There will be a heavy Wellington Phoenix presence at the upcoming OFC U-16 Championship, with nine Nix academy players selected in the New Zealand squad.
Ethan Amyes, Tristan Bancroft, Caleb Brown, Zach Cashmore, Jack Clegg, Vasilios Kastrinakis, Cruz Pietersen, London Ridge, and Ben Trenberth will all be heading to Papua New Guinea in July as the U-16 All Whites seek to defend their title.
Five of the nine Phoenix players also attend the charter school associated with the academy, New Zealand Performance Academy Aotearoa.
Academy staff members Cameron Grieve and Alex Richardson will also make the trip as part of the New Zealand coaching team.
The selected players will depart for a pre-tour camp in Brisbane in early July, before heading to Port Moresby for the tournament.
New Zealand have been drawn in group B, where they will face the Solomon Islands, Tahiti, and Vanuatu.
All of their group matches will be played at the Sir Hubert Murray Stadium in Port Moresby, while both semi-finals and the final will take place at the PNG Football Stadium.
The winner of the tournament and the runner-up will qualify directly for the 2027 FIFA U-17 World Cup.
U-16 All Whites fixtures at the 2026 OFC U-16 Championship (all NZST)
13 July, 6pm – New Zealand vs Solomon Islands
16 July, 6pm – New Zealand vs Tahiti
19 July, 6pm – Vanuatu vs New Zealand
