Wellington Phoenix to be in tip-top shape with Anytime Fitness

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Anytime Fitness and Wellington Phoenix
Image credit: Anytime Fitness

Wellington Phoenix has announced an exciting partnership with global fitness chain Anytime Fitness.

The deal will grant the entire club access to Anytime Fitness locations both in New Zealand and Australia.

Anytime Fitness has a considerable market share in both nations 24/7 locations found in 60 spots in New Zealand, and 540 clubs in Australia. The brand has in total 5000 gyms globally.

Under the agreement, club players will have access to all these facilities – a huge win for the often-travelling club.

In recent years, the Phoenix had struggled to find training facilities when they were away from their training base at The New Zealand Campus of Innovation and Sport in Upper Hutt.

However, with this new deal the club is confident that players both in the first teams and their academy sides will now have access to state-of-the-art facilities even when they are on the road.

The Phoenix’s head of strength and conditioning, Weijie Lim, heralded the deal as a ‘game changer’ for the club.

“I think it’s really beneficial for us at all levels of the club,” he said via press release.

“When the men and women are in Australia during the A-Leagues seasons the players now have top quality facilities they can utilise.

“In the past it’s been quite difficult for us to find accessible facilities in different cities and states across Australia. This partnership is going to make our lives a lot easier when we’re on the road.

“Anytime Fitness’ central Wellington gym is also great for the club, especially for our top end academy players, who can now get all their strength work done together in one centralised location.

“The staff at Kent Terrace are very welcoming and it’s a convenient gym for players to access and utilise throughout the season.”

Anytime Fitness New Zealand CEO Cam Ward also expressed his company’s thrill at paring with the nation’s club.

“At Anytime Fitness, we believe in the power of community and the transformative effects of fitness on individuals’ lives,” he added via press release.

“Teaming up with the Wellington Phoenix aligns perfectly with our mission to inspire healthier lifestyles and create a positive influence within the community.

“This collaboration marks an exciting chapter in our journey to make fitness accessible to all, and we can’t wait to see the positive outcomes it brings forth.”

This is an exciting deal for both partners as they look to grow.

For Anytime Fitness, they will be looking to the club’s branding power as a strong incentive to get more gym goers to choose them.

In the Phoenix’s case, the security this deal brings to their training and recovery programs may just be the push that the club needs to boost itself beyond the mid-table in the upcoming A-League seasons.

This partnership is also great for club members who will be able to get 10% off on a 12 month Anytime Fitness membership.

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Victory unites with Roasting Warehouse in culture-led partnership

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Image credit: Melbourne Victory

The Melbourne-based anf family-owned business will join the Victory family, uniting two institutions which represent the city’s culture and identity.

A partnership with local roots

As the newest partner of Melbourne Victory, Roasting Warehouse joins forces with a vital part of the city’s sporting landscape.

The club’s Managing Director, Caroline Carnegie, outlined why the partnership bears so much value to both parties.

“We are excited to collaborate with Roasting Warehouse, a community-oriented destination for high-quality coffee, proud of its foundations in Melbourne,” said Carnegie via official media release.

“Football and coffee sit at the epicentre of Melbourne’s culture. The two go hand-in-hand, consistently at the centre of the conversation that stirs Melburnians, which is no different to the conversation sport and Melbourne Victory stir in the State.”

Indeed, this is a partnership which combines the identity, passions and culture of an entire city, therefore giving it the foundations required for long-term, mutual success.

Representing the best of Melbourne

Both Victory and Roasting Warehouse are hugely successful in their respective industries. They are institutions with community-oriented philosphies, who pride themselves on craft and quality.

“We’re incredibly proud to partner with Melbourne Victory, a club that represents the heart, passion, and ambition of Melbourne,” revealed Roasting Warehouse Head of Brand, Alexander Paraskevopoulos.

“As a Melbourne-founded, family-run business, supporting a team that means so much to the local community feels very natural for us.”

Furthermore, through their high-quality blends, Roasting Warehouse will look to prepare Victory’s players and staff for high performances on the pitch as the seasons nears completion.

But this is about far more than just fueling athletes.

This is a partnership which embodies and unites two of Melbourne’s greatest strengths and cultural markers – a connection forged from the city’s very own DNA.

 

For more information about Roasting Warehouse, click here.

Marie-Louise Eta makes history as new Union Berlin head coach

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Image credit: FC Union Berlin

In an historic appointment, Eta will take over as head coach of Union Berlin until the end of the season.

History in the making

Previously the first female assistant coach in Bundesliga history with Union Berlin, Eta will now take the reigns of the men’s first team on an interim basis.

Currently, the club sit in 11th place in the Bundesliga table, but with only two wins so far in 2026, relegation appears an all-too-real prospect, and one which the club is desperate to avoid.

“Given the points gap in the lower half of the table, our place in the Bundesliga is not yet secure,” said Eta via official media release.

‘I am delighted that the club has entrusted me with this challenging task. One of Union’s strengths has always been, and remains, the ability to pull together in such situations.”

Eta will begin as Union’s new head coach with immediate effect, and will be in the dugout for the club’s matchup against Wolfsburg this weekend.

 

A step into an equal future

Eta’s appointment signals a major step towards a more level playing field in the football landscape.

Furthermore, Eta joins other coaches including Sabrinna Wittmann, Hannah Dingley and Corinne Diacre who, in recent years, have blazed a trail for female coaches to step into the men’s game.

Wittmann currently manages FC Ingolstadt in Germany’s third division, and was the first female head coach in Germany’s top three divisions.

In 2023, Dingley became caretaker manager of Forest Green Rovers, and thus the first woman to lead a men’s professional team in England.

Diacre, now head coach of France’s women’s national team, managed Ligue 2’s Clerment Foot between 2014 and 2017.

 

Final thoughts

The impact therefore, is that Eta’s appointment will show future generations of aspiring female coaches that men’s football is an equally viable and possible pathway as the women’s game.

The time is now to level the playing field.

And while it may be a short-term role, its effect on attitudes towards equality and fair opportunities in the game will hopefully resonate long after the season ends.

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