SCOTT DONALDSON
The Wakefield Football Club knows just how much a FIFA World Cup gripping the nation can raise the profile of a sport in New Zealand.
Back in 1983, inspired by the All Whites’ 1982 World Cup campaign, a bunch of lads from the country set up Wakefield FC, and it is still going strong 43 years later.
After having just the one senior team for two decades, the club has since increased its number of teams.
It is now home to three senior men’s teams (including a masters’ side), along with a women’s team, which was formed in 2025.
Wakefield FC treasurer Andy Ellis says that the country club now has 170 players, including 100 junior players across the age-grades.
This means the next Callan Elliot, Tim Payne or Chris Wood could potentially be starting out their budding football careers at Wakefield Domain on Clifford Road.
Due to its location, the club draws on players from across the Nelson Tasman region.
“They’re from all over the place,” says Andy.
“They come from as far as Murchison, Māpua and Nelson, but the majority are from Wakefield, Brightwater and the surrounding areas.”
The introduction of seasonal workers from Vanuatu and South America in recent seasons have brought an international flavour to the club, meaning it isn’t just All Whites’ supporters donning the Wakefield green, white and black colours.
According to information provided by Mainland Football, Wakefield FC experienced significant growth last year, increasing its membership numbers by approximately 20 per cent.
This included a jump in female players, helped by the FIFA Women’s World Cup, hosted in Australia and New Zealand in 2023.
“The growth of the women’s game globally has probably assisted with people wanting to play football within Wakefield,” says Andy.
“That tournament and the recent growth in women’s football across the globe has helped with the formation of the Wakefield women’s team.”
Mainland Football chief executive Martin Field-Dodgson says that the game is growing and has done so reasonably rapidly in recent years.
“We are expecting this trend to continue, especially with the interest in the current FIFA Men's World Cup, the Women's World Cup next year, and the increased exposure of the A-League,” he says.
“It's fair to say that the game locally does get impacted positively from the enormous worldwide passion for football.”
More females, both in the Nelson Tasman region and New Zealand, are playing football now than before the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
“Female participation across the country jumped by approximately 13 per cent in 2023 - and has kept rising,” Martin says.
“More recently, there has been a significant jump in girls’ and women's participation in Nelson.”
Last year there were 13 female teams in the region - this year there are 18, including a new age group, as well as six Fun Football junior girls’ teams.
“We still have a very long way to go however, given the breakdown in gender participation is 80 per cent male to 20 per cent female,” Martin says.
