Thieves leave teams with costly loss

A Tauranga sports club has fallen prey to thieves twice in one day - in two separate cities.

Players from Tauranga City United football club lost smartphones, wallets, work and about $800 cash to thieves on Saturday who raided football changing rooms while teams were out on the field.

Tauranga City United team A acting coach Ross Johnson said the team went to warm up at their Links Ave grounds but failed to lock the door to their changing rooms behind them.

"We would have been out for about half an hour. We came in just before kick-off and one of the guys said 'someone's been in this room' because his phone was missing.

"Then everyone else went to check their phones and they had all gone."

The men's team included a Year 13 student whose flashdrive containing all his school work was also stolen.

A player who spent his morning selling firewood lost a wad of $400 cash while others players lost about $400 between them.

In Auckland on Saturday, members of the Tauranga City Northern League First Team played against Waitemata Federation Football League and also had phones stolen from the changing room as they played.

Club co-ordinator Tony Pill said the room had been locked so he was unsure how the theft occurred but it was reported to police following the game.

Mr Pill said the club put signs up at Links Ave regularly to remind people to lock up personal belongings.

Mr Pill said the weekend's events provided a tough lesson for some, "if you leave the changing rooms, lock the doors".

Tauranga City United AFC president Ron Boyle said police were investigating.