Auckland FC have unveiled their new kit for the 2025/26 season – and there is a significant twist.
It was launched at a glamorous event at Soul Bar in Auckland on Thursday as part of New Zealand Fashion Week. As well as Auckland FC players, others to feature on the catwalk included ex-All Black Carlos Spencer, former Black Cap Jimmy Neesham and ex-Silver Fern Courtney Tairi.
It’s a uniform that will turn heads, and is sure to provoke mixed reactions, as the home shirt is significantly different to the strip worn in the inaugural season.
That classic shirt, with electric blue and black stripes, was a big seller in the first season. Auckland FC and New Balance were swamped by the demand and had to do several reorders.
The shirt became a ubiquitous sight around Auckland, from playgrounds to shopping malls and everywhere in between, as well as a must-have for match-day fans at Go Media Stadium.
For the second season, New Balance has opted for a different look. The shirt is predominantly black, with electric blue pinstripes running the length of the jersey.
The move is a departure from the norm as English Premier League teams tend to maintain the same base colour or colours with only slight alterations to collars, sleeves or cuffs.
The away shirt has also changed but the differences are more subtle. It remains a white base, with a gold collar and sleeve cuff. For the upcoming season, ANZ has replaced Anchor as the primary front-of-shirt sponsor, with the dairy brand now displayed on the back. Both commercial partners have extended their partnership until 2028.
All kits feature a gold inscription of the club’s mantra inside the collar, “Always Advance, Never Retreat”. New Balance worked with Whitecliffe College fashion students for elements of the design.
The kit launch was a special event for a New Zealand sporting franchise, continuing Auckland FC’s habit of doing things differently. In front of about 250 people at Soul Bar, those modelling the strip for the first time included Auckland FC players Liam Gillion and Joe Knowles. Spencer, still an icon in this country, raised a big cheer, as did Neesham and Tairi. Others on the catwalk included Stars midcourter Greer Sinclair and former Football Fern Emma Rolston.
“This was a little unusual for me to say the least,” Gillion said. “But I enjoyed it and I was proud to wear the kit. The designs of [the] fashion students were incredible; they are so talented. I have a lot of respect for those guys. It was a great afternoon and fantastic to get involved in something I wouldn’t usually be exposed to.”
After issues with sizing in the first season, partly because of the unexpected demand, the home kit for this campaign has been produced in two different fits – player replica and player elite. The player elite is the exact kit worn on the field by players, while the player replica is a more generous sizing.
The home, away and goalkeeper jerseys will be available on the Auckland FC website from Friday. Auckland FC are also hosting a pop-up store at Asuwere, Ponsonby Rd, from Friday to Sunday, before general retail release on Monday, September 1.
Michael Burgess has been a Sports Journalist for the New Zealand Herald since 2005, covering the Olympics, Fifa World Cups, and America’s Cup campaigns. He is a co-host of the Big League podcast.