20 World Cup in New Zealand. Photo: FIFA/Twitter

Stop the press - New Zealand's mascot for the under-20 soccer World Cup it is hosting next year is a sheep.

He's a black sheep who goes by the name of Wooliam - which some could argue is how Kiwis pronounce William - and the local organising committee say he has attitude.

'We appreciate that around the globe, New Zealand is associated with sheep, so we thought why not embrace that, but add an extra twist by making him the coolest black sheep ever - a young Kiwi with cheek and attitude?' said chief executive David Beeche.

Wooliam made his debut on Sunday at the annual Santa Parade in Auckland before travelling to the capital for a halftime appearance at Wellington Phoenix's 5-1 A-League hammering of Melbourne City.

FIFA marketing director Thierry Weil says mascots are a fantastic tool to present the values and qualities of a country to the world.

'Wooliam is a great character who embodies New Zealand and its people,' he said.

There's more to Wooliam than his orange, yellow and purple mohawk.

He's just returned home from travelling the globe, which is where he developed a passion for the beautiful game.

The prodigal son eventually decided his four-legged soccer prowess might be better suited to a role as a mascot than a spot in the All Whites team.

AAP