Source: Radio New Zealand
All White Kosta Barbarouses has played for five A-League clubs including the Wellington Phoenix. PHOTOSPORT
New Zealand Football plans to double its revenue and the number of New Zealand-based A-League teams by 2035 in an ambitious strategy that targets results on and off the field.
Currently New Zealand Football (NZF) said there were 111 professional footballers from the country and the governing body wanted to increase that by 100 percent over the next decade.
As part of reaching that target NZF proposed three more A-League teams, with the first to be in place in the next six years.
Australian Professional Leagues (APL), who run the A-League, and Football Australia (FA) would have the final say in club licences in any expansion of the A-Leagues – so NZF’s aspirations could be at the mercy of decisions made overseas.
Despite New Zealand involvement, the A-League was classed as a competition played in the Asian confederation, while NZF is based in Oceania.
In a strategy document, Shaping the Future of Football in Aotearoa New Zealand, NZF said they would work with FA and APL to have the third team aligned with NZF’s player development pathway.
A South Island-based A-League club was mooted by NZF to join the Wellington Phoenix and Auckland FC.
The Phoenix and Auckland are backed by private ownership groups who helped fund the clubs, so another investor or group of backers would be needed to get another A-League club off the ground on this side of the Tasman.
Auckland had ideas of a women’s team to join the Phoenix’s women this season, but it was agreed by those involved that delaying the team until 2027 was “the right time”.
NZF wanted a total of three men’s and three women’s A-League teams by 2035.
All Whites Logan Rogerson and Alex Paulsen played together for Auckland FC last season. Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz
Strengthening the connection between the domestic game, professional and international football was part of NZF’s listed outcomes for the coming years and the plan outlined aligning talent development programmes and professional clubs.
Putting more money into age-group national teams to better prepare players for professional careers was part of that pathway.
Goals of having both the All Whites and Football Ferns progressing to the knockout stages of FIFA World Cups was something NZF would measure their success on.
The All Whites had a chance to achieve that in 2026 when they attended the World Cup for the first time in 16 years.
The focus was not just on the elite players with NZF aiming to be “the most inclusive sport in Aotearoa” and to have “increased diversity at all levels of football”.
NZF would target boosting Māori participation numbers to 14,000 players by 2035, Pasifika to 6500 and Asian to 15,500.
Getting more females playing was also on NZF’s agenda with a 2035 target of 60,000 female players split between football and futsal.
Football Fern Grace Jale. Photosport
Increasing coaches, referees and administrators from “underrepresented demographics” was also part of the diversity push.
Having a minimum of 10 coaches move through the New Zealand coaching pathway into roles as head coaches or assistant coaches with senior national teams or A-League sides over the next 10 years was part of the strategy, as was having more New Zealand coaches and officials pick up jobs on the world stage.
There are also targets to further secure the game’s financially sustainability, with NZF committing to double its revenue to $80 million per annum by 2035. It would also double community football investment into federations.
NZF chief executive officer Andrew Pragnell said the strategy was not only about “growing football but also about doing so in a financially sustainable approach”.
Andrew Pragnell. Photosport
“Football is in a very strong position in New Zealand right now, however, the next decade represents a huge opportunity in terms of growth and further transformation.
“We want to lead a football to new heights in a way that attracts and represents all New Zealanders and creates high quality football experiences that connects communities and inspires generations.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
