Fans rallied to the Auckland FC men's team in their debut season. Photo / Photosport
The entry of Auckland FC into the women’s A-League competition has been delayed for two years.
While it was always expected that it would not happen for the upcoming season – given the timeframe – the earliest the new team will now be in place is for the 2027/2028 campaign. It was confirmed on Thursday by the Australian Professional Leagues (APL), the governing body of the A-Leagues, that the new licence will be granted for that season.
The APL said it was committed to the Auckland women’s programme – but is determined to launch “when the time is right” and grow the league on a sustainable basis.
A major aspect of the decision appears to be costs. The A-Leagues have had well-documented financial issues over the past few years, with a huge staff restructure and a downgraded broadcast deal.
The league’s current broadcast arrangement with Paramount finishes at the end of this season, and it’s hoped they will be able to negotiate a superior deal for the next cycle, though it is a challenging time for sports rights.
It has also been hit with the recent demise of Western United.
Australian media reported in June that a second New Zealand women’s team – alongside the Wellington Phoenix – would add around A$400,000 ($441,524) to the overall travel bill for the women’s league, on top of all other costs. As well as the annual club distribution, which was A$530,000 for last season, the APL covers all flights and accommodation for each club.
In a statement, APL executive chairman Stephen Conroy said: “We are undertaking a thorough review of our A-League Women strategy to enable focused investment and ensure sustainable growth.
“As part of this process, the decision has been made to defer the entry of Auckland’s women’s team until 2027/28.
“Expanding the competition will be a key part of this strategy, but it is important we take into consideration the challenges unique to our women’s game and we expand the league at the right pace and with the right investment, to ensure long-term sustainable growth.
“We are confident that when the time is right, Auckland FC will do a fantastic job in launching a women’s side that will be strong on and off the pitch, just as they have done with their men’s team.”
Even if it comes down to budget, the news is a blow for women’s football in the region, especially after the momentum from the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup. It had been signposted that there would be a delay, but two more years is longer than most stakeholders would have envisioned.
While disappointed, Auckland FC were trying to find the positives.
In a statement, the club said the decision “does not impact Auckland’s FC commitment to working with the best young female footballers from across the region, as well as the club’s dedication to help grow women’s football in New Zealand”.
Auckland FC indicated they would continue to invest and build their talent base, to be optimally ready when the time is right. Next month, they will launch their women’s talent development centre, after starting talent identification camps in April.
The club said these programmes will find aspiring players and create pathways into the senior team before 2027.
Still, it feels like a major handbrake and it would have been difficult to accept, especially with recent impetus given to the Wellington Phoenix women’s programme with the acquisition of former Canada coach Bev Priestman.
Co-owner Anna Mowbray, who has been a champion of the female game within the organisation, said the club will be proactive despite the postponement.
“A delay is unfortunate and goes against what we initially intended when we set up Auckland FC,” Mowbray said in a statement. “But it doesn’t mean we just sit on our hands and wait.”
Mowbray said the club will roll out “a series of women’s football initiatives” to celebrate and promote the female game in the community. As a club, we remain committed to a women’s team and determined to make it happen”.
Chief executive Nick Becker reiterated the same themes.
“We understand the reason behind the decision, and naturally we want to launch our women’s team into the strongest possible Ninja A-League,” he said.
”Since day one, we have worked hard to embed ourselves into Auckland’s wider community. Forming a women’s team is a big part of that, and this hasn’t changed. Our Women’s Talent Development Centre is launching this September, and we will run regular talent ID camps across Auckland, Northland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty.
“Our team will start to train early 2027 and we will be ready to go for the 2027/28 season.”
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.