July Newsletter

Christchurch hosts Phoenix match

QEII Stadium in Christchurch – one of the four venues for the inaugural FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup – hosted the Wellington Phoenix and a Mainland selection last Sunday for an exciting match which attracted almost 6,500 fans.

Christchurch put on a stunning day for the visitors who were held goalless in the first half before Phoenix striker Shane Smeltz scored a brace of goals in the second period to secure a 2-0 win.

Mainland Football CEO Mike Coggan said the event was a huge success and the size of the crowd had exceeded his expectations by around 1,500 people.

Coggan said 140 kids from across the region took part in a coaching course put on by the Wellington Phoenix on Saturday afternoon and the goodwill created from that was ‘enormous.’ He hopes a visit from the Hyundai A-League club becomes a regular fixture on Mainland’s calendar.

Phoenix Chief Executive Tony Pignata said the players had enjoyed their stay in Christchurch and the club would consider making it an annual event. He expressed his appreciation for the support from Mainland Football and the Christchurch City Council.

Meanwhile, the Christchurch Venue Organising Committee for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup made the most of the football event by sending its team of direct marketers to QEII.

The activation team was stationed by the lake at the main entrance of the stadium as well as on the concourse by the food vendors during the match. Information packs and posters were handed out to punters while a competition was run for free tickets to the opening match on Wednesday 29 October.

The Christchurch staff also had a presence at the Mainland Football Gala dinner on Monday night which was attended by around 200 people. Those at the dinner were entertained by Q & As with top Wellington Phoenix personalities such as Ricki Herbert and Tony Pignata.

Overall it was a fantastic weekend for the football fraternity in Christchurch. The fans can now look forward to an even bigger event in the form of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup starting in October.