Teams, tales and tips – a guide to the local game
New Zealand’s national stadium, Eden Park, due to host the curtain-raiser and semi-final of the Women’s World Cup, is located in the country’s biggest city, Auckland. As New Zealand’s national game is rugby, Eden Park, just south of town by the motorway leading out of Auckland, has witnessed some of the greatest and most moving moments in the gilded history of the sport. These include Rugby’s first World Cup in 1987, another finals in 2011 and the memorial service for all-time great Jonah Lomu in 2015.
Previous decades were marked by test matches, the oval-ball game in winter, cricket in summer. What there hasn’t been much of is football.
The first professional soccer game didn’t take place at Eden Park until 2011, a full century after this marshy area susceptible to flooding had been designated as Auckland’s prime site for sports fixtures – and that match involved the team from rival city Wellington, New Zealand’s sole representatives in the A-League since 2007.
True, a New Zealand XI had played two friendlies at Eden Park either side of the war, plus an Olympic qualifier in 1988, but those games involved either amateur or semi-pro players. The inaugural A-League of 2005-06 actually featured a side from Auckland, the hapless New Zealand Knights, who managed one win that campaign, again finished bottom the next and had their licence revoked.
Wellington Phoenix were then invited to take their place. The fact that The Nix have been able to maintain a lively presence in A-League soccer for the best part of 20 years, despite the distances and logistics involved, points to the viability of the round-ball game 650km away in the capital – and perhaps not here in Auckland.
The Knights were originally called the Football Kings, rebranded to Kingz. Associated with the worst record in A-League history, the long defunct Auckland club had previously featured in the National Soccer League for several unremarkable seasons.
Their base was the North Harbour Stadium in the suburban enclave of Albany on Auckland’s northern fringes, whose opening in 1997 met the local need for a smaller, more soccer-friendly venue. The ground where Serbia led by later Lazio star Sergej Milinković-Savić beat Brazil to win the U-20 World Cup of 2015, this 22,000-capacity arena is used as a fallback if Eden Park isn’t free or isn’t suitable. New Zealand’s national women’s team, the Football Ferns, took on Argentina here in a warm-up match for the World Cup in February 2023, the crowd under 4,000.
Another stage for showcase fixtures is Mount Smart Stadium, in the southern suburb of Penrose, hollowed out of a former quarry in the 1960s and given to hosting rugby league. This was also where the Football Kingz played in the NLS days and the 30,000-capacity ground is also used for occasional international friendlies, such as New Zealand men’s All Whites against China in 2023 and their successful qualifying campaign for the 1982 World Cup. This is was where Steve Sumner scored his record six goals to enable the Kiwis to beat Fiji 13-0 and eventually make an appearance on the global stage for the first time.
The Preston-born striker, who died in 2017, is remembered every year when the Steve Sumner Trophy is awarded to the best player at the final to decide the domestic club champions. In 2018 and 2019, it went to Auckland-born Callum McCowatt, who played for the city’s top two clubs before making the inevitable move to Wellington Phoenix and from there, Europe.
Those clubs, Auckland City and Eastern Suburbs, currently stand first and second in the Northern League division of the New Zealand National League, in the box seat for them to qualify for the subsequent National League Championship, four berths of ten granted to their region. Nearly all members of their regional division are from Auckland and surroundings, City and Auckland United arguably the most representative of the city itself.
Auckland City play at Kiwitea Street, aka Freyberg Field, in the southern suburb of Sandringham. Given the lack of competition from Australia, whose national and club teams contest trophies with those in the Asian federation, Auckland City have lifted the Oceania Champions League crown 11 times from 2004, enabling them to take part in the prestigious Club World Cup on regular occasions, gaining a bronze medal in 2014.
Auckland United are at Keith Hay Park in nearby Mount Roskill, named after the district mayor who developed these sports facilities where the New Zealand team will be based as they train for the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
For the Women’s World Cup, the Auckland Fan Festival is at The Cloud, a convention centre right on the waterfront.
Getting Around
Arriving in town, local transport and timings
Auckland Airport consists of international and domestic terminals connected by a free shuttle bus, 21km (13 miles) south of the city centre. SkyDrive buses run direct every 30mins to the Sky City Bus Terminal by Sky Tower at 102 Hobson Street, journey time around 40mins. Tickets (NZ$18) can be purchased from the driver by card or online.
Part of Auckland city transport, an orange AirportLink bus goes every 10mins to Manukau and nearby Puhinui station (journey time 15-20mins) that connects with train lines into the city centre (overall fee NZ$5.80). Eden Park is beside Kingsland station on the green Western line, via Newmarket on the red Southern line from Puhinui. There are also buses and ferry services.
Public transport requires use of an AT HOP charge card. At Auckland Airport, you’ll find a machine by the AirportLink bus stop outside Door 4 of the domestic terminal, minimum initial top-up NZ$20 plus the NZ$5 card fee.
You can also buy single tickets (validity 2hrs) from machines by stops and at customer service centres.
Note that transport is free on match days for ticket holders during the Women’s World Cup.
You’ll find taxis at Auckland Airport from Door 8 (international arrivals) and Door 4 (domestic). The main companies have fixed fares to the Central Business District (CBD) of between NZ$65-NZ$90. Long-established Auckland Co-op Taxis (+64 9 300 3000) are as good as any.
Where to Drink
The best pubs and bars for soccer fans
The waterfront should be your first port of call for any drinking tour of Auckland. You hop between the rooftop of microbrewery Dr Rudi’s, TV sport an occasional distraction from the harbour views, the upper floor of 102-beer Brew on Quay and the sea-facing terrace of the sport-focused Coops Corner Pub https://joylab.co.nz/coops. There’s also Anglo ambience and match action at The Brit, a party vibe and many screens at Provedor.
Tucked in just behind on Customs Street West, The Fox goes by the alternative name of A London Pub, hence the 12 screens, Bulmer’s cider and toad in the hole.
Close by on Fort Street, the Right Track Sports Café is screen city with bells on, while the Munster Inn by The Civic goes big on sport from the UK and Ireland.
