The semi-final of the Kate Sheppard Cup between Eastern Suburbs and Wellington United has been postponed due to a COVID-19 case in the Auckland club’s camp.
A decision on the rescheduling of the match — due to take place at 2pm on Saturday February 19 at Newtown Park – will be made later, while the competition’s other semi-final will go ahead.
In that game, Coastal Spirit and Hamilton Wanderers will play as planned, kicking off at 4pm at English Park, Christchurch.
Coastal will be missing two players who helped them reach the last four in Alyssa Whinham and Zoe McMeehen, both of whom now play for Wellington Pheonix in the women’s A-League.
The Wanderers side includes former Fern Helen Arjomandi (nee Collins) and established national league players such as Kim Maguire, Chelsea Elliott and Michaela Foster.
Assuming the Wellington United v Eastern Suburbs game is rescheduled, the Lilywhites will try to maintain the dominance of Auckland clubs in the competition.
Auckland teams have traditionally had a mortgage on women’s football’s premier knockout competition, which is sponsored by the NZ Football Foundation.
Auckland clubs have won 20 of the 26 finals played but this year, the trophy could head to the Waikato, Wellington or Canterbury.
Main photo: Members of the Eastern Suburbs team celebrate a goal last year. Image courtesy of Phototek.
How the last four teams stack up
- Wellington United: if they win their semi-final against Eastern Suburbs, and then take the grand final, they’ll become the first team from the capital to take the trophy since the competition began in 1994.
- Hamilton Wanderers: if the blues win the cup, it will be the first time for the club but they’ll become the third Waikato winners (after Waikato Unicol in 1995 and Claudelands Rovers in 2010).
- Coastal Spirit SASFC: if the Cantabrians overcome holders Eastern Suburbs in their semi-final, and go on to win the final, the club will claim its second trophy (they last won in 2013).
- Eastern Suburbs plan to retain the trophy and become only the fourth club to win back-to-back finals (along with Lynn-Avon United, Three Kings United and Glenfield Rovers.
The semi-finals were to have been played last August but the COVID-19 pandemic cut short the 2021 season, forcing the postponement of the games.
The grand final is provisionally scheduled for Sunday March 6 with the venue to be announced after the semi-finals have been completed.
Traditionally, the game is played as part of a double header with the men’s Chatham Cup final which will be between Wellington’s Miramar Rangers and Cashmere Technical, from Christchurch.
Main photo: The joy of victory … Dunedin Technical take the trophy home to Otago in 2018 for the first time after beating Forest Hill Milford in the grand final at Albany’s QBE Stadium. Image: Phototek.
Semi-finals
To be played on Saturday February 19
POSTPONED: Wellington United v Eastern Suburbs (Newtown Park, Wellington, 2pm).
Coastal Spirit SASFC v Hamilton Wanderers (English Park, Christchurch, 4pm).
Live streaming
Here’s where you can watch the game live (click on image to access the stream when game is underway):
How they got to the semi-finals
Wellington United
Round 1: Beat Kapiti Coast United 8-0 (home)
Round 2: Beat Waterside Karori 3-2 (home)
Round 3: Beat Marist Palmerston North 4-3 (away)
Quarter-final: Beat Wairarapa United 5-1 (home)
Eastern Suburbs
Round 2: Beat Northland 4-0 (away)
Round 3: Beat Papakura City 2-1 (home)
Quarter-final: Beat Western Springs 2-0 (away)
Coastal Spirit SASFC
Preliminary round: Beat Waimakariri United 1-0 (home)
Round 1: Beat Canterbury Universities 8-1 (away)
Rond 2: Beat Cashmere Technical 4-1 (away)
Round 3: Beat Richmond Athletic 9-0 (away)
Quarter-final: Beat Dunedin Technical 8-0 (away)
Hamilton Wanderers
Round 2: Beat Bucklands Beach 9-1 (away)
Round 3: Beat Auckland United 4-1 (home)
Quarter-final: Beat Ellerslie 3-1 (home)
All the Kate Sheppard Cup results
Click here for full results at the UltimateNZSoccer website >>>>
Past winners
1994 Nomads United (Christchurch)
1995 Waikato Unicol (Hamilton)
1996 Lynn-Avon United (Auckland)
1997 Three Kings United (Auckland)
1998 Three Kings United (Auckland)
1999 Three Kings United (Auckland)
2000 Lynn-Avon United (Auckland)
2001 Ellerslie (Auckland)
2002 Lynn-Avon United (Auckland)
2003 Lynn-Avon United (Auckland)
2004 Lynn-Avon United (Auckland)
2005 Lynn-Avon United (Auckland)
2006 Lynn-Avon United (Auckland)
2007 Western Springs (Auckland)
2008 Lynn-Avon United (Auckland)
2009 Lynn-Avon United (Auckland)
2010 Claudelands Rovers (Hamilton)
2011 Glenfield Rovers (Auckland)
2012 Three Kings United (Auckland)
2013 Coastal Spirit (Christchurch)
2014 Glenfield Rovers (Auckland)
2015 Glenfield Rovers (Auckland)
2016 Forrest Hill Milford United (Auckland)
2017 Glenfield Rovers (Auckland)
2018 Dunedin Technical (Dunedin)
2019 Eastern Suburbs (Auckland)
Sponsor
The Kate Sheppard Cup is supported by the NZ Football Foundation.
Our guide to the SheBelieves Cup
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Click here for our guide to the tournament >>>>
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