Australia–New Zealand soccer rivalry

The Australia–New Zealand soccer rivalry is a sports rivalry that exists between the Australian men's/women's vs. New Zealand men's/women's national teams.[1][2][3][4][5] It forms a part of a wider Trans-Tasman rivalry between the geographical neighbours of Australia and New Zealand in a range of sports including cricket, rugby league, rugby union and netball.[2][3][6] Due to the countries' similar histories, language, and cultural and sporting interests, this wider rivalry is frequently referred to in the press as analogous to a sibling rivalry, although some fans, especially in New Zealand, reject this analogy as condescending.[6][7]

Australia–New Zealand soccer rivalry
Australia vs. New Zealand friendly match at Craven Cottage, London, 9 June 2005
Other namesSocceroos vs. All Whites (men)
Matildas vs. Football Ferns (women)
Australasia derby
LocationAustralia (AFC)
New Zealand (OFC)
Teams Australia men's
 Australia women's
 New Zealand men's
 New Zealand women's
First meetingMen:
New Zealand 3–1 Australia

(17 June 1922)
Women:
Australia 2–2 New Zealand

(6 October 1979)
Latest meetingMen:
Australia 2–0 New Zealand

(17 October 2023)
Women:
Australia 3–1 New Zealand

(12 April 2022)
Next meetingTBD
TrophyTrans-Tasman Cup
Soccer Ashes
Statistics
Meetings totalMen: 67
Women: 53
Most winsMen:
 Australia (43)
Women:
 Australia (35)
Top scorerAustralia George Smith (16)
All-time seriesMen:
 Australia: 43
 New Zealand: 13
Draws: 11
Women:
 Australia: 35
 New Zealand: 10
Draws: 8
Largest victoryMen:
New Zealand 0–10 Australia
(11 July 1936)
Women:
Australia 6–0 New Zealand
(4 February 2007)
Australia–New Zealand soccer rivalry is located in Oceania
Australia
Australia
New Zealand
New Zealand

The rivalry was more intense when Australia and New Zealand were both members of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) and regularly contested finals of the OFC Nations Cup and for top position in OFC World Cup Qualification campaigns.[6] The rivalry has since been less frequent since Australia left the OFC to join the more competitive Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in 2006.[8][4][6] In 2022, Football Australia and New Zealand Football planned a home and away series, to mark the 100th anniversary of the first meeting between the two nations, which was first played in Dunedin back in 1922.[9][10] Australia has the better record overall in both the men's and women's fixtures.

History

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Men's

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The first Australia team playing New Zealand in 1922

Both Australia and New Zealand's first official internationals were played against each other during the Australian 1922 tour of New Zealand.[11][12] They played three matches at Carisbrook in Dunedin, Athletic Park in Wellington, and Auckland Domain. The results were two 3–1 wins to New Zealand and a 1–1 draw in Wellington.[13][14] New Zealand would go on to win four of the first six matches with Australia picking up one win in the first game between the teams in Australia.[3][15][16] From 1923 to 1954, the sides played for the "Soccer Ashes" trophy, a razor case carried by a former Private serving in the Gallipoli campaign, containing the ashes of cigars smoked by the teams' captains, Alex Gibb and George Campbell, after the sides first international series in 1923.[17]

Australia and New Zealand would become regular opponents in exhibition matches for the next 36 years, with the trans-Tasman neighbours playing each other on 21 occasions in seven test series during that time period.[18] This included Australia's largest victory over their rivals with a 10–0 win in 1936 at the Basin Reserve in Wellington.[19]

By 2015, New Zealand had only won 13 games out of the 64 times the two teams met.[11]

In 2022, the 'Soccer Ashes' were found in storage, having been lost for nearly seventy years. The teams subsequently announced that they would play a friendly for the Soccer Ashes in England in October 2023.[17]

Women's

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The Australian Women's Soccer Association (AWSA) was founded in 1974[20][21] while a New Zealand women's national team was formed the year after when they were invited to take part in the 1975 Asian Ladies’ Football Confederation Cup in Hong Kong. (Later recognised as the first Asian Cup).[22][23][24] While the two teams would meet at the tournament, with New Zealand beating their Australian rivals 3–2,[24][23]: 28  it wasn't considered the first official meeting between the countries due to the Australian side being a composite of players largely from the St. George-Budapest Club in Sydney.[20][25][23]: 27  This changed in 2022 when Football Australia recognised the former players as official national team members.[26]

What was considered the first official international match between the women's teams until the change in 2022, was on 6 October 1979 when New Zealand travelled to Australia for a three-match series.[20] The game, played at Seymour Shaw Park, ended in a 2–2 draw.[21][20] This was followed by a second match at the same venue with New Zealand winning 1–0 before the teams moved to Perry Park in Brisbane for the third game with Australia picking up their first win 1–0 ending the series in a draw.[20][25][24]

Governing bodies

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The New Zealand Football Association would become officially affiliated with FIFA in 1948,[27] with the Australian Soccer Football Association given FIFA provisional membership in November 1954[28] and confirmed in June 1956.[29] Both associations, along with Fiji and Papua New Guinea would go on to become the founding members of the Oceania Football Confederation in 1966.[27][30]

Men's matches

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As of 18 October 2023

Australia and New Zealand have played 66 official matches. Australia have the better record overall in the fixture, with 42 wins to New Zealand's 13. There have been 11 draws, only two of them goalless. Australia have scored 158 goals to 70 by New Zealand. The record margin of victory in the fixture was Australia's 10–0 win in 1936, while New Zealand's biggest victory was 4–1 in 1923.

  Australia wins
  New Zealand wins
Draws
No. Competition Date Home Team Result Away Team Home scorers Away scorers Venue Attendance
1 Soccer Ashes 17 June 1922 New Zealand 3–1 Australia Cook (20, ?), Knott (?) Maunder Carisbrook, Dunedin 8,000
2 Soccer Ashes 24 June 1922 New Zealand 1–1 Australia Cook (10) Bratton (25) Athletic Park, Wellington 12,000
3 Soccer Ashes 8 July 1922 New Zealand 3–1 Australia Ballard (5), Cook (10), Dacre (?) Brown (?) Domain Park, Auckland 15,000
4 Soccer Ashes 9 June 1923 Australia 2–1 New Zealand Lennard (7), Maunder (90) Dacre (57) Brisbane Cricket Ground, Brisbane 7,000
5 Soccer Ashes 16 June 1923 Australia 2–3 New Zealand Lennard (?), Gilmore (?) Campbell (?, ?, ?) Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney 12,000
6 Soccer Ashes 30 June 1923 Australia 1–4 New Zealand Maunder (?) Campbell (46, 51, ?, ?) Newcastle Showground, Newcastle 14,000
7 Soccer Ashes 5 June 1933 Australia 4–2 New Zealand Smith (20, ?), Gorring (80, ?) Kershaw (55), Chapman (?) Brisbane Exhibition Ground, Brisbane 5,000
8 Soccer Ashes 17 June 1933 Australia 6–4 New Zealand Smith (?, ?, ?), Crowhurst (?), Cameron (?), Hughes (?) Kershaw (?), Ives (?), Kay (?), Chapman (?) Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney 5,000
9 Soccer Ashes 24 June 1933 Australia 4–2 New Zealand Edwards (?), Crowhurst (?), Smith (?, ?) Kershaw (?, ?) Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
10 Soccer Ashes 4 July 1936 New Zealand 1–7 Australia Jack Skinner (?) Cameron (?, ?), Smith (?, ?, ?, ?), Price (?) Logan Park, Dunedin 8,000
11 Soccer Ashes 11 July 1936 New Zealand 0–10 Australia Smith (5, 32, 53, ?, ?), Price (9), Cameron (28), (48), Donaldson (?) Basin Reserve, Wellington 8,000
12 Soccer Ashes 18 July 1936 New Zealand 1–4 Australia Hagett (?) Cameron (?, ?), Price (?, ?) Blandford Park, Auckland 2,000
13 Soccer Ashes 18 July 1948 New Zealand 0–6 Australia Frank Parsons (?, ?, ?), Cunningham (?), Hughes (?, ?) Basin Reserve, Wellington
14 Soccer Ashes 28 August 1948 New Zealand 0–7 Australia Parsons (?, ?, ?), Hughes (?, ?), Johns (?, ?), Cunningham (?) Lancaster Park, Christchurch
15 Soccer Ashes 4 September 1948 New Zealand 0–4 Australia Hughes (?), Johns (?, ?), Lawrie (?) Basin Reserve, Wellington
16 Friendly 11 September 1948 New Zealand 1–8 Australia Arthur Masters (?) Parsons (6, ?, ?, ?, ?, ?), Cunningham (?), Hughes (?) Blandford Park, Auckland 7,000
17 Soccer Ashes 14 August 1954 Australia 1–2 New Zealand Robertson (75) King (5), Steele (7) Melbourne Showground, Melbourne
18 Soccer Ashes 28 August 1954 Australia 4–1 New Zealand Robertson (20), Lennard (?), Stewart (?), (?) Smith (?) Brisbane Cricket Ground, Brisbane 7,000
19 Soccer Ashes 4 September 1954 Australia 4–1 New Zealand Nunn (?, ?), Murphy (?), Stewart (?) Steele Jr. (?) Sydney Sports Ground, Sydney 5,798
20 Friendly 16 August 1958 New Zealand 2–3 Australia Aird (30), Hume (80) Nunn (14, 44), Adair (70) Basin Reserve, Wellington 6,000
21 Friendly 23 August 1958 New Zealand 2–2 Australia Steele Jnr (11, 46) Aird (41 og), Vogler (?) Carlaw Park, Auckland 8,500
22 1967 South Vietnam Independence Cup 5 November 1967 Australia 5–3 New Zealand Baartz (7), Warren (13), Attila Abonyi (51, 75, 84) Ray Mears (18), Van Alphen (42 og), Westwater (63 og) Cong Hoa Stadium, Saigon 20,000
23 Friendly 9 October 1972 Australia 3–1 New Zealand Abonyi (26), Baartz (54), Warren (76) Vest (7) Senayan Stadium, Jakarta 7,000
24 1974 FIFA World Cup qualification 4 March 1973 New Zealand 1–1 Australia Turner (57) Campbell (83) Newmarket Park, Auckland 12,000
25 16 March 1973 Australia 3–3 New Zealand Utjesenovic (11), Baartz (17), Buljevic (26) Vest (10), Tindall (49), Hogg (89 og) Sydney Sports Ground, Sydney 11,000
26 Friendly 29 February 1976 New Zealand 0–1 Australia Harding (78) Newmarket Park, Auckland 10,000
27 Friendly 2 March 1976 Australia 3–1 New Zealand Barnes (7), Ollerton (14), Abonyi (70) Taylor (74) Olympic Park, Melbourne 6,000
28 1978 FIFA World Cup qualification 27 March 1977 Australia 3–1 New Zealand Ollerton (60, 80), Kosmina (72), Nelson (4) Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney 12,250
29 30 March 1977 New Zealand 1–1 Australia Nelson (34) Ollerton (18) Newmarket Park, Auckland 12,000
30 Friendly 13 June 1979 New Zealand 1–0 Australia Ormond (58) Newmarket Park, Auckland 4,000
31 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification 25 April 1981 New Zealand 3–3 Australia Turner (24), Wooddin (34), Sumner (80) Krncevic (15), (42), Boden (31) Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland 15,000
32 16 May 1981 Australia 0–2 New Zealand Woodin (30), Turner (83) Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney 15,000
33 Trans-Tasman Cup 22 February 1983 New Zealand 2–1 Australia Cresswell (47), Herbert (89) Kosmina (36) Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland 3,000
34 27 February 1983 Australia 0–2 New Zealand Cole (66), Adam (73) Olympic Park, Melbourne 14,000
35 1986 FIFA World Cup qualification 21 September 1985 New Zealand 0–0 Australia Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland 14,826
36 3 November 1985 Australia 2–0 New Zealand Kosmina (12), Mitchell (48) Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney 21,910
37 Trans-Tasman Cup 25 October 1986 New Zealand 1–1 Australia Deeley (60) Arnold (52) Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland 3,156
38 2 November 1986 Australia 2–1 New Zealand Arnold (29), Zinni (74) Deeley (85) Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney 1,986
39 Trans-Tasman Cup 2 September 1987 Australia 1–1 New Zealand Zinni (69) Ironside (83) Olympic Park, Melbourne 5,000
40 9 September 1987 New Zealand 1–0 Australia De Jong (19) Hutt Recreation Ground, Wellington 5,000
41 1988 Summer Olympics qualification 13 March 1988 Australia 3–1 New Zealand Patikas (?), Farina (?), Crino (?) McGarry (?) Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney
42 23 March 1988 New Zealand 1–1 Australia Farina (?) McGarry (?) Athletic Park, Wellington
43 Trans-Tasman Cup 12 October 1988 New Zealand 1–2 Australia Ironside (78) Crino (65), Ollerenshaw (75) Caledonian Ground, Dunedin 3,000
44 16 October 1988 Australia 2–0 New Zealand Spink (42, 68) Queen Elizabeth Oval, Bendigo 3,000
45 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification 12 March 1989 Australia 4–1 New Zealand Crino (16), Arnold (42, 56), Yankos (78) Dunford (70) Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney 13,621
46 2 April 1989 New Zealand 2–0 Australia Dunford (19), Wright (78) Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland 8,500
47 Trans-Tasman Cup 12 May 1991 New Zealand 0–1 Australia Milosevic (44) QEII Stadium, Christchurch 7,500
48 15 May 1991 Australia 2–1 New Zealand Vidmar (46), Peterson (49) Roberts (79) Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide 5,000
49 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification 30 May 1993 New Zealand 0–1 Australia Arnold (59) Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland 12,000
50 6 June 1993 Australia 3–0 New Zealand Veart (1), Vidmar (3), Zelic (49) Olympic Park, Melbourne 9,445
51 Trans-Tasman Cup 10 November 1995 New Zealand 0–0 Australia QEII Stadium, Christchurch 5,000
52 15 November 1995 Australia 3–0 New Zealand Mori (32), Wade (45), Spiteri (50) Breakers Stadium, Newcastle 8,858
53 1997 Optus World Series 18 January 1997 Australia 1–0 New Zealand Bingley (24) Lakeside Stadium, Melbourne 10,494
54 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification 28 June 1997 New Zealand 0–3 Australia Aloisi (19), Vidmar (42), Foster (66) North Harbour Stadium, Auckland 20,000
55 6 July 1997 Australia 2–0 New Zealand Zelic (6), Arnold (54) Parramatta Stadium, Sydney 14,054
56 1998 OFC Nations Cup 4 October 1998 Australia 0–1 New Zealand Burton (24) Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane 12,000
57 2000 OFC Nations Cup 28 June 2000 Australia 2–0 New Zealand Murphy (40), Foster (66) Stade de Pater, Papeete 4,250
58 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification 20 June 2001 New Zealand 0–2 Australia Emerton (5, 80) Westpac Trust Stadium, Wellington 19,500
59 24 June 2001 Australia 4–1 New Zealand Zdrilic (5, 82), Emerton (40), Aloisi (56) Coveny (44) Stadium Australia, Sydney 41,976
60 2002 OFC Nations Cup 14 July 2002 New Zealand 1–0 Australia Nelsen (78) Ericsson Stadium, Auckland 6,000
61 2004 OFC Nations Cup 29 May 2004 Australia 1–0 New Zealand Bresciano (40) Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide 12,100
62 Friendly 9 June 2005 Australia 1–0 New Zealand Colosimo (86) Craven Cottage, London 9,023
63 Friendly 24 May 2010 Australia 2–1 New Zealand Vidošić (57), Holman (90) Killen (16) Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne 55,659
64 Friendly 5 June 2011 Australia 3–0 New Zealand Kennedy (9, 59), Troisi (90) Adelaide Oval, Adelaide 21,281
65 Friendly 22 September 2022 Australia 1–0 New Zealand Mabil (32) Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane 25,392
66 Friendly 25 September 2022 New Zealand 0–2 Australia Duke (54), Cummings (80) Eden Park, Auckland 34,985
67 Soccer Ashes 18 October 2023 Australia 2–0 New Zealand Souttar (13), Irvine (76) Gtech Community Stadium, Brentford 5,761

Women's matches

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As of 5 June 2011

Australia and New Zealand have played 53 official matches. Australia have the better record overall in the fixture, with 35 wins to New Zealand's 10. There have been 8 draws, only two of them goalless. Australia have scored 95 goals to 43 by New Zealand. The record margin of victory in the fixture was Australia's 6–0 win in 2007, while New Zealand's biggest victory is 3–0, done twice in 1984 and 1991.[25]

  Australia wins
  New Zealand wins
Draws
Competition Date Home Team Result Away Team Goals (home) Goals (away) Venue Attendance

Overall summary

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The FIFA World Rankings evolution of Australia and New Zealand (men's team).
As of 17 September 2023
Men's Team GP W D L GF GA GD
  Australia 67 43 11 13 160 70 +90
  New Zealand 67 13 11 43 70 160 –90
As of 12 April 2022
Women's Team GP W D L GF GA GD
  Australia 53 35 8 10 95 43 +52
  New Zealand 53 10 8 35 43 95 –52

Top scorers

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As of 5 June 2011

Players in bold are still available for selection.

Rank Player Team Goals
1 George Smith   Australia 16
2 Frank Parsons   Australia 12
3 George Campbell   New Zealand 7
4 Alec Cameron   Australia 6
Billy Price   Australia
Ron Hughes   Australia
Graham Arnold   Australia
8 Attila Abonyi   Australia 5
9 Ted Cook   New Zealand 4
Jim Kershaw   New Zealand
Charlie Steele, Jr.   New Zealand
Peter Ollerton   Australia

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Football Ferns History". New Zealand Football. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Socceroos wary of out-of-sorts All Whites". ABC News. 2 June 2011. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  3. ^ a b c "Trans Tasman Rivalry Stirs The Emotions". Socceroos. 29 May 2004. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  4. ^ a b Cockerill, Michael (18 November 2009). "All Whites flag new rivalry era". The Age. Archived from the original on 16 August 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  5. ^ "Soccer: All Whites v Socceroos confirmed". New Zealand Herald. 19 April 2011. Archived from the original on 16 August 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  6. ^ a b c d Cunningham, Taylor (13 February 2018). "The All Whites and their fans deserve an annual trans-Tasman clash". Stuff. Archived from the original on 16 August 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  7. ^ Hollingsworth, Julia (28 February 2015). "NZ and Aus' friendship tested". 3 News. Archived from the original on 18 March 2015. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  8. ^ Micallef, Philip (11 November 2016). "Let Socceroos, All Whites fight for Tasman title". SBS Sport. Archived from the original on 16 August 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  9. ^ Voerman, Andrew (7 June 2022). "All Whites eye sell-out for first home match since 2017 against Socceroos at Eden Park". Stuff. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  10. ^ "All Whites to play rare home game against big opponents". NZ Herald. 7 June 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  11. ^ a b Atkinson, Neill; Watters, Steve (5 September 2013). "'Football - Men's international football'". Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  12. ^ "Australia Vs New Zealand 1922". OzFootball. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
  13. ^ Hilton, Tony; Smith, Barry (1991). An Association with Soccer: The NZFA Celebrates Its First 100 Years. New Zealand Football. pp. 143–144. ISBN 978-0473012915.
  14. ^ "NZ Football results 1904-59". www.ultimatenzsoccer.com. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
  15. ^ "Defeated in First Test". Waikato Times. Vol. 97, no. 15261. 11 June 1923. p. 5. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  16. ^ "Australia Wins". New Zealand Truth. No. 917. 23 June 1923. p. 8. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  17. ^ a b Kemp, Emma (11 July 2023). "Socceroos to play New Zealand with long-lost 'Soccer Ashes' trophy on the line". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  18. ^ "Australian Socceroos". australiansocceroos.com. Archived from the original on 1 January 2014. Retrieved 29 April 2013.
  19. ^ "New Zealand's Failure". New Zealand Herald. Vol. 73, no. 22471. 15 July 1936. p. 20. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  20. ^ a b c d e "History of Women's Football in Australia". Football Australia. 23 September 2021. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  21. ^ a b Connolly, Paul (15 September 2017). "'They ARE feminine': the Matildas' long road from sexism in '79 to sellouts in '17". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  22. ^ Stokkermans, Karel; Cruickshank, Mark; Fadeyev, Sergey; Lewis, Tom; Garin, Erik (30 May 2013). "Asian Women's Championship". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 16 January 2014.
  23. ^ a b c "History of the AFC Women's Asian Cup" (PDF). AFC. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 January 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  24. ^ a b c Ruane, Jeremy. "History". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  25. ^ a b c Ruane, Jeremy. "NZ v. Oz". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  26. ^ "Football Australia recognises achievements of former Australian Women's Representative Players". Football Australia. 9 May 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  27. ^ a b "About New Zealand Football". New Zealand Football. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  28. ^ Roy Hay, Bill Murray (2014). A History of Football in Australia: A Game of Two Halves. Hardie Grant Books. p. 291.
  29. ^ "Come back in 2 years, says FIFA". The Straits Times. Reuters, United Press International. 11 June 1956.
  30. ^ "History". Oceania Football Confederation. Archived from the original on 25 March 2019. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
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