The Wellington Phoenix have revealed the kit designs for their home fixtures at Sky Stadium and Porirua Park this season.
In a departure from recent seasons, the Phoenix men and women will have dedicated home and away strips during the 2024-25 A-Leagues, and have unveiled the striking yellow with the help of their players.
Main photo: Phoenix players Alex Rufer and Mackenzie Barry display the new kit in front of Wellington’s Beehive.
The Nix kit is designed by Paladin Sports for a sixth season and again includes the tohu gifted to the club by local iwi Te Āti Awa.
The home shirt features subtle pinstripes down the front and back, while the tohu is delicately detailed on the shoulders and sleeves and in a black stripe which follows down both sides of the shirt and continues on to the shorts.
Te Raukura (the plume of white feathers), which is an important symbol to the tribes who affiliate to Te Āti Awa and other Taranaki iwi, once again takes centre stage on the front of the shirt.
OPPO is to the fore of the men’s home kit this season, while fellow principal partner Entelar Group is front and centre on the women’s home strip.
The men’s and women’s Wellington Phoenix home kits for the 2024-25 A-Leagues are available now.
The club’s away strip for the upcoming seasons will be unveiled next week.
About the tohu gifted to the Phoenix
Acclaimed designer Charmaine Love created a tohu on behalf of Te Āti Awa ki Te Whanganui a Tara in 2022. This taonga was gifted to the Wellington Phoenix and the design was incorporated into the team’s kit for the 2022-23 A-Leagues.
Te Raukura (the white feather or plume of white feathers) is centred on the front of the shirts. It is an important symbol to the tribes who affiliate to Te Āti Awa and other Taranaki Iwi. Te Raukura symbolises the peaceful resistance of their tupuna at Parihaka in the 1880s and the white feather is still worn by their descendants today.
Te Raukura represents spiritual, physical, and communal harmony and unity. It is an acknowledgement of a higher spiritual power and is a symbol of faith, hope, and compassion for all.
Ngake and Whātaitai, the two taniwha of Wellington harbour Te Whanganui-a-Tara feature on either side of the tohu. Taniwha are mythical Māori creatures and guardians and represent mauri (life force) of a place in physical form and kaitiakitanga (guardianship).
A surrounding element of the tohu features koru (the unfurling new leaf of the ponga fern), symbolising new life, growth, strength and peace. The koru represents the whenua and tangata of Te Whanganui-a-Tara.
Ngaru (waves) and mangōpare (hammerhead shark) are also integrated in the tohu. The ngaru represents the cutting of the waves when waka travelled the waters of Te Whanganui-a-Tara. The mangōpare represents and symbolises strength, courage, determination, leadership and a fighting spirit, all values shared with the Wellington Phoenix.
The tohu also features Taranaki maunga which is hugely important to mana whenua and considered tapu.
“Mana whenua are proud to gift this taonga to the Wellington Phoenix, uniting us all, players and fans alike across Te Whanganui-a-Tara and throughout Aotearoa,” Charmaine Love said.
“As kaitiaki, its new guardians, may you draw strength and inspiration from the mana of the uniform. Kia kaha.”
This story was first published on October 2, 2024.
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