South Island United will open their inaugural OFC Pro League campaign against Auckland FC on Saturday wearing a unique black strip with club logos from all over the South Island printed on the shirt.
“The slogan for this shirt is All For One, One For All because we want to represent every club, every player and every football fan in the South Island, and our black strip is a unique visual way to bring that community together,” says chief executive Ryan Edwards.
The colour black was chosen to represent the breathtaking night sky in the South Island, he says.
Main photo: The South Island United strip carries the logos and hopes of many clubs.
Striker Ryan Feutz … ‘I immediately went looking or the Mid Canterbury logo.’
“We are all proud to live in the most beautiful place on the planet, and people travel from all over the world to enjoy the stars in our Southern skies.”
He said the shirt’s design was a complex operation with the club’s apparel partner, New Balance, and football clubs from Invercargill to Golden Bay who enthusiastically threw their weight behind the South Island’s first professional club.
“We want to represent and collaborate closely with the clubs around the South Island and have been overwhelmed by the support we have been getting from around the region,” Edwards says.
The black strip was chosen as the away strip for the club alongside the official white home strip and local clubs have been eager to see their logo in the OFC Pro League.
“We realise that many football fans from around the South have been aware of our idea for this strip and are keen to see the final design and order their own shirt,” says Edwards, who adds that fans will soon be able to order the first batch of merchandise through the club website.
South Island United striker and Ashburton native Ryan Feutz says the black shirt was a terrific reminder to the players of how many clubs they represent in the OFC Pro League.
“I immediately went looking for the Mid Canterbury logo when the first shirts arrived, and the players could hardly believe that there are football clubs in every corner of the island,” says Feutz, referring to the 76 clubs south of the Cook Strait.
Chief executive Edwards hopes the black strip will create a connection with every club in the region, and show young players there is now a pathway to professional football in their own backyard.
“If you are a young player for Nelson Suburbs, Nomads or Dunedin Royals, it will be pretty cool to see the same logo that is on your shirt, represented on the big stage in the OFC Pro League.”
Acknowledgement
We thank South Island United for providing information for this story.
Fixtures
Round 1: New Zealand
Games to be played on Saturday January 17, 2026
Vanuatu United v Bula
Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand, 3pm
Auckland FC v South Island United
Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand, 7pm
Games to be played on Sunday January 18, 2026
Tahiti United v South Melbourne
Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand, 1pm
PNG Hekari v Solomon Kings
Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand, 5pm
Games to be played on Tuesday January 20, 2026
Bula v South Island United
North Harbour Stadium, Albany, Auckland, New Zealand, 3pm
Auckland FC v Vanuatu United
North Harbour Stadium, Albany, Auckland, New Zealand, 7pm
Games to be played on Wednesday January 21, 2026
Tahiti United v PNG Hekari
North Harbour Stadium, Albany, Auckland, New Zealand, 3pm
South Melbourne v Solomon Kings
North Harbour Stadium, Albany, Auckland, New Zealand, 7pm
Games to be played on Friday January 23, 2026
South Island United v Vanuatu United
North Harbour Stadium, Albany, Auckland, New Zealand, 3pm
Auckland FC v Bula
North Harbour Stadium, Albany, Auckland, New Zealand, 7pm
Games to be played on Saturday January 24, 2026
Solomon Kings v Tahiti United
North Harbour Stadium, Albany, Auckland, New Zealand, 2.30pm
PNG Hekari v South Melbourne
North Harbour Stadium, Albany, Auckland, New Zealand, 6.30pm
How to buy tickets
READ MORE: How much fans will pay for tickets to OFC Pro League games in Auckland >>>>
Full fixture list
READ MORE: All the fixtures for 2026 OFC Professional League >>>>
More about the OFC Professional League
READ MORE: Our previous stories about the OFC Professional League >>>>
This story was first published on January 17, 2026.