New Zealand Derby (football)
New Zealand football derby
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The New Zealand Derby (Māori: Mai te Raki ki te Tonga),[1] also known as the Kiwi Derby[2] is a local football derby in the A-League Men, Australia's top soccer league, between the two New Zealand-based clubs in the league: Auckland FC and Wellington Phoenix.
Wellington
A-League Men
Wellington Phoenix 0–2 Auckland FC
A-League Men
Wellington Phoenix 0–5 Auckland FC
First ever New Zealand Derby on 2 November 2024 at Sky Stadium, Wellington. | |
| Location | Auckland Wellington |
|---|---|
| Teams | Auckland FC Wellington Phoenix |
| First meeting | 2 November 2024 A-League Men Wellington Phoenix 0–2 Auckland FC |
| Latest meeting | 21 February 2026 A-League Men Wellington Phoenix 0–5 Auckland FC |
| Next meeting | 7 November 2026 A-League Men Auckland FC v Wellington Phoenix |
| Stadiums | Mount Smart Stadium[a] (Auckland) Wellington Regional Stadium[b][c](Wellington) |
| Statistics | |
| Total meetings | 6 |
| Most wins | Auckland FC (6) |
All-time series | Auckland FC: 6 Drawn: 0 Wellington Phoenix: 0 |
Largest victory | Auckland FC 6–1 Wellington Phoenix A-League Men (22 February 2025) Wellington Phoenix 0–5 Auckland FC A-League Men (21 February 2026) |
.svg)  Auckland FC  Wellington Phoenix | |
History
Originally dubbed the "Kiwi Classico" by the A-League[3], it was renamed to the New Zealand Derby, with the Maori-language name Mai te Raki ki te Tonga - 'from the North to the South'[1] being presented at the first meeting of the two clubs.
2024–25
The first meeting between the two clubs took place on 2 November 2024 at Sky Stadium in Wellington, during the third matchday of the 2024–25 season. The match was played in front of 26,252 spectators and finished 2–0 to Auckland,[4] with former Wellington player Alex Paulsen keeping a clean sheet and Jake Brimmer scoring in the 89th and 90+6 minutes.[5][6] Following the match, Auckland hired a digital billboard outside Sky Stadium which read, "Welcome to Ellington. We took the W back to Auckland".[7]
The second meeting was played at Go Media Stadium in front of 26,253 spectators and ended 2–1 to Auckland.[8] In that match, Auckland conceded their first-ever competitive goal, scored by Kosta Barbarouses.[9][10] The third encounter, also held at Go Media Stadium, recorded Auckland FC's largest attendance of 27,009 and saw the club secure their biggest win, defeating Wellington Phoenix 6–1.[11] The match included the club’s first hat-trick, scored by Logan Rogerson, while Luke Brooke-Smith became the Phoenix’s youngest goalscorer.[12][13]
2025–26
The fourth meeting took place in Round 4 of the 2025–26 A-League Men, in front of 12,091,[14] with Phoenix coach Giancarlo Italiano personally handing out tickets around Wellington on the morning of the game. Sam Cosgrove opened the scoring after 27 seconds and later added a second goal following an equaliser from Ifeanyi Eze. Auckland were reduced to nine men following red cards to Dan Hall and Logan Rogerson in the second half but held on to preserve their lead.[15][16]
The second meeting of the 2025–26 season was held at Go Media Stadium before a crowd of 21,997,[17] with Auckland winning 3–1 after Manjrekar James was sent off in the 46th minute. During the match, Auckland were awarded their first ever penalties in the clubs history, both of which were saved by Josh Oluwayemi from Sam Cosgrove and Francis de Vries.[18][19]
The sixth meeting between the sides drew the lowest attendance of the derby so far, with 10,040 spectators.[20] The Phoenix were defeated 5–0, marking the Phoenix’s heaviest home defeat of the season and Auckland FC’s largest away win to date. The scoring opened with an own goal from Josh Oluwayemi, followed by a brace from Jesse Randall and further goals from Guillermo May and Lachlan Brook.[21] Following the match, Wellington Phoenix head coach Giancarlo Italiano resigned, having failed to record a win against Auckland FC, with an aggregate score of 20–4 across the six meetings.[22][23]
Results
| Competition | # | Date | Home team | Score | Away team | Goals (Wellington) | Goals (Auckland) | Venue | Attendance | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 A-League Men | 1 | 2 November 2024 | Wellington | 0–2 | Auckland | — | Brimmer (2) 88', 90+6' | Sky Stadium | 26,252 | [24][25] |
| 2 | 7 December 2024 | Auckland | 2–1 | Wellington | Barbarouses 82' | Hughes 31' (o.g.), Pijnaker 70' | Mount Smart Stadium | 26,253 | [26][27] | |
| 3 | 22 February 2025 | Auckland | 6–1 | Wellington | Brooke-Smith 49' | Moreno (2) 31', 60', Rogerson (3) 36', 40', 80', Randall 90+3' | Mount Smart Stadium | 27,009 | [28][29] | |
| 2025–26 A-League Men | 4 | 8 November 2025 | Wellington | 1–2 | Auckland | Eze 9' | Cosgrove (2) 1', 34' | Sky Stadium | 12,091 | [30][31] |
| 5 | 6 December 2025 | Auckland | 3–1 | Wellington | Rufer 55' | Brook 7', De Vries 72', May 80' | Mount Smart Stadium | 21,997 | [32][33] | |
| 6 | 21 February 2026 | Wellington | 0–5 | Auckland | — | Oluwayemi 24' (o.g.), Randall (2) 30', 45+5', May 41', Brook 74' | Sky Stadium | 10,040 | [34][35] | |
| 2026–27 A-League Men | 7 | 7 November 2026 | Auckland | Wellington | Mount Smart Stadium | [36] | ||||
| 8 | 19 December 2026 | Wellington | Auckland | Hnry Stadium | [37] | |||||
| 9 | 13 February 2027 | Auckland | Wellington | Mount Smart Stadium | [38] |
Reserve team results
| Competition | # | Date | Home team | Score | Away team | Goals (Wellington) | Goals (Auckland) | Venue | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 National League | 1 | 4 October 2025 | Auckland | 2–1 | Wellington | Gardiner 16' | Nabenu 6', Burns 74' | Fred Taylor Park | [39][40] |
Comparative league placings
Head-to-head
- As of 21 February 2026
| Competition | Matches | Auckland wins | Draws | Wellington wins | Auckland goals | Wellington goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A-League Men regular season | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 4 |
| A-League Men Finals Series | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| All matches | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 4 |
Honours
| Trophy | Auckland | Wellington |
|---|---|---|
| A-League Men Premiership | 1 | 0 |
| A-League Men Championship | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 2 | 0 |
Players who have played for both teams
Below are the players who have played for both Auckland FC and Wellington Phoenix.[41]
Currently no players have played for Auckland before Wellington.
| Player | Pos. | Wellington tenure | Auckland tenure |
|---|---|---|---|
 Alex Paulsen |
GK | 2021–2024 | 2024–2025 |
 Scott Galloway | DF | 2017–2018 | 2024–2025 |
| Logan Rogerson | FW | 2016–2018 | 2024–present |
| Callan Elliot | DF | 2018–2020, 2021–2023 | 2024–present |
| Oliver Sail | GK | 2014–2023 | 2025–present |
Records
- Biggest win: 5 goals; Auckland 6–1 Wellington (22 February 2025), Wellington 0–5 Auckland (21 February 2026).
- Most goals scored: 7; Auckland 6–1 Wellington (22 February 2025).
- Most consecutive wins: 6, Auckland (2 November 2024 – 21 February 2026; ongoing).
- Highest attendance: 27,009 at Mount Smart Stadium (Auckland 6–1 Wellington; 22 February 2025).[42]
- Average attendance: 20,607.
- Lowest attendance: 10,040 at Sky Stadium (Wellington 0–5 Auckland; 21 February 2026).[43]
Statistics
- As of 21 February 2026
Players
Top goalscorers
| Rank | Player | Club | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jesse Randall |
Auckland | 3 |
| Logan Rogerson |
Auckland | ||
| 3 | Jake Brimmer |
Auckland | 2 |
| Lachlan Brook |
Auckland | ||
 Sam Cosgrove |
Auckland | ||
 Guillermo May |
Auckland | ||
 Neyder Moreno |
Auckland | ||
| 8 | Kosta Barbarouses |
Wellington | 1 |
| Luke Brooke-Smith |
Wellington | ||
| Francis de Vries |
Auckland | ||
 Ifeanyi Eze |
Wellington | ||
| Nando Pijnaker |
Auckland | ||
| Alex Rufer |
Wellington |
Clean sheets
| Rank | Player | Club | Period | Clean sheets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alex Paulsen |
Auckland | 2024–2025 | 1 |
| Michael Woud |
Auckland | 2026–present |
Hat-tricks
One player has scored a hat-trick in official New Zealand Derby matches.
| No. | Player | For | Score | Date | Competition | Stadium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Logan Rogerson |
Auckland | 6–1 (H) | 22 February 2025 | 2024–25 A-League Men | Mount Smart Stadium |
Managers
Most appearances
| Rank | Manager | Team | Matches | Years | Competition(s) (matches) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Steve Corica |
Auckland | 6 | 2024–2026 | A-League Men (6) |
| Giancarlo Italiano |
Wellington | 6 | 2024–2026 | A-League Men (6) |
Most wins
| Rank | Manager | Club | Period | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Steve Corica |
Auckland | 2024–2026 | 6 |
