"Last Home Game" of the season.

Am I the only one pissed that our last "Home" league game is being held in Christchurch??

Usually every season we lose about 8 players and that last home game is important for us to thank the team and farewell players we may not see here next season. So what do the club do? Move the game to Christchurch. Even better new, there's a major Car Race going on in Christchurch the very same afternoon.

You couldn't make this shark up. I wouldn't have complained if the second to last game went South, but really? Our most like last game of the season?? (Unless we do get to 6th or better place)

To be fair to the club, the context is that they are still hoping to play that game at the new Te Kaha stadium. The only possible ALM window to do that is weekend 17th-19th April.

Yes it's now been moved to the Addington scaffolding, but they will still be crossing fingers construction proceeds faster than forecast with Te Kaha.

If the Nix are the first ever sports event at the shiny new ground, it will be a sizeable turnout.

I mean the numbers ain't exactly flocking to the ROF right now, so the Welnix bean counters will be hoping that there will be at least 3 'home' crowds north of 10K (home derbies x2 plus ChCh), to help the coffers.

But yeah as others have opined it will especially suck if a club legend like Rufer moves on, and the Nix don't get a home playoff. Need to finish 4th or better to guarantee a home playoff game. 

A special Roofs 'testimonial' farewell type fixture hosting South Island United or someone??

There is no way in Christchurch that rugby was ever not going to open that stadium. 

Man get over it you Wellingtonians are so lucky to happen to live in the city where you have the opportunity to go to the games, have that game day experience, share that with your friends and family, while the entire South Island starves since forever. It's SO exciting here to get a single football match, we also literally never get international games (Tahiti, 12 or so years ago?) 

I love reading the argument that pops up around these subjects that because you've supported the team it feels like a backstab. What about fans like me, I live in Franz Josef, drive 5 hours to get to Christchurch to fly to Wellington just for a match. Does support from out of wellington not mean anything? We love this team so much too. Throw us a bone every now and then and don't whinge so much about sharing the love of the game to other places. Do something cool to say bye to Rufer in the last Wellington game instead..?

BrockieTheGOAT

Man get over it you Wellingtonians are so lucky to happen to live in the city where you have the opportunity to go to the games, have that game day experience, share that with your friends and family, while the entire South Island starves since forever. It's SO exciting here to get a single football match, we also literally never get international games (Tahiti, 12 or so years ago?) 

I love reading the argument that pops up around these subjects that because you've supported the team it feels like a backstab. What about fans like me, I live in Franz Josef, drive 5 hours to get to Christchurch to fly to Wellington just for a match. Does support from out of wellington not mean anything? We love this team so much too. Throw us a bone every now and then and don't whinge so much about sharing the love of the game to other places. Do something cool to say bye to Rufer in the last Wellington game instead..?

You'll be very pleased you now have your own Professional team then. The whinge wasn't that you got a game, it was that you got possibly our very last home game for a lot of the squad. So Wellington fans don't get to say farewell.

Out of curiosity, Are Christchurch football fans going after AFC for not taking any games down there??

"Out of curiosity, Are Christchurch football fans going after AFC for not taking any games down there??"

No.  But if I was a Hamilton or Tauranga based fan of Auckland FC then I might.

As an aside, if off topic. I see that Te Kaha is going to have train links out to the Rangiora and Rolleston popn corridors.

https://www.chrislynchmedia.com/news-items/new-mainlander-rail-service-to-reconnect-christchurch-dunedin-and-invercargill/?

........................which is also developing an Event Express Train to transport people from Rolleston and Rangiora into the new One New Zealand Stadium at Te Kaha on major event days.

Given this country’s abysmal track record on rail (pun not intended but I’ll claim it), I’ll believe this when I see it. But if they can make it a reality then it’d be awesome, a nod to the “show day” trains of the past pictured in the history books.

Simon B

Given this country’s abysmal track record on rail (pun not intended but I’ll claim it), I’ll believe this when I see it. But if they can make it a reality then it’d be awesome, a nod to the “show day” trains of the past pictured in the history books.

I mean in our history there’s a lot of rail and incidentally a lot of riding a bike. It was kind of normal. Just recently it’s become a culture war thing. 
But Len Brown did a great job of getting the CRL done. 
Aaaron Maurer can get anything done as long as it’s to do with the rugby. 
You just need a good mayor 😉.

But yeh I suppose Vogel is really like RoNS- lots of poorly justified pork chewing up the budget. But it is a history of rail! 

Simon B

Given this country’s abysmal track record on rail (pun not intended but I’ll claim it), I’ll believe this when I see it. But if they can make it a reality then it’d be awesome, a nod to the “show day” trains of the past pictured in the history books.

Trains have already come down from Auckland and arrived in chch I believe. Certainly a few more carriages left at welly waiting to head down. Not sure how they do that now we don’t have rail enabled ferries…

I don't think there's really an Auckland fan base in Christchurch to make such complaints. The entrance of both teams into the A-League vastly different circumstances with Wellington essentially representing all of Aotearoa as the only NZ team in the comp. I think Wellington will also do a better job of appealing to South Islanders. Would be an interesting theoretical if Auckland did bring a game down as to how they would do. But yeah agree it makes more sense to take a game to Hamilton or something.

Re South Island United, do I understand it correctly that they will not play a single game in the South Island, only in the North Island, thanks to the weird OFC hub system? That's a complete farce. How tf they supposed to drum up any kind of support locally without playing games locally?? That feels like such a rug pull to promise a looooong awaited pro football in the South Island then play all the games in Auckland, it's almost comical 

LG

BrockieTheGOAT

Man get over it you Wellingtonians are so lucky to happen to live in the city where you have the opportunity to go to the games, have that game day experience, share that with your friends and family, while the entire South Island starves since forever. It's SO exciting here to get a single football match, we also literally never get international games (Tahiti, 12 or so years ago?) 

I love reading the argument that pops up around these subjects that because you've supported the team it feels like a backstab. What about fans like me, I live in Franz Josef, drive 5 hours to get to Christchurch to fly to Wellington just for a match. Does support from out of wellington not mean anything? We love this team so much too. Throw us a bone every now and then and don't whinge so much about sharing the love of the game to other places. Do something cool to say bye to Rufer in the last Wellington game instead..?

You'll be very pleased you now have your own Professional team then. The whinge wasn't that you got a game, it was that you got possibly our very last home game for a lot of the squad. So Wellington fans don't get to say farewell.

Out of curiosity, Are Christchurch football fans going after AFC for not taking any games down there??

Lol- ‘a complete farce’ getting a professional team that makes a big deal about players being close to home and then never plays a game in the South Island. 

Kinda. Guess things gotta start somewhere. But yuh. A step above WU colours relating to the grass verges and roads of their suburbs in terms of bollocks chat, but not much…

I think only time will tell which form this new thing will take.  There is very little awareness of it among the non-football public (the Nix and the A-FC are relatively well known in contrast).

Even if this OFC League does eventually move to a proper H&A season, with home games in Christchurch, Dunners etc I doubt it would ever attract many non football supporting casuals along to a match.

No AWs, no Socceroos, no ex EPL players. You can just imagine the rugby and the Euro football snobs dissing it.

The Mainland needs an A League club, if you ever want football to have a noticeable imprint there. 

Of course SI United actually winning the OFC League and going to the FIFA Intercontinental Cup would yes create some noise.

BrockieTheGOAT

I don't think there's really an Auckland fan base in Christchurch to make such complaints. The entrance of both teams into the A-League vastly different circumstances with Wellington essentially representing all of Aotearoa as the only NZ team in the comp. I think Wellington will also do a better job of appealing to South Islanders. Would be an interesting theoretical if Auckland did bring a game down as to how they would do. But yeah agree it makes more sense to take a game to Hamilton or something.

Re South Island United, do I understand it correctly that they will not play a single game in the South Island, only in the North Island, thanks to the weird OFC hub system? That's a complete farce. How tf they supposed to drum up any kind of support locally without playing games locally?? That feels like such a rug pull to promise a looooong awaited pro football in the South Island then play all the games in Auckland, it's almost comical 

LG

BrockieTheGOAT

Man get over it you Wellingtonians are so lucky to happen to live in the city where you have the opportunity to go to the games, have that game day experience, share that with your friends and family, while the entire South Island starves since forever. It's SO exciting here to get a single football match, we also literally never get international games (Tahiti, 12 or so years ago?) 

I love reading the argument that pops up around these subjects that because you've supported the team it feels like a backstab. What about fans like me, I live in Franz Josef, drive 5 hours to get to Christchurch to fly to Wellington just for a match. Does support from out of wellington not mean anything? We love this team so much too. Throw us a bone every now and then and don't whinge so much about sharing the love of the game to other places. Do something cool to say bye to Rufer in the last Wellington game instead..?

You'll be very pleased you now have your own Professional team then. The whinge wasn't that you got a game, it was that you got possibly our very last home game for a lot of the squad. So Wellington fans don't get to say farewell.

Out of curiosity, Are Christchurch football fans going after AFC for not taking any games down there??

Surely that is taking the pi$$. (And don't call me Surely) All their games should be in the South Island. Chch, Dunedin, Nelson. Good grief. Epic fail on the horizon if no games are down South. Just learning that has actually fudgeed me off. All this song and dance about a South Island team and the South Island get shafted without even being lubed up.

It's season 1 of a new league that likely has some huge startup costs.
I'm sure OFC will want to move it to a proper H&A season as soon as possible.

Football fans in Vanuatu and Tahiti probably have even bigger gripes than those in the South Island. No hubs on their Islands either, and likely far more costly for a poor Vanuatu fan to get to say Fiji, than for a Cantab to Auckland.

Football mad New Caledonia doesn't as yet have a team at all.

People will just need to be a bit realistic and patient, for a comp that will be vulnerable to falling over in these first few seasons.

Football competitions in our part of the world ain't exactly flush with cash.
Has a OFC League broadcast deal been announced yet? If so what did they pay?

Call me unambitious, but I come from a view that football in Oceania is hard to run without committed funding, which usually means FIFA/OFC money.  
In that sense, I agree that we would get better following etc if there was a South Island based A-League franchise. There would be at least some familiarity and brand recognition of the ALM opposition that would come to play here. 
Instead we have a separate competition that includes Auckland FC and Christchurch United, sorry, South Island United, kicking the round ball about in the  North Island "hub" while being ignored by the sporting media.   

Are you suggesting FIFA/OFC are better to pay the $25M licence fee to set up a Sth Island A League franchise?

An ALM club giving out say 25 pro contracts, the majority of which would just be Kiwis

When this new OFC League will have around 100 Island players on pro contracts. That’s based on there being 5 non NZ/Aus teams in the comp

But yes with time hopefully NZ does get a 3rd A League club, based in ChCh. It however will need to be privately funded, and that won’t be easy to put together. Just look at Canberra 

Walk before you can run and all that 

coochiee

Are you suggesting FIFA/OFC are better to pay the $25M licence fee to set up a Sth Island A League franchise?

An ALM club giving out say 25 pro contracts, the majority of which would just be Kiwis

When this new OFC League will have around 100 Island players on pro contracts. That’s based on there being 5 non NZ/Aus teams in the comp

But yes with time hopefully NZ does get a 3rd A League club, based in ChCh. It however will need to be privately funded, and that won’t be easy to put together. Just look at Canberra 

Walk before you can run and all that 

Yeah, just what is going on with Camberra? Their women are doing alright. Christchurch one day would be great but with this new league, they should have at least based the games in the South Island. There are several International Airports there.

ChCh International has direct flights to Melbs and Nadi
Auckland International direct flights to Melbs, Nadi, Papeete, Port Vila and Noumea (NC no team as yet).

I guess travel in & out of Port Moresby and Honiara will need to be via Aussie (Brisbane?).

Don't also forget OFC are headquartered in Auckland, and it's far bigger than ChCh re commercial dollars. You are more likely to find a commercial sponsor with a wider Oceania presence based in the 09 than the 03.

Plus you have various Pacific communities there especially Fijian. 
Auckland was always going to get a hub. 

The hubs are also a congested 3 games in a week.

Ideally you'd try to get 3 teams to fly down & back from the Auckland hub to have 3 SIU games in ChCh in that week, but maybe it is just all too hard, and would add significant travel/accommodation/extra broadcasting setup expenses.

Maybe with the playoffs in May, ChCh can host a game. I think the playoffs are scheduled for Auckland.

coochiee

Are you suggesting FIFA/OFC are better to pay the $25M licence fee to set up a Sth Island A League franchise?

An ALM club giving out say 25 pro contracts, the majority of which would just be Kiwis

When this new OFC League will have around 100 Island players on pro contracts. That’s based on there being 5 non NZ/Aus teams in the comp

But yes with time hopefully NZ does get a 3rd A League club, based in ChCh. It however will need to be privately funded, and that won’t be easy to put together. Just look at Canberra 

Walk before you can run and all that 

I am simply not happy to hear that the games of a nominally South Island team in this new comp would not be played in, well, South Island, but at the North Island "OFC Hub".   Do not look for logic in my post, I am just venting.

Mainland FC

coochiee

Are you suggesting FIFA/OFC are better to pay the $25M licence fee to set up a Sth Island A League franchise?

An ALM club giving out say 25 pro contracts, the majority of which would just be Kiwis

When this new OFC League will have around 100 Island players on pro contracts. That’s based on there being 5 non NZ/Aus teams in the comp

But yes with time hopefully NZ does get a 3rd A League club, based in ChCh. It however will need to be privately funded, and that won’t be easy to put together. Just look at Canberra 

Walk before you can run and all that 

I am simply not happy to hear that the games of a nominally South Island team in this new comp would not be played in, well, South Island, but at the North Island "OFC Hub".   Do not look for logic in my post, I am just venting.

Agree i dont think its right. You would think given flight times within  NZ it shouldnt be a problem having a hub in Auckland. Then allowing Christchurch to play at least a couple of games there. You wouldnt think many local businesses would be rushing to back a team playing no games there.

https://www.espn.com.au/soccer/story/_/id/46862560/ofc-pro-league-clubs-season-start-all-need-know

This article from Joey Lynch a few weeks back says it will be broadcast worldwide on Fifa+ - which makes sense since OFC have a deal with Fifa+ to broadcast all their competitions

But it does also note they hope in a few years the competition will be able to generate broadcast revenue.

5 camera setups apparently with commentators drawn from the local media in the country the hub is being staged in.

Mainland FC

coochiee

Are you suggesting FIFA/OFC are better to pay the $25M licence fee to set up a Sth Island A League franchise?

An ALM club giving out say 25 pro contracts, the majority of which would just be Kiwis

When this new OFC League will have around 100 Island players on pro contracts. That’s based on there being 5 non NZ/Aus teams in the comp

But yes with time hopefully NZ does get a 3rd A League club, based in ChCh. It however will need to be privately funded, and that won’t be easy to put together. Just look at Canberra 

Walk before you can run and all that 

I am simply not happy to hear that the games of a nominally South Island team in this new comp would not be played in, well, South Island, but at the North Island "OFC Hub".   Do not look for logic in my post, I am just venting.

People would be complaining that Auckland have the play their NZ games in ChCh if it was the other way around. Less of an issue since the ALM team do actually play in Auckland, but would still crop up.

Long term you would hope that the league grows and is sustainable enough for real home and away fixtures.

With Auckland and Wellington both hosting A League fixtures not sure it would have been that hard to host the NZ Hub in Christchurch.

ballane

With Auckland and Wellington both hosting A League fixtures not sure it would have been that hard to host the NZ Hub in Christchurch.

My point exactly, sir.

ballane

With Auckland and Wellington both hosting A League fixtures not sure it would have been that hard to host the NZ Hub in Christchurch.

Not sure than has much relevance. Only 3 of the 8 OFC League clubs are from NZ & Aussie, and there are just far more direct flights from the Island countries into the 09 verus 03

A question for OFC.

And maybe the football administrators down in ChCh, feel just too swamped with all the work that goes with setting up a new pro club from scratch, without the extra burden of organising the hosting of 7 more teams over a week.

We’re building a pro football club in less than 100 days… pic.twitter.com/lLpOfK1PXh

— Daniel Meyn (@thedanielmeyn) December 3, 2025

Nice cheeky comment from YH re this tweet!

I think SIU are being shafted by not holding any games in the SI . It should be a NZ hub, not a city hub. All it takes is a bit of common sense and a bit of creativity for it to work.
For example SIU first game in Chch vs Fiji who arrive on direct flight from Fiji. Second home game vs South Melbourne who arrive on a direct flight from Melbourne.
All the teams then finish their games in Auckland. It just involves Fiji and SM having one extra domestic flight in NZ.....hardly a problem 
SIU get two home games, everyone is happy.
If SIU never get a home game then you can forget about significant fan engagement
.

On reflection SM would already be in Akld so would have to do Akld Chch return mid week. Duh!
But I still think there must be someway SIU get a game or two in SI

Catch is you have to return to Welly with a 2 metre length of scaffolding, to help the Nix reduce the freight costs, of building a new boutique stadium somewhere in the 04 region.