Huawei Wellington United Phoenix Academy Football School of Excellence - WeeNix

Interesting. That might change a bit with Auckland’s reserves playing in the OFC Pro League. So as a young player now plenty of likely opportunities to play in a (2nd tier to ALM) pro league.


Edit - The real battle is going to be for talented players in the NZ U17 team that go to WC at that stage not signed to either of NZ’s 2 ALM clubs. Prior the Nix was the other pro option, and they would often sign a few post a U17 WC.  

They now have a competitor looking at that talent. Noting those U17 WCs are now going to be annual, so a new crop of young players will be showcased every 12 mths 

AucklandPhoenix

To add to the above. 

How much does it actually cost an academy member each year to attend?

And how many academy members are there?

Nix academy camps are $305 per player which are run during the school holidays, nothing about the full time playing group though
https://wellingtonphoenixacademy.com/phoenixacademycamp/

AucklandPhoenix

To add to the above. 

How much does it actually cost an academy member each year to attend?

And how many academy members are there?

Can understand people wanting some information about the Academy's but not so sure this is the type of information we can expect them to reveal. They are competing in a competitive market and not sure releasing that information for competitors to see is in their best interests.
Reg22 have forwarded your questions  and will advise if i get an answer. 

ballane

AucklandPhoenix

To add to the above. 

How much does it actually cost an academy member each year to attend?

And how many academy members are there?

Can understand people wanting some information about the Academy's but not so sure this is the type of information we can expect them to reveal. They are competing in a competitive market and not sure releasing that information for competitors to see is in their best interests.
Reg22 have forwarded your questions  and will advise if i get an answer. 

wow, really? that's really cool of you ballane! thank you

Well I would say if they have true competitors, then they would surely be all over this information already.

Don’t see why it would be a secret unless they are charging some players more than others.

Which surely they would not be doing.

ballane

AucklandPhoenix

To add to the above. 

How much does it actually cost an academy member each year to attend?

And how many academy members are there?

Can understand people wanting some information about the Academy's but not so sure this is the type of information we can expect them to reveal. They are competing in a competitive market and not sure releasing that information for competitors to see is in their best interests.
Reg22 have forwarded your questions  and will advise if i get an answer. 

AucklandPhoenix

Well I would say if they have true competitors, then they would surely be all over this information already.

Don’t see why it would be a secret unless they are charging some players more than others.

Which surely they would not be doing.

ballane

AucklandPhoenix

To add to the above. 

How much does it actually cost an academy member each year to attend?

And how many academy members are there?

Can understand people wanting some information about the Academy's but not so sure this is the type of information we can expect them to reveal. They are competing in a competitive market and not sure releasing that information for competitors to see is in their best interests.
Reg22 have forwarded your questions  and will advise if i get an answer. 

Have it from a reliable source that it is north of $5k per year plus tournament fees....so around $7k before tax. If a kid gets to play for the Reserves (maybe 50% of those that start) then they no longer have to pay. Issue if course is that the majority are the supporting cast for the few that may kick on. The recent strategy of giving kids contracts who have not been at the academy for long and who were not remotely ready for A League Football does beg the question whether going through the entire pathway is worth it.....it seems if they rate you they will find you. Personally think this has been an own goal by management as the Wrexham game showed there is nothing (LBS being the possible exception) between the young pro's (05's and 06's) and the players in the Reserves and they would have been much better off waiting for all the players to finish the u20 cycle before awarding contracts...as they have generally done in the past!

Great info.

So roughly 7k. 

Does anyone know how many members would be paying that per season?

AI tells me
the Wellington Phoenix Academy has a total of eight age-group teams: five men's teams (U-14, U-15, U-16, U-18, and U-20) and three women's teams (U-16, U-18, and U-20).

So maybe around 120-150 kids at the Academy all up?

Can completely understand the Phoenix not publishing what the annual fees are. 
A myriad of reasons why parents and the club may want to keep that in house.

But I imagine around age group football circles the approx annual fees, are an open secret, so parents can start to prepare themselves financially if they want to send little Johnny or Jane to Weenix.  

And yes you would expect there will be some families paying less. That's what scholarships are for.

The majority of kids ('supporting cast') yes won't progress to the first team, let alone a European club. But there are other pathways like a free US College education (sports scholarship), that are made easier to obtain as the Academy helps open doors. I guess families have to weigh all that up, with a long term lens. 

At the end of the day the Academy has been of huge benefit to the NZ football scene. How many of the current AWs squad have gone through Weenix? 
And a big debt is owed to Welnix for their sizeable investment in setting it up.

AucklandPhoenix

Well I would say if they have true competitors, then they would surely be all over this information already.

Don’t see why it would be a secret unless they are charging some players more than others.

Which surely they would not be doing.

ballane

AucklandPhoenix

To add to the above. 

How much does it actually cost an academy member each year to attend?

And how many academy members are there?

Can understand people wanting some information about the Academy's but not so sure this is the type of information we can expect them to reveal. They are competing in a competitive market and not sure releasing that information for competitors to see is in their best interests.
Reg22 have forwarded your questions  and will advise if i get an answer. 

Agree it can be found out not sure there would be many businesses out there who would just openly divulge  the information  you are wanting to a public forum about their income stream and numbers attending.
I have no idea but wouldnt surprise me if there were different levels of fees depending on certain situations.

Here you go reg22 hope that answers some questions this is what i got back.

"When do players stop paying?
Traditionally, Phoenix Academy players stop paying once they progress into one of our reserve sides, typically this means they have progressed into either one of the Men’s or Women’s Central League sides.

Scholarships for promising players:
Yes, we do provide scholarships, particularly for highly promising players who may be scouted from out of town. These are generally assessed on a family’s financial need.

No barriers to entry policy:
Similar to Olé, we have a strong commitment to ensuring that financial circumstances never prevent a talented player from attending our programme. We operate a “no barriers to entry” policy and will always find a way to support the right players. To help with this, we’ve established an Academy Development Fund, which is dedicated exclusively to creating opportunities for young people. Contributions can come from within the club and from the wider public."

coochiee

AI tells me
the Wellington Phoenix Academy has a total of eight age-group teams: five men's teams (U-14, U-15, U-16, U-18, and U-20) and three women's teams (U-16, U-18, and U-20).

So maybe around 120-150 kids at the Academy all up?

Can completely understand the Phoenix not publishing what the annual fees are. 
A myriad of reasons why parents and the club may want to keep that in house.

But I imagine around age group football circles the approx annual fees, are an open secret, so parents can start to prepare themselves financially if they want to send little Johnny or Jane to Weenix.  

And yes you would expect there will be some families paying less. That's what scholarships are for.

The majority of kids ('supporting cast') yes won't progress to the first team, let alone a European club. But there are other pathways like a free US College education (sports scholarship), that are made easier to obtain as the Academy helps open doors. I guess families have to weigh all that up. 

At the end of the day the Academy has been of huge benefit to the NZ football scene. How many of the current AWs squad have gone through Weenix? 
And a big debt is owed to Welnix for their sizeable investment in setting it up.

Agree with a lot of this. Can guarantee however that the mere fact that you have been at the Academy will not get you a decent scholarship (big money and/or D1 College) to the US unless you have made a national age grade team. Very few full rides for men available but more for the women. Not surprising considering a full ride can be upwards of NZ$120,000 per year to some colleges. So not much change out of $400,000 for a 3-year deal. Potentially life changing if you can get them!

Wow that is crazy money for a US College degree. You would hope the education and sports facilities are something special for that sort of dosh.

Ex Weenix & NZU20 midfielder Dan McKay sounds like, he will have some top class coaching at his US College.


Congratulations to 🇳🇿 U20 international @dan. mckay on completing his move and signing his scholarship at Utah Valley University. Dan will play under former US national team and MLS legend Kyle Beckerman as the college announced major upgrades to the team's stadium and facility. 17 Dec 2024

😕

Im hopeless at some of this tech stuff just tried to post a link about a story detailing a partneship the Nix have formed to help get players to the States on Scholarships. Im sure someone better than me can do it

ballane

Here you go reg22 hope that answers some questions this is what i got back.

"When do players stop paying?
Traditionally, Phoenix Academy players stop paying once they progress into one of our reserve sides, typically this means they have progressed into either one of the Men’s or Women’s Central League sides.

Scholarships for promising players:
Yes, we do provide scholarships, particularly for highly promising players who may be scouted from out of town. These are generally assessed on a family’s financial need.

No barriers to entry policy:
Similar to Olé, we have a strong commitment to ensuring that financial circumstances never prevent a talented player from attending our programme. We operate a “no barriers to entry” policy and will always find a way to support the right players. To help with this, we’ve established an Academy Development Fund, which is dedicated exclusively to creating opportunities for young people. Contributions can come from within the club and from the wider public."

That's awesome Ballane, thank you. And great info, really good to hear.

This was posted on the Nix reddit page. 

A victory in Victoria

Screenshot_2025-12-02-13-42-00-13_a23b203fd3aafc6dcb84e438dda678b6.jpg 244.27 KB

Stepping up a few years to beat Northcote City FC U23's last night.

Screenshot_20251204_145400_Instagram.jpg 122.94 KB

Lads finish the tour against Melbourne City.

Top worth Niche Cache.
5 prospects each male and female.

I think Mrs Mils has had wraps on Jack Perniskie. Sounds an exciting prospect.
It's overdue that the Academy prodced a top young striker talent.

https://theniche-cache.com/football/2026/3/6/top-ten-prospects-in-the-wellington-phoenix-academy-for-2026

Jack Perniskie

Okay, here’s the guy you really need to know about. He did make three starts and a substitute appearance during the National League last year and scored a couple goals during Central League so he’s not a complete bolter. However, it’s his mahi at the U17 World Cup and in the younger academy teams where the scale of his potential becomes clear.

Whereas previous centre-forwards like Flowerdew and Supyk (even Ben Waine) had styles build around their speed and movement, Perniskie’s power is his fundamental attribute. Really solid build, strong and assertive... but here’s the thing: his touch is also golden. That means he’s got an excellent hold-up game already and if he can get the goals flowing as he steps into the U20s more regularly then the Nix will have a very serious player on their hands. You can see a bit more of his overall game in this video (from their end of year U17s tour to Melbourne a few months ago) where he’s wearing the #65 jersey. Expect to see a whole lot more of Jack Perniskie for the Reserves this year.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1247027219653740/

This Forbidden thing is a bit annoying. Trying to Edit above post.

The other 9 academy prospects listed by Niche Cache. None have yet debuted for the ALM or ALW teams.


Welly Nix Men’s Academy

Luke Flowerdew
Mac Munro
Dylan Gardiner
Hayden Thomas

Welly Nix Women’s Academy

coochiee

Top worth Niche Cache.
5 prospects each male and female.

I think Mrs Mils has had wraps on Jack Perniskie. Sounds an exciting prospect.
It's overdue that the Academy prodced a top young striker talent.

https://theniche-cache.com/football/2026/3/6/top-ten-prospects-in-the-wellington-phoenix-academy-for-2026

Jack Perniskie

Striker – Born 7 January 2008

Okay, here’s the guy you really need to know about. He did make three starts and a substitute appearance during the National League last year and scored a couple goals during Central League so he’s not a complete bolter. However, it’s his mahi at the U17 World Cup and in the younger academy teams where the scale of his potential becomes clear.

Whereas previous centre-forwards like Flowerdew and Supyk (even Ben Waine) had styles build around their speed and movement, Perniskie’s power is his fundamental attribute. Really solid build, strong and assertive... but here’s the thing: his touch is also golden. That means he’s got an excellent hold-up game already and if he can get the goals flowing as he steps into the U20s more regularly then the Nix will have a very serious player on their hands. You can see a bit more of his overall game in this video (from their end of year U17s tour to Melbourne a few months ago) where he’s wearing the #65 jersey. Expect to see a whole lot more of Jack Perniskie for the Reserves this year.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1247027219653740/

Probably won't see him turn out for us either, he's over in the UK at the moment. Haven't been able to track down where to exactly, but I'm working on it.

Also, Luke Flowerdew has left the WeeNix setup and signed for Auckland United. 

YoungHeartHM

coochiee

Top worth Niche Cache.
5 prospects each male and female.

I think Mrs Mils has had wraps on Jack Perniskie. Sounds an exciting prospect.
It's overdue that the Academy prodced a top young striker talent.

https://theniche-cache.com/football/2026/3/6/top-ten-prospects-in-the-wellington-phoenix-academy-for-2026

Jack Perniskie

Striker – Born 7 January 2008

Okay, here’s the guy you really need to know about. He did make three starts and a substitute appearance during the National League last year and scored a couple goals during Central League so he’s not a complete bolter. However, it’s his mahi at the U17 World Cup and in the younger academy teams where the scale of his potential becomes clear.

Whereas previous centre-forwards like Flowerdew and Supyk (even Ben Waine) had styles build around their speed and movement, Perniskie’s power is his fundamental attribute. Really solid build, strong and assertive... but here’s the thing: his touch is also golden. That means he’s got an excellent hold-up game already and if he can get the goals flowing as he steps into the U20s more regularly then the Nix will have a very serious player on their hands. You can see a bit more of his overall game in this video (from their end of year U17s tour to Melbourne a few months ago) where he’s wearing the #65 jersey. Expect to see a whole lot more of Jack Perniskie for the Reserves this year.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1247027219653740/

Probably won't see him turn out for us either, he's over in the UK at the moment. Haven't been able to track down where to exactly, but I'm working on it.

Also, Luke Flowerdew has left the WeeNix setup and signed for Auckland United. 

JP @ MK Dons apparently