Wellington Phoenix will again relocate to Australia, where they'll play all of their A-League and W-League games until at least January 2022 due to COVID-19 restrictions, the club has confirmed.
On Thursday, the season kick off for both leagues was locked in, with the A-League to start on November 19 and the W-League on December 3.
The interstate COVID-19 restrictions also mean that both squads will play all of their matches within New South Wales during this time – against other NSW-based Clubs - with the Phoenix’s base of operations and temporary home venue yet to be confirmed.
The Phoenix women will make their historic W-League debut against Western Sydney Wanderers on December 3, after being added as one of three new expansion teams for the Australian-based league to form New Zealand's first-ever professional women's football team.
That match, along with their three other matches scheduled in the initial draw, will all be played as double-headers with the Phoenix men’s team.
Their male counterparts will begin their campaign on November 21 against Macarthur FC at Campbelltown Stadium - one of four away games in the first six weeks of the season, alongside two designated home matches.
General manager David Dome says they'd always been preparing for the likely scenario of another season in Australia but hopes the team can return across the Tasman to play some home games in early 2022.
"As a club, we've learnt over the past two seasons to be as adaptive and flexible as possible, especially with all the challenges that COVID has thrown at us," says Dome.
"We always knew our W-League side would be based in Australia for their inaugural season, and now we can confirm our A-League will spend the first six weeks of the season in Australia as well – with an eye to returning to New Zealand in the new year to play our remaining home matches.
"As with previous seasons, this isn't an easy decision on the players, coaches and staff to have to live out of a suitcase for this amount of time, but that's the environment we're living in at the moment – as always, I am sure all our fans will join with the club in thanking them for their commitment to the Phoenix and its supporters for the sacrifices they continue to make by doing this."
APL commissioner of leagues Greg O'Rourke said that the Leagues and Phoenix were working closely together to ensure the Kiwis sides can return home as soon as possible.
"The League is extremely grateful for the sacrifices that Wellington has made - and continues to make - in its re-location and separation from family and friends in order to compete in the Leagues," says O'Rourke.
"We will continue to work closely with Wellington to ensure their return to New Zealand as soon as practically possible, so that a normal home and away season can resume."
