Based on some of those fixture clashes above, unlikely either March game will be at Eden Park. Though NZF have most often used Albany for home games in Auckland, as most opponents haven't had the pulling power of the Socceroos.
Good chance I'd say there will be a match at Sky, AWs not having played in Welly since Nov 2017.
NZF could take a match to Dunedin. Students will be in town, and Forsyth Barr is a host WWC stadium. But there hasn't been a big football game there for years, so NZF could be keen to test the facilities there ahead of the WWC.
Hamilton & Albany will host the 10 team WWC playoff inter-confederation play tourney in February, to determine the final three qualification spots. Has been plenty of big football games in recent times at the other WWC host venues Sky & Eden Park. But yes been awhile since any major football game was played under the roof in Dunners.
Good chance I'd say there will be a match at Sky, AWs not having played in Welly since Nov 2017.
NZF could take a match to Dunedin. Students will be in town, and Forsyth Barr is a host WWC stadium. But there hasn't been a big football game there for years, so NZF could be keen to test the facilities there ahead of the WWC.
Hamilton & Albany will host the 10 team WWC playoff inter-confederation play tourney in February, to determine the final three qualification spots. Has been plenty of big football games in recent times at the other WWC host venues Sky & Eden Park. But yes been awhile since any major football game was played under the roof in Dunners.
I think Dunedin is a huge risk unless the stadium offers us free access. Otago has always been weak football-wise and both NZF and the Nix have been stung there in the past with rubbish turnouts.
Banking on students to turn up is dreaming, I should know as I was involved with The Knights and marketing free tickets to Uni students in Auckland at the very start of the A League. Very few were interested, and that was before we all found out how crap the club was run and performed on the park.
But it's a pretty dumb comparison, the Otago Uni student scene verus the one in Auckland. You literally have thousands of Dunedin scarfies living within walking distance of Forsyth Barr. A huge part of why it's such a popular Uni for out of town kids. All your mates close by in the ghetto.
That's a world away from the student setup in big bad far flung Auckland. Especially if you were trying to flog tickets to games all the way out in Albany. Many students don't even have a car.
The scarfies in Dunners love a night out on the piss, if it's good fun - and cheap!
Anyway football fans need to turn up to Forsyth Barr in 2023. It's down to host 6 WWC pool matches. That includes the big NZ verus Switzerland game.
I imagine whoever is managing the Dunedin games for the NZ WWC hosting committee, will be trying to come up with ideas to get the students along. A AWs game in March would be a chance to test some of those thought bubbles.