Phoenix to travel to Rotorua pre-season
Rotorua District Council and Wellington Phoenix have confirmed Rotorua will host an inaugural Hyundai A-League fixture this spring.
2012/13 A-League Champions the Central Coast Mariners from NSW will travel to the city to take on Wellington Phoenix - New Zealand's NZ's only professional football club - in an official A-League pre-season match at Rotorua International Stadium on Sunday 22 September.
Wellington Phoenix, with new head coach Ernie Merrick, will travel to the city in the days leading to the game to participate in activities with local football Clubs. The team, led by captain Andrew Durante, will feature stalwarts Ben Sigmund, Paul Ifill and Vince Lia, alongside New Zealand Under 20s representatives Louis Fenton and Tyler Boyd. Brand new Wellington Phoenix team member Carlos Hernandez will also feature.
Wellington Phoenix general manager David Dome said that fixtures such as these enable football fans outside of the Capital city to experience professional football.
By being able to host top class pre-season matches in regional centres, we are able to spread the coverage of the A-League across the country without losing the home base of Westpac Stadium in Wellington. We are thrilled with being able to play in Rotorua this season.
WaiBoP Football board member and Rotorua United president, Deryck Shaw, said the Rotorua and wider Bay of Plenty Football community is excited to have the Phoenix in Rotorua.
It is hard to remember a bigger football event in Rotorua in the last 20 years. This game has given the local football community an opportunity to work together to create a Football Festival weekend with the Phoenix v Mariners fixture as the feature event.
Tickets for the fixture on sale from Wednesday 17 July from Ticketmaster and Rotorua Convention Centre.