South Island United is thrilled to announce a multi-year partnership with global athletic brand New Balance, with the club's official teamwear and apparel being supplied through New Balance's Australasian elite teamwear partner, Belgravia Apparel 🤍🤝 pic.twitter.com/QjIiR8XoHW
I remember Zeb playing for Nix reserves vs Birkenhead. David Ball was playing but imo really didn't stand out. Zeb and Monty Patterson were the two who looked A league standard. Come to think of it, Piper must've been playing too. Maybe there's more underrated talent playing National League.
Seems like there is a number of early-mid 20s guys being signed by SIU, who for whatever reason haven't been able to crack the pro ranks elsewhere. Many of them ex Weenix.
Often with cracking pro football you just need some luck. Right club, right manager, team needing someone with your skillset. Your video highlights package just landing in the right person's inbox. Lots of sliding doors moments.
Anyway great opportunity for a plethora of young Kiwis in this league, which is nice to see. And of course even more for a host of Island players, to follow the path of Krishna, Kaltak etc
Despite not being in this league, it could be a real boon for the Nix with regard to signing good domestic players on a budget. South Island United would quite like their players to get offers from other leagues too I'm sure, proving their importance as a pathway. Hopefully the Nix can get over initial frustration at being snubbed for them and build a mutually beneficial relationship.
There are several former Nix academy boys in this team as well. Off the top of my head - Lewis Partridge - Charlie Beale - Jackson Manuel - Oskar van Hattum - Callum Kennett And probably a couple more
Zeb has just finished an extraordinary year with Auckland City, playing in the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, and in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup in Egypt, but he was close to giving up on his football dream not that long ago.
He has faced more setbacks than most footballers, but after five foot fractures, South Island United’s latest signing is determined to make the OFC Pro League the new launching pad for a successful professional career.
“After I broke my foot for the fifth time, I spoke to my dad about giving the game away and join my mates in Melbourne to try something else, but I am glad I stuck with it and now have this amazing opportunity to play professional football in my home town in front of my family,” says Zeb, who required two surgeries to fix a chronic weakness in his foot after years of setbacks.
“After the first surgery, they said I had a 20% chance of breaking it again, and it happened.
“After the second surgery, there was a 2% chance, and it broke again, so that was pretty devastating,” says Zeb who played his junior football with Nomads, Papanui Redwood, Parklands and Coastal Spirit, where he made his senior debut and also played two seasons for Canterbury United in the old National Football Championship.
After the troublesome foot ruined a professional contract in the Finnish second division, Zeb returned home to rebuild his career at Christchurch United in 2023.
“In my first game in Finland I literally played the best game of my career, scoring two goals and setting one up and they were all really excited to sign me, but the next game I broke my foot for the third time, so I had to go home to get surgery,” says Zeb, who admits he had an inconsistent comeback season at Christchurch United, despite winning the Chatham Cup.
“One day I was feeling great and the next day I was playing terrible, but coach Paul Ifill stuck with me because he said he could see that I still had it,” said Zeb, who was lured to Birkenhead United last season, which subsequently created a pathway to Auckland City and their incredible 2025 season.
“They asked to join them ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup, it was a no-brainer,” says Zeb, who featured in the high-profile matches against Benfica and Boca Juniors, sharing the field with World Cup winners Angel Di Maria and Nicolas Otamendi.
Zeb caused huge excitement in his parents’ home country of Pakistan as the first Pakistan footballer to appear at the FIFA Club World Cup and the interest only grew when the 24-year-old forward made his debut for national team of Pakistan in September.
“It was unreal,” says Zeb who made his debut against Afghanistan in Islamabad in front of 10,000 passionate home fans.
“It couldn’t have been a better game because most of my mates in Christchurch are from Afghanistan, so they were also excited, as well as my family and the whole Pakistani community,” says Zeb who only arrived in the team hotel less than 24 hours before kick-off because the family dragged him from the airport to visit the family village first.
“I wasn’t sure how the other players were going to react to a player coming from outside, but they were great and only a few games, we are brothers for live. I can’t wait to play my next game for Pakistan.”
Back in Christchurch, Zeb and fellow Auckland City recruit David Yoo are now on home turf, showing the new arrivals around the city and helping them settle into the South Island lifestyle.
“We had told them that Christchurch summers were fantastic, dry and hot, so when we had that incredible downpour on the third day and even the turf was flooded, I was getting heaps of stick from the team. But they will get over it,” Zeb says.
The club have made some high-profile signings, especially in their attack with arrivals such as David Yoo (from national men’s club champions Auckland City), All White Oskar van Hattum (from Ireland) and Ryan Feutz (from Sydney Olympic).
But what about some of the lesser-known players whose surnames will appear on the backs of United’s first-season shirts?
OFC Pro League side South Island United have added Solomon Islands international midfielder Rovu Boyers to their squad.
Boyers (22) is a much-travelled player who has turned out for clubs in the United Kingdom, Greece, Sweden and Australia.
He has become the 19th player to be named by South Island United for their squad who make their debut in the inaugural OFC Pro League against Auckland FC on Saturday January 17, 2026, in the second game of a double header at Auckland’s Eden Park.
Born in the Solomon Islands, Boyers left in 2018 to pursue a football career abroad.
In England, he played for non-league clubs Eastbourne United and Eastbourne Borough.
He joined Greek club Episkopi in 2022 and then Swedish side Syrianska a year later.
In 2025, he played for South Australian State first division side West Adelaide, scoring 12 goals in 25 appearances.
Boyers made his international debut for the Solomon Islands in a FIFA Men’s World Cup qualifier against New Caledonia. He has since scored three goals in six appearances for his country.
19 players now signed, and have assembled a fairly decent squad. Final squads to be in the range of 20-23 players in total.
SIU with no teenagers when AFC II have a few. Lots of hungry early-mid 20s guys eager to prove a point.
Opening match SIU verus AFC II should be well interesting.
• Callum Kennett, (21), goalkeeper, New Zealand • Shea Stapleton, (26), goalkeeper, New Zealand • Steven van Dijk, (28), goalkeeper, Netherlands • Riley Grover, (21), defender, New Zealand • Jacob Krayem, (23), defender, Australia • Ry McLeod, (21), defender, New Zealand • Lewis Partridge, (20), defender, New Zealand • Jaylen Rodwell, (23), defender, New Zealand / Niue • Josh Rogerson, (25), defender, New Zealand • Ollie Van Rijssel, (25), defender, New Zealand • Charlie Beale, (22), midfielder, New Zealand • Rovu Boyers, (22), midfielder, Solomon Islands • Jackson Manuel, (22), midfielder, New Zealand • Dauntae Mariner, (25), midfielder, Samoa • David Yoo, (25), midfielder, New Zealand / South Korea • Oliver Fay, (22), forward, New Zealand • Ryan Feutz, (24), forward, New Zealand • Oskar Van Hattum, (23), forward, New Zealand • Haris Zeb, (24), forward, Pakistan
They already had Aussie Samoan Dauntae Mariner signed. Plus Jaylen Rodwell has Niuean heritage.
Boyers looks like the Solomons version of PNG's David Browne. Born in the Islands but European/mixed heritage.
Speaking of David Browne, still only 30. First PNG player to play pro in Europe - Finland. Wiki has him as a 'former' pro footballer. Career-ending injury? Or disillusion? I hope the PNG boys have tried making contact...
So he has 6 appearances, including a World Cup Qualifier. I see he is half Kiwi. Does that WCQ game mean he is ineligible for a potential nation switch down the line? coochiee
OFC Pro League side South Island United have added Solomon Islands international midfielder Rovu Boyers to their squad.
Boyers (22) is a much-travelled player who has turned out for clubs in the United Kingdom, Greece, Sweden and Australia.
He has become the 19th player to be named by South Island United for their squad who make their debut in the inaugural OFC Pro League against Auckland FC on Saturday January 17, 2026, in the second game of a double header at Auckland’s Eden Park.
Born in the Solomon Islands, Boyers left in 2018 to pursue a football career abroad.
In England, he played for non-league clubs Eastbourne United and Eastbourne Borough.
He joined Greek club Episkopi in 2022 and then Swedish side Syrianska a year later.
In 2025, he played for South Australian State first division side West Adelaide, scoring 12 goals in 25 appearances.
Boyers made his international debut for the Solomon Islands in a FIFA Men’s World Cup qualifier against New Caledonia. He has since scored three goals in six appearances for his country.
South Island United have added Australian midfielder Deen Hasanovic to their squad for the inaugural OFC Pro League.
Hasanovic (23) joins United from United Arab Emirates club Al-Ittifaq, who play in the UAE first division.
He was previously with the Brisbane Strikers and Brisbane Roar academy.
• Callum Kennett, (21), goalkeeper, New Zealand • Shea Stapleton, (26), goalkeeper, New Zealand • Steven van Dijk, (28), goalkeeper, Netherlands • Riley Grover, (21), defender, New Zealand • Jacob Krayem, (23), defender, Australia • Ry McLeod, (21), defender, New Zealand • Lewis Partridge, (20), defender, New Zealand • Jaylen Rodwell, (23), defender, New Zealand / Niue • Josh Rogerson, (25), defender, New Zealand • Ollie Van Rijssel, (25), defender, New Zealand • Charlie Beale, (22), midfielder, New Zealand • Rovu Boyers, (22), midfielder, Solomon Islands • Deen Hasanovic, (23), midfielder, Australia • Jackson Manuel, (22), midfielder, New Zealand • Dauntae Mariner, (25), midfielder, Samoa • David Yoo, (25), midfielder, New Zealand / South Korea • Oliver Fay, (22), forward, New Zealand • Ryan Feutz, (24), forward, New Zealand • Oskar van Hattum, (23), forward, New Zealand • Haris Zeb, (24), forward, Pakistan
Well done YH, indeed 4 from 4, from that early list you sent me. Ry McLeod, Jackson Manuel, Zeb Harris and now Christian Gray.
29 yr old Gray is a trainee teacher (or maybe he's a full teacher now). A few others in the SIU squad are also teachers/trainees.
Perfect job to work around a short 5-6 month pro football gig, not paying that much.
Very early days but can see the 2 Kiwi sides, and Sth Melbourne starting this comp strong in the Auckland hub. The Island teams being improved by the 2nd hub in Fiji, where the conditions will obviously help them as well.
Anyone know if SIU are playing a few warm up games snd if so where. Also any word on if/when they are getting a name , I understand Kea's had beem taken by League. SIU is ok but its too long to chant
