Teams, tales and tips – a guide to the local game
A hub of rugby and alt-rock at the south end of South Island pointing towards Antarctica, Dunedin has hosted World Cups before, in both codes. Settled by Scots and Chinese during the gold rush of the mid-1800s, ‘Dunedin’ derives from the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, and was itself New Zealand’s de facto capital for a while.
Place names – Caledonian Park, the Water of Leith, St Andrew Street – reflect this
Now it’s an affluent university town, heritage buildings set on steep streets and a busy bar scene around the focal Octagon in the city centre. Around town, the oval ball holds sway, Highlanders a top Super Rugby outfit competing with the best from Australia and Argentina.
Their home of the Forsyth Barr Stadium, where England played three group games during the 2011 Rugby World Cup soon after it opened, now welcomes co-hosts New Zealand, 2017 European champions Netherlands, 2022 African champions South Africa and 2018 Asian champions Japan for the Women’s World Cup.
The 30,000-capacity arena, referred to as the Otago or Dunedin Stadium for global tournaments, hasn’t seen much soccer since the U-20 World Cup in 2015. Surprise winners Serbia played four games here, later Lazio star Sergej Milinković-Savić scoring against Mali, while a crowd of nearly 7,000 watched the all-Latin clash between Colombia and Portugal.
In terms of domestic action, semi-pros Southern United of the now defunct New Zealand Soccer Championship switched most of their home games to Logan Park in the earlier 2000s. No longer with us either, SU gave way to Dunedin City Royals, an amalgamation of several smaller outfits, including, quite wonderfully, Melchester Rovers. Founded in 2021, DCR are branded around the surrounding seascape of South Dunedin where they are based, a seagull gliding over the waves forming the badge and the club opting for colours of sky blue.
Playing bigger fixtures at the Forsyth Barr, the Royals mainly play at the Caledonian Ground. Relocated to its current location at Logan Park, in the same area of North Dunedin around the university where you also find the Forsyth Barr, the original Caledonian Ground was in South Dunedin. Here, New Zealand’s soccer team played their first game, against a New South Wales XI in 1904.
The All Whites’ first official match was also in Dunedin, this time at Carisbrook, a 3-1 win over Australia in 1922. Located in Caversham, South Dunedin, ‘The Brook’ was the city’s main venue for major rugby and soccer fixtures until it was demolished in 2011 with the opening of the Forsyth Barr. Focus duly moved to North Dunedin, a trend Dunedin City Royals, originally named South City Royals, are looking to redress.
When the New Zealand National League was founded as a successor to the New Zealand Soccer Championship in 2021, however, the South City Royals failed to make the cut for the Championship phase by one league point. The sky blues currently stand just below the sought-after slots with half the 2023 season gone.
Trailing way behind are Green Island, Dunedin’s oldest soccer club, dating back to 1896. Originally based in suburban Burnside, just past Caversham, these semi-pros play even further out, at Sunnyvale Park in Green Island, qualifying for the Southern League by means of a third-tier divisional title in 2020.
The Dunedin fan zone for the Women’s World Cup will be set up around the Town Hall and Glenroy Auditorium between July 20 and August 1.
Getting Around
Arriving in town, local transport and timings
Dunedin Momona Airport serves Air New Zealand and Jetstar domestic services. The nationwide Super Shuttle (+64 9 522 5100), best booked in advance, takes 25mins to cover the 29km into town, charging NZ$40. Once a day, generally at 11.45am, an InterCity bus does the same for NZ$10. A regular Dunedin Taxi (+64 3 4777 777) should charge around NZ$100-NZ$120.
Dunedin is not directly connected by rail with the major cities of North Island, nor even Christchurch. Dunedin Railways offers scenic regional routes around Otago. Dunedin station is in the centre of town, close to the main hub of the Octagon. Forsyth Barr Stadium is about 1.5km (one mile) north-east along Anzac Avenue towards the university.
A network of buses serves the city. The standard cash fare is NZ$3 or it’s NZ$2 with a top-up Bee Card.
The stadium is a 20min walk from town up Anzac Avenue. During the Women’s World Cup, ticket holders can use the free shuttle buses that run between the Octagon in town and the stadium.
Where to Drink
The best pubs and bars for soccer fans
Given Dunedin’s significant student population and penchant for alt-rock, it’s no wonder it has serious local brewing industry, best represented by Emerson’s, the age-old Speight’s and Noisy. All have outlets you can visit and/or purchase from. At the focal Octagon, Emerson’s oversees an equally convivial Brew Bar.
Speight’s run an Ale House the other side of the Octagon from town, showcasing the ales brewed here since 1876.
The Octagon is where you find the city’s main bar and restaurant zone, starting with The Craic, showing sport, and serving Guinness and top-quality pub grub since 2005. Alongside the ales at Emerson’s Brew Bar, Bacchus provides fine wines, whiskies and dishes aplenty.
Beside Bacchus, the swish Carousel Bar attracts cocktail sippers and schmoozers. Across Stuart Street, Eleven conveniently places a big screen outside to follow the action as you sup and dine.
For an out-and-out sports bar, head north to Great King Street North, and The Baaa, lively and filled with screens.
At the same end of town on George Street, The Bog is the sister location of a similar Irish bar in Christchurch, with the same winning formula of pints, sport and all-day breakfasts.
