WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Wellington Phoenix’s academy celebrated a landmark week after both its women’s reserves and U‑15 boys’ teams clinched trophies in separate competitions.
The Phoenix women’s reserves defeated Waterside Karori 4–1 in a combined Kate Sheppard and Kelly Cup quarterfinal—also serving as the final for the Kelly Cup—at Wakefield Park. Isla Cleall‑Harding opened the scoring from the penalty spot following a foul on Poppy O’Brien. Ela Jerez doubled the lead before halftime, with substitutes Amber de Wit and Lily Brazendale sealing the comprehensive victory in the second half. The win earns Phoenix their first-ever Kelly Cup trophy as they advance to the semifinals next week
Meanwhile, the U‑15 boys asserted dominance by winning the Christchurch International Cup. They displayed clinical form across six games, netting 32 goals and conceding just once. In the final, they beat Fencibles United 3–1 thanks to goals from Ben Trenberth—crowned tournament MVP—and a brace from Jack Clegg, who also secured the Golden Boot with nine goals. Their achievement was further highlighted by three academy players ranking in the competition’s top ten scorers: Trenberth (7), Sam Kiore (6), and Harry Grosso (4) .
Phoenix Academy continues its strong form with several teams back in action this weekend: men’s reserves and U‑18s host Miramar Rangers; women’s reserves take on Wellington Olympic; girls’ U‑18s face Victoria University; U‑16 boys travel to Greytown; U‑16 girls play Upper Hutt City; and U‑14 and U‑15 boys compete at Te Kotahitanga .
