South Island United step onto the OFC Pro League stage on Saturday against Auckland FC at Eden Park. Sam Coughlan speaks to those in charge at the club about how the dream became a reality.
From the league’s announcement in January last year to the bid’s acceptance in October – by which time the team had been renamed South Island United – the club’s CEO worked tirelessly to get the deal over the line.
“It feels like two seasons, two years of work, to put it that way,” Edwards said.
The hard work of himself and several others has paid off, with United set to take the field on Saturday at Eden Park in a blockbuster opening clash with the other New Zealand side in the competition, Auckland FC.
“It kind of makes it real, doesn’t it?” Edwards said.
“All this paperwork and verdict process, it’s all kind of words on a page until you actually see the players start training, and I think the game will make it really sink in.”
The bid passed through two rounds of decision-making, with United required to prove it could meet a range of criteria, including paying at least 20 players full-time, employing additional staff and demonstrating long-term financial stability.
United is one of eight teams in the competition alongside teams from Australia, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Fiji, Tahiti, the Solomon Islands and Auckland FC
“I said to the staff, I don’t know if I’m more excited about being accepted or more daunted by the workload to come.
“The work is all straightforward enough, getting insurance, visas sorted, flights, accommodation, all these sort of things.
“But when you have a super condensed timeline, I had conversations with 30 potential sponsors in five weeks, 50 plus phone calls with various players to get them signed, all those sorts of things, they add up,” he said.
Attacking midfielder David Yoo became the club’s first signing in mid-November, while defender Christian Gray, the 21st and final player, was announced on January 7.
Former Fiji head coach and New Zealand Football technical director Rob Sherman has come on board as head coach.
“I believe in a possession-based style, being organised defensively and collectively defending, so everyone’s expected to contribute to that,” he said.
“Across all areas, both in attack and defence, I’m reasonably confident that we can be a solid side with and without the ball.”
United is the first-ever professional football team from the South Island. Existing professional clubs Auckland FC and Wellington Phoenix compete in Australia’s A-League.
Auckland’s team in the OFC league functions as the reserve side for their A-League team.
Defender Riley Grover is one of several players in the United squad born and bred in the South Island, now representing their home team.
The 21-year-old grew up in Nelson and spent the past four years playing for Christchurch United in the Southern League after attending school in Wellington.
“Growing up in the South Island and being one of many that moved away to chase that dream of professional football, to then coming back and now being professional, it’s just incredible,” Grover said.
“There’s a few in this team who have had a similar path, like Lewis (Partridge), Haris (Zeb), David (Yoo), we’ve all grown up in the South Island, moved away for that dream, and now we’re back here for that dream.
“To be able to do it in the South Island is amazing, when I was a kid I would have never thought it would be possible, to be honest, and now it’s a reality.”
Sherman said it would be special to be part of the first professional match for the South Island side.
“For everyone involved, it will be ground-breaking.
“I’ve been lucky enough to be in football all my life, so actually getting on the pitch, either as a player or as a coach, that’s what it’s about. I’m really looking forward to it,” he said.
Oskar van Hattum
The All Whites winger is the SIU’s biggest signing, having made 41 A-League appearances for Wellington Phoenix between 2021-25 before stints playing for Sligo Rovers in Ireland and Valour FC in Canada. Van Hattum is the nephew of former New Zealand and Christchurch United goalkeeper Frank van Hattum.
Ryan Feutz
A prolific goalscorer in Australian domestic leagues, Feutz – who hails from Ashburton – might well be one of the most talented players in the team. The 24-year-old joins from Australian second-tier side Sydney Olympic, where he scored 11 goals in 15 games, and earlier netted 42 times in just 24 league games for Newcastle team Edgeworth Eagles. His father Greg is also a well-known name in Canterbury football, winning the Golden Boot and Mainland Premier League with Nomads United.
Haris Zeb
Zeb has faced more setbacks than most in his footballing career, the 24-year-old forward having broken his foot five times, requiring two surgeries to fix the chronic weakness. Growing up in Christchurch to Pakistani parents, Zeb was due to play in Finland in 2023 before a recurrence of his injury brought him home. He has since lifted the National League with Auckland City and was man of the match in the final, and played for the Pakistani national team.
Dauntae Mariner
Samoan midfielder Mariner comes from rich footballing heritage – his uncle Tim Cahill is Australia’s all-time leading scorer. Mariner, 25, has played at several Australian clubs and had stints in England and Portugal before turning out for Nelson Suburbs in the Southern League for two years, proving one of their best players as they finished fourth last year.
- The South Island United fixtures can be found at www.southislandunited.com
