Wellington Olympic, Auckland United win cups
- Dave Worsley
- Sep 7
- 4 min read
Wellington Olympic have won consecutive Chatham Cup titles after defeating Auckland United 4-2 in the 2025 final at North Harbour Stadium.
Coach Paul Ifill has also created a piece of history with Olympic’s success, becoming the first coach to win a three-peat of Delivereasy Chatham Cup titles, adding his 2023 Christchurch United win to the two claimed for Wellington.
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Isa Prins was awarded the Jack Batty Memorial Trophy for the best player of the final with his goal and two assists, whilst talismanic striker Hamish Watson was also influential with goals in either half.
Olympic made a dream start inside just four minutes when Watson gave them the lead. Isa Prins won possession down the left flank, and Watson cut inside to pick out the bottom left corner of the net on his right foot from the resulting counter-attack.
It didn’t take long for Auckland United to equalise though, as Tade’s deflected shot fell for Dré Vollenhoven in the box to poke the ball past Scott Basalaj in the 17th minute.
Vollenhoven had two other chances to add to his tally in the first half, but neither of his individual efforts tested Baslaj in goal.
Instead, Olympic took the lead into the half-time break, Prins controlling a perfectly weighted delivery from Jack-Henry Sinclair and poking past Joel Paterson in the 34th minute.
Both teams traded big chances at the start of the second half, Tade rolling a shot inches wide of the bottom-right corner for United, and Henry-Sinclair forcing Paterson to deflect an effort wide with his left foot in a one-on-one situation down the other end.
A two goal burst inside nine-minutes soon after ensured Olympic would lift back-to-back Delivereasy Chatham Cup titles though.
First Prins laid the ball off for Jack-Henry Sinclair to rifle the ball into the top-left corner on his right foot, following a long ball into the box.
Then Watson scored his second and Olympic’s fourth with a rocket into the top right corner of the net from a direct free kick.
Sandwiched in-between too was a penalty save from Joel Paterson, tipping Prins’ spot kick away from the bottom-right corner with a strong right hand.
United didn't lie down, and continued to believe when Otto Ingham headed a goal back in the 73rd minute after a delivery off the right flank.
It wasn’t to be United’s day though, and the normally ever-reliant Tade was missing his shooting boots. That was emphasised again when he pulled a shot inches wide of the bottom left corner from close range with ten minutes to play.
It was the other star striker’s day instead, and Watson thought he’d scored his hat-trick, only to have it ruled out for a foul on Paterson in the build-up.
With Sunday’s success, Wellington Olympic lift the Delivereasy Chatham Cup for the third time, to go alongside prior triumphs in 2009 and 2024.
Meanwhile Auckland United beat Phoenix Reserves to win back-to-back Kate Sheppard Cup titles
Auckland United have won their second consecutive Delivereasy Kate Sheppard Cup crown with a 4-1 win over the Wellington Phoenix Women’s Reserves in the 2025 final at North Harbour Stadium.
Two goals from Ava Collins led United to glory, whilst Chloe Knott received the Maia Jackman Trophy for the best player of the final.
Victory makes it three Delivereasy Kate Sheppard Cup titles in four seasons for United, having also won in 2024 and 2022.
Winners over Western Springs in the final last year, Auckland United were the aggressors again this time around and took an early lead.
Alexis Cook won a penalty in the 13th minute, and Zoe Benson tucked the resulting spot kick past the diving arms of Brooke Neary into the bottom-left corner of the net.
The Phoenix reserves rallied though, and were soon level when Amber De Wit split the Auckland defence with a pinpoint pass on the counter-attack, and Grace Bartlett poked the ball past Hannah Mitchell in the 24th minute.
United didn’t let that phase them, and continued to dictate more of the possession and field territory.
Danielle Canham had a great chance to put them back ahead when Neary dropped a routine delivery into the box, only to have her effort blocked off the line.
Chloe Knott scored their second goal soon after, picking out the top left corner of the net with a stunning strike on her right foot from the top of the box.
The goals kept coming for United, and they added a third just before half-time, when the Phoenix defence failed to clear a ball into the box and Ava Collins was on hand to pounce.
Ford Football Ferns international Manaia Elliott tried to lift the Phoenix reserves in the second half, but the closest she came was a shot straight at Mitchell.
Instead Auckland United continued to tighten their grip, Knott causing problems down the left with a couple of shots on goal.
The fourth goal came in the 68th minute, when Collins converted a one-on-one opportunity with Neary, and scored her second.
Knott almost added her second moments later too, forcing Neary into a good save from a close-range header in front of goal.
Rene Wasi had an opportunity late off the bench, but saw her effort turned away as Auckland United held out for more Delivereasy Kate Sheppard Cup success.
Kate Sheppard Cup: Auckland United FC: 4 (Zoe Benson 13’, Chloe Knott 32’, Ava Collins 45’, 68)
Wellington Phoenix Women’s Reserves: 1 (Grace Bartlett 24’)
HT: 3-1
Chatham Cup: Auckland United FC: 2 (Dré Vollenhoven 17’, Otto Ingham 73’)
Wellington Olympic: 4 (Hamish Watson 4’, 68’, Isa Prins 34’, Jack-Henry Sinclair 59’)
HT: 1-2
