Two Western Springs AFC teenagers are on their way to football scholarships in the United States after long-time association with the club throughout their young careers

Indigo Kirk and Charli Dunn, both 18 will attend Wilmington University in NCAA Division II in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference for Kirk and Dunn at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) in the NCAA Division 1 Conference.

Kirk has worn the green and white hoops since joining the club as a youngster, working her way through the grades all the way up to the Women’s Premier squad.

She has played in various teams, including Junior Grades, Academy, Girls National Youth League squads, and recently graduated into competitive Women’s Development and Women’s Premier Teams.

Kirk contributed to key moments this season, including scoring the winner in a cross-town clash against Eastern Suburbs in the NRFL Women’s Premier, that also won NRFL Goal of the Week. 

Additionally, she regularly led coaching sessions for Academy players, School Holiday Football and various programmes over the years.

Women's Premier captain Tiana Hill has seen Kirk's development at Springs first hand.

“We have seen Indi take her game to new heights in the last 12 months. She consistently puts in bold and impactful performances. Indi is a vibrant core of our Springs whanau who will be deeply missed. We wish her nothing but greatness in the next step in her footy journey."

Meanwhile Dunn has been at the club for 13 years. her first game for Springs was in 2012, at just five years and one month old.

She has played in every age group and joined the Women’s Premier Team in 2024, with 47 games in the Lotto NRFL Women’s Premiership.

Dunn recently earned recognition on the world stage, representing New Zealand at the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in 2024

She has also given back to the club in many ways, including coaching in the Academy, Fantails, Holiday Programmes and Skill Centres, as well as four years helping various community and social teams.

Dunn has had a positive impact on so many others around the club and she will be missed by everyone she has played, coached and worked alongside.

“It has been inspirational watching Charli grow in confidence, composure and leadership in the prems space over the last few years. She is a player who you can trust to have your back on and off the field. Charli is an incredibly talented player with a bright future ahead. We will miss her beyond words but wish her nothing but the best for this new adventure," said HIll. 
 

Wellington Phoenix general manager David Dome is calling on Wellingtonians to turn the city yellow this weekend.

The Phoenix play host to Auckland FC at Sky Stadium on Saturday evening in the country’s first professional football derby.

“It’s one of the biggest matches in our history,” Dome said. “Saturday, November 2 is the date we’ve had circled on our calendars since the draw was made.

“Our semi-final at Sky Stadium last season was unforgettable and this promises to be just as memorable an occasion as we welcome Auckland FC to Aotearoa’s home of football for the first time.”

And Dome wants the A-League newcomers to know they’re entering enemy territory this week.

“Yellow is the only colour Auckland 3.0 should see when they arrive on Friday,” Dome said.

“I want all Wellingtonians to wear yellow, regardless of whether you have a Phoenix shirt or not, to show you’re backing the Nix on Saturday night.

“We need our city’s support more than ever. Our noisy neighbours, with their billionaire American owner, want to buy their way to an A-League title.

“They’ve used their millions to lure Alex Paulsen away from us and I’m sure it’ll just be the start, but it takes much more than money to be successful.

“The Wellington Phoenix have been here for 17 years proudly representing the people of Te-Whanganui-a-tara and football fans throughout Aotearoa, and we’re here to stay.

“We have the best fans in New Zealand sport and they create an unrivalled atmosphere, which I’m sure will reach a whole new level on Saturday.

“I can’t wait for derby, and I look forward to seeing you all dressed in yellow.”

Wellington Phoenix players will be decorating the city with club flags on Thursday and will be handing out tickets to those in Nix colours.

The Phoenix will also unveil a new trophy for the derby on Saturday.

Four Wellington Phoenix players have been named in the All Whites squad for this month’s internationals against Tahiti and Malaysia.

Forward Kosta Barbarouses, midfielder Alex Rufer and fullbacks Tim Payne and Sam Sutton have been selected in New Zealand’s 21-strong group.

The quartet all travelled to North America last month for the All Whites’ international friendlies against Mexico and the U.S.A.

Payne, 39 caps, started both matches, while Rufer, 15 caps, started the 1-1 draw against the U.S.A. after coming off the bench in the 3-0 defeat to Mexico.

Barbarouses, 62 caps, also featured in both friendlies, while Sam Sutton, three caps, was an unused substitute having been a late addition to the squad.

New Zealand’s match against Tahiti is a second round Oceania qualifier for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It’ll be played in Vanuatu on Friday, October 11.

The All Whites will then return home for an international friendly against Malaysia at North Harbour Stadium on Monday, October 14.

Both matches will be streamed on FIFA+.

Meanwhile, Phoenix midfielder Mo Al-Taay has been called up to the Iraq squad for their FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Palestine and South Korea.

Iraq will host Palestine on Friday, October 11 NZT before visiting South Korea on the following Tuesday night.

All five players will then rejoin the Wellington Phoenix ahead of their Isuzu UTE A-League season opener against Western United at Sky Stadium on Sunday, October 20.

The following quote is from Anna Cusack, Advocacy and Policy Manager for Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand, in response to the news today that Visit Saudi will not be a sponsor of the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia.

"The proposed sponsorship arrangement between Visit Saudi and FIFA was deeply problematic. But today, people power won. We have seen the power of people coming together, with thousands of voices saying no to sportswashing.

Of course, this is about much more than football. This is about standing in solidarity with Saudi women, girls and human rights activists, until they have the freedoms that everyone should have. Until they are not oppressed by the male guardianship system, until they are not imprisoned for promoting women’s rights, until people are not put to death.

We all must continue speaking out against the Saudi authorities’ human rights abuses and calling for much needed reforms. That includes the New Zealand Government raising concerns through all possible diplomatic channels and in public."
 

Four Wellington Phoenix players will help the All Whites try and qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Oli Sail, Tim Payne, Clayton Lewis and Ben Waine have been named in New Zealand’s initial 26-man national squad, which will be trimmed to 23 for the intercontinental playoff against Costa Rica in Doha on June 14 (June 15 NZT).

“I’m very happy with the squad we have assembled,” All Whites head coach Danny Hay said. “The vast majority were part of the qualifying campaign, and a significant number were in the Olympic side, so this is a group that understands how we want to play and what is expected of them. 

“While it is unfortunate that Sarpreet Singh and Ryan Thomas are missing with injury, it is great we are able to bring Marco Rojas and Michael Boxall back after they weren’t available in March.

“We know this is a massive moment for football in New Zealand and I believe these are the players that give us the best possible chance of qualifying for the FIFA World Cup later this year.”

Sail made his long-awaited debut for the All Whites in March, starting the first two matches of New Zealand’s Oceania World Cup qualifying campaign and keeping clean sheets against Papua New Guinea and Fiji.

He is fresh off an outstanding season with the Phoenix and is regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the Isuzu UTE A-League.

Sail will vie with former club team-mate Stefan Marinovic to start in goal against Costa Rica.

Payne has played 25 times for the national team since making his debut as an 18-year-old a decade ago.

The versatile defender featured in the business end of Oceania qualifying in March, including starting the final against the Solomon Islands.

Payne was again a regular member of the Phoenix’s starting XI in his third season with the club, missing only three matches as a result of national team commitments.

Lewis has fought back from a sickening ankle injury suffered on his return from international duty to be named as one of just a few specialist central midfielders in the All Whites squad.

The Tokyo Olympian was the linchpin of the Phoenix midfield before suffering the injury and showed his class in the club’s final two matches once he recovered.

Lewis has played 18 times for the national team since making his debut as an 18-year-old in 2015. He played the full 90 minutes in New Zealand’s first two Oceania World Cup qualifying matches in March.

Waine, also a Tokyo Olympian, scored on debut for the All Whites in March to secure New Zealand a crucial 1-0 win over Papua New Guinea in their opening World Cup qualifier.

The 20-year-old was the Phoenix’s joint top goal scorer in the A-League this season, finding the back of the net six times.

Oli Sail, Tim Payne, Clayton Lewis and Ben Waine will assemble with the All Whites in Spain next week ahead of an international friendly against Peru in Barcelona on June 5. New Zealand will also play a yet to be announced second national team in Doha on June 9 prior to the intercontinental playoff against Costa Rica.

The Wellington Phoenix’s path to the Isuzu UTE A-League grand final is through Melbourne.

Australian Professional Leagues have announced the Phoenix’s elimination final against Western United will be played at AAMI Park in Melbourne on Saturday, May 14 at 7:45pm AEST (9:45pm NZT).

If the Nix beat Western United they will return to AAMI Park the following weekend for the second leg of their semi-final against Melbourne City.

The first leg of their semi-final, should they qualify, would be played at Sky Stadium in Wellington on Wednesday, May 18.

There is also a good chance the 2022 A-League grand final will be played in Melbourne, after Victorian clubs City, Victory and Western secured the first three berths in the finals.

The Phoenix have won all three of their meetings with Western United this season.

A first-half goal from Ben Waine secured the Nix a 1-0 win in their FFA Cup round of 32 match in Geelong in early December.

Gael Sandoval scored on debut in their first A-League meeting in Wollongong in January, with Gary Hooper also finding the back of the net in a 2-1 win.

And last month the Nix rebounded from heavy back-to-back defeats to beat Western United 4-1 in Ballarat. Jaushua Sotirio scored twice, while Scott Wootton and Sandoval also got on the score sheet.

“They’re still a good team,” Phoenix head coach Ufuk Talay said. “They finished in a good position at the back end of the season [and] they’ve got some experienced players.

“We’ve had some good results against them but that was in the regular season. Finals football is a lot different. It’s a one-off game.”

Tickets for the finals go on sale on Thursday.

With the football season fast approaching, passionate footballers need to head to MeanFeet – the specialist football retailer, for all your football needs this season. With a huge range of top-end, elite level boots from Nike, Adidas, Puma, Asics and Mizuno, you’ll get the best gear, service and advice at the Auckland MeanFeet store, or shopping online at http://www.meanfeet.co.nz .

The launch of the revolutionary Nike Magista Obra and Nike Mercurial Superfly changed the game this year – with MeanFeet one of the few exclusive retailers able to offer these elite level football boots to the New Zealand market. The Nike Magista Obra and Nike Mercurial Superfly have taken football boot technology to the next level – incorporating Nike Flyknit technology, taken from the Nike Running Shoe range, and fusing it together with their game changing football technologies, such as a high-top collar, All-Conditions-Control (ACC), NikeSkin and a carbon-fiber outsole plate. These technologies provide an incredible fit, and unrivalled feel on the ball for football players looking for high performance football boots.

There is extremely limited availability on the Magista Obra and Mercurial Superfly – so serious football players looking for these elite level boots need to head to MeanFeet, or pre-order their boots online.
The team at MeanFeet know how important having the right gear is, as they are out there on the pitch too, and they know that football is more than a game, it’s a year round passion – which is why they stock the best football boots, all year round – for the winter, summer and indoor football seasons.

MeanFeet also stock a full range of boots from Nike, Adidas, Puma, Asics and Mizuno – with football boots to suit the elite level player, and the weekend player looking for a great value pair of boots. MeanFeet pride themselves on having a comprehensive range of kids boots too – and will fit the boots correctly to ensure young footballers enjoy their football in correct fitting, comfortable boots.

With a wide range of football club apparel, shin guards, balls and accessories MeanFeet is your one stop football destination. MeanFeet can also kit out your football team or club in team apparel.

With pre-season training and fitness on the horizon, MeanFeet can also fit you in to a pair of Running or Training shoes, to ensure you hit the new football season in peak condition.

MeanFeet is New Zealand's online Running shoes, Football boots, Rugby boots, Apparel and Accessories specialist, stocking all your favourite brands and they ship to New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Islands.

In 1996, Nike partnered with the world’s most decorated international side, the Brasilian National Team. It was time to create a boot worthy of their calibre of play. Ronaldo, the squad’s young striker, was chosen as the muse. On the pitch, he was patient—stalking, waiting for the right moment. Then, when opportunity arose, he’d strike, accelerating to the ball with velocity that the game had never seen before. With the goal in his sights, Ronaldo would change in nature. He was, in short, mercurial.

To craft a boot suited to Ronaldo’s explosive style, Nike designers looked to the track. Early concepts included a dissembled track spike married to a Nike Tiempo upper, which illustrated the objective of unmatched weight reduction in a football boot. To meet the challenge, the team of designers bucked longstanding trends by eschewing kangaroo leather and employing a synthetic kangaroo replacement, KNG-100.

The second major breakthrough was reducing plate thickness from the industry standard 3 mm to a game-changing 1.75 mm. Luca Bolpagni, from Nike’s Product Creation Centre in Montebelluna, Italy said of the innovations,

“Everything was shocking at the time. The look, the materials, people didn’t know what to think. It was a truly exciting moment.”

Nike launched the Mercurial silo in 1998, forever changing the look and feel of performance football boots.

For more information, visit nikeinc.com/news/a-timeline-of-nike-mercurial-boots

From 1996-2014, Nike celebrates the designs for the most iconic uniform in sport: the Brasil national team kit.

The yellow jersey. Called Amarelinha or Little Yellow One, the home shirt for the most successful football team in the world represents the exuberant pride of the nation and is as recognizable as the country’s flag.

“Football is so ingrained in Brasil, it dissolves into the culture. It’s hard to capture the meaning of the relationship between Brasilians and the sport,” says Peter Hudson, former Creative Director who worked on Nike football apparel for seven years. “I think you have to go to events, be at a match, look players in the eye on the starting line to really appreciate what it means.”

The Brasil national team home jersey wasn’t always yellow. It took a devastating defeat in the 1950 final at home to initiate a color scheme change. After wearing white and blue for half a century, the Confederação Brasileira de Futebol (CBF) debuted a new kit in yellow, green and blue — the colors of Brasil’s flag — in 1954. The design was the result of a national competition, and the new colors stuck.

Nike started making kits for CBF in 1997, after signing on as the team’s official apparel sponsor the year prior.  Here, a look inside the process of creating Brasil’s national team home kit for the major competitions of 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014.

To check out all 12 jerseys visit: http://nikeinc.com/news/a-retrospective-of-brasil-s-yellow-jersey

Nike has unveiled the All Whites Away kit for 2014, augmented with the best in performance innovation with a classic and bold look that reflects the country’s national pride. 

The kit features a classic black jersey with the NZ Football crest and Nike swoosh emblazoned on the front, and the name and numbers in a new and stylish grey to represent the iconic NZ silver fern on the back.

A tonal silver fern design can be found on the cuffs on each sleeve when flipped over, while the crest of the silver fern on the chest is the ultimate symbol of national pride and is displayed as a crafted piece of embroidery.

The new kit shorts are a simple and iconic black, and feature a slimmer and more tailored fit with a cut specifically designed to aid movement and comfort. The centre back of the shorts feature Nike’s signature laser vents to aid in cooling and allow for moisture management. The new home socks are also white to complete an imposing and sleek all white appearance.

“It’s always great to pull on your national jersey, and the new away kit looks impactful and strong,” says All White, Winston Reid.

“It feels really light, and I love the clean and sharp look of it.”

Tech innovations include a tapered side seam with vent detail, performance mesh back panel, and laser holes for high-speed, localized cooling.

“By managing sweat and keeping the body cooler longer, players feel more comfortable, sweat less and perform better,” says Martin Lotti, Nike Football Global Creative Director.

“Incorporating environmental sustainability is a key part of the design and development process for us. Our aim is to create a kit that performs for players and is good to the planet.”

ULTIMATE IN COOLING AND COMFORT
The kit aids performance by helping to regulate player body temperature over the course of match. By using a combination of Nike Dri-FIT technology, “burnout” mesh and laser-cut ventilation holes, designers are able to localize cooling where players need it most.

Nike Dri-FIT technology pulls moisture away from the skin to the outside of the garment where it evaporates more quickly. Laser-cut ventilation holes and engineered mesh in key areas where heat is generated allow for increased breathability and airflow across the skin. 

In addition to keeping players cool, the kit is made with a new dual-knit fabrication that incorporates cotton and recycled polyester for the best in moisture-wicking properties, while adding a softer feel and more flattering shape.

ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
In line with Nike’s commitment to superior performance with lower environmental impact, the shirt, short - and for the first time in a New Zealand national team kit, the socks - all feature fabric made from recycled plastic bottles (100 percent recycled polyester in the shorts, 96 percent recycled polyester in the shirt and 78 percent in the socks). Each kit is made using an average of 18 recycled plastic bottles. Since 2010, Nike has diverted almost 2 billion bottles from landfills, enough to cover more than 2,800 full-sized football pitches.

PERFECT FIT
Designers’ utilized three-dimensional body scans of elite footballers to collect data on the form of today’s players and identify an updated fit, improving comfort and allowing the body to move more naturally within the kit.

While looking at every element of the modern football kit, Nike designers even paid special attention to the kit’s socks. Combining athlete insight and research with new materials and fabrications, the Nike Elite Match Fit sock for 2014 features a sleeker fit specific to football. Strategically cushioned zones provide comfort and protection at the big toe and ankle bones where the majority of impact occurs, while arch support locks down the foot to help prevent slipping. Material was also eliminated to enhance touch and decrease bulk, and flex grooves were added to the ankle and the top of the foot to prevent bunching.

The new All Whites Stadium Jersey is available now at leading sports retail outlets
Adult RRP$110, Kids RRP$90

Nike, the official supplier to the Barclay's Premier League, Serie A and La Liga, has unveiled the new Ordem football, its most innovative, technologically advanced and aerodynamically tuned ball to date.

Playing on the new ball’s unprecedented flight control, Nike has created a new film, “Straight Down The Middle”, that features a lighthearted golf game between iconic athletes Wayne Rooney and Rory McIlroy.

In the new film, Rooney and McIlroy exchange impressive shots over the course of 18 holes – Rory with his Nike VRS Covert 2.0 driver and Wayne with the new Nike Ordem football. The film features a series of playful scenarios with a special guest appearance by Brasilian legend Ronaldo, who provides Rooney with a critical assist towards the end of Rooney’s round.

Rooney and Rory have long been fans of each other’s game, and a true comradeship developed over the course of filming as they exchanged tips on golf and football.

"The thing that strikes me about Wayne as a football player is just how hard he works on the pitch and how involved he wants to be in every single play," said McIlroy. "He’s obviously an attacking player, but he doesn’t mind getting back and defending. And he’s really turned himself into a talisman for United and for England."

NIKE ORDEM
In a game that’s more physically and technically demanding, the Nike Ordem football allows players to take control of the game knowing the ball will stay true.

Built for the next generation of footballers, the Nike Ordem offers optimal touch with new Fuse-Welded panels; unprecedented flight control with new aerodynamic NIKE AEROW TRAC grooves; and maximum visibility with Nike RaDaR technology to help see the ball quicker.

Controlling the ball starts with the first touch, and the Nike Ordem ball is designed and engineered for a highly sensitive feel and explosive response off the foot. The ball consists of 12 fuse-welded panels in a 3-layer casing system, and a poly-blend wrapped, free-floating carbon latex bladder.

The surface of the Nike Ordem is debossed with NIKE AEROW TRAC grooves. Nike Football’s newest proprietary innovation, these grooves are engineered to grip and channel the air to produce the truest trajectory and most consistent flight, which help ensure stability and accuracy in mid-air.

The surface of the Nike Ordem is emblazoned with Nike’s RaDaR (Rapid Decision and Response) technology. This is a graphic pattern that creates a flickering effect as the ball rotates making it easier to see in a player’s peripheral vision and allowing for faster reactions and decision-making.

The ball featured in 'Straight Down The Middle' will be used by all Nike-sponsored Federations (including the ten teams who will play in Brasil next summer) in international friendly games from early 2014.

View the film here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fh6ZDBcWtSk

The Nike Ordem will be available January 1, 2014.
For stockist details, call 0508 478 478. RRP $170

NEW CAMPAIGN CHALLENGES THE WORLD TO 'DARE TO BE BRASILIAN'

Nike highlights Brasil’s phenomenal style of football in 90-second film by director Daniel Kleinman.

In a country known for turning football into an art form, Nike celebrates the Brasilian style of play with the launch of ‘Dare to be Brasilian’. The heart of the campaign is a short film featuring Neymar, Thiago Silva, David Luiz, Paulinho, Bernard, and members of the coaching staff, including Luiz Felipe Scolari (Felipão), which highlights the players' unique styles and attitudes on the pitch.

“As their victory on home soil last summer reminded the World, no one plays like Brasil,” said Davide Grasso, Chief Marketing Officer, Nike. “Their unique brand of phenomenal football is an inspiration to Nike and athletes around the world, and we are celebrating that unique style of play with this new campaign.”

“Dare to Be Brasilian” looks at the individual personalities and styles of Neymar, Silva, Luiz, Paulinho, and Bernard, as well as the essence of their style of play, to create a visually stunning portrayal of the game through each player's perspective. In scenes unique to each player, we see the game through their eyes. Neymar plays like a kid; Luiz runs over the competition; Silva dominates the penalty box; Bernard is the fleet-footed midfielder in a land of giants; and Paulinho is the responsible one of the group.

“The football player in Brasil is a player who improvises, dares and modifies," said Felipão. “Our players infuse their unique style of play with their natural talents, and that’s when these players and the Brasilian team become unbeatable.”

The film opens with the players preparing for the kick-off singing the Brasil national anthem. As the game begins, the film flips from the pitch to Thiago’s world, shot in a gangster-noir film style. He is The Godfather of the penalty box, and, as Ivete Sangalo watches on, Silva attacks an opponent, stealing the ball.

The scene cuts to Felipão, who is commanding a team of four-year olds wearing the National Team uniform. Felipao’s fatherly style of management clearly apparent in this heart-warming moment. One is a young David Luiz, and the defensive back’s world takes on an animated forms courtesy of Brasilian cartoonist Rafael Grampá.

The script follows this cadence between fiction and reality until it closes on a goal by Neymar, closing with the statement, “No one plays like us.”

View the video here: Nike Football: Dare to be Brasilian

The Brasilian National Team kit will be available December 6, 2013 at Nike Only Stores and Rebel Sports RRP$110