Published on 20 Aug 2025

Connecting the Entire Football Community: New Zealand Football Membership Review

Projects
30 STU 1x1 PORTRAIT 1
Stuart Beresford Senior Consultant Contact me

New Zealand Football faced a critical engagement challenge with just 150,000 registered members despite 900,000 football enthusiasts nationwide. Through comprehensive research and stakeholder engagement, we developed an inclusive membership framework that recognised diverse participation pathways beyond traditional club structures. Our approach delivered strategic recommendations for new membership categories, partnership frameworks with commercial providers, and digital engagement opportunities, enabling NZ Football to better connect with the wider football community and deliver on their goal of enriching lives through positive football experiences. 

The strategic roadmap provided clear steps for implementing new membership categories that acknowledged the diverse ways people engage with football, helping NZ Football bridge the gap between registered members and the broader football community.

Understanding the entire football community

New Zealand Football had faced a significant engagement gap with nearly 900,000 football enthusiasts nationwide but only 150,000 people registered through clubs. This disconnect limited their ability to deliver on their strategic goal: enriching lives and connecting people through positive football experiences.

As the governing body for football in New Zealand, New Zealand Football needed to expand beyond traditional membership structures to embrace the diverse ways people engage with the sport including social leagues, unaffiliated competitions, commercial providers, and schools. 

The organisation needed to bridge this substantial gap between registered members and the broader football community to fulfil its mission as the sport's governing body. 

Tangled line drawing forming brain shape above hanging lightbulb
Single yellow lightbulb glowing on black cord
Resources Block
Blue water droplets labeled "PFAS," visualizing persistent chemicals in our water systems and their environmental impact.
Projects

Secretariat and Scientific Support Services for PFAS Expert Health Panel

Read More
Five business professionals standing confidently together in modern office corridor
Projects

Strengthening Public Sector Accountability in Victoria

Read More
Colorful sidewalk chalk drawing of a human profile with brain regions outlined in pink, yellow, and green, symbolizing mental health awareness.
Projects

National Standards for counsellors and psychotherapists

Read More

Our Approach

Working closely with NZ Football, we implemented a three-phase methodology that captured insights from across the football ecosystem. 

This work was informed by a review of previous research, market analysis, targeted interviews with key stakeholders and workshops with representatives from commercial football providers and community groups. 

  • We established a strong working relationship with NZ Football, reviewed existing research and data and developed a comprehensive engagement plan identifying key stakeholders across the football community. 

  • We analysed previous research findings to understand current barriers, conducted market analysis of membership approaches used by other sport bodies and interviewed key experts to map the current landscape and identify opportunities. 

  • We tested draft membership options through eight focus groups with diverse stakeholders, refined options based on community feedback, and presented final recommendations to the National Leadership Group. 

Colourful speech bubbles overlapping silhouettes in conversation
Colourful speech bubbles overlapping silhouettes in conversation

Find out how we can help.
Book a Discovery Session

Get clarity on your challenge with our free one-hour discovery session - no obligation, just practical insights on how we can help.

Expanded membership structured to better connect wider community

Our work delivered a comprehensive analysis of New Zealand's football ecosystem with practical options to expand membership structures. The recommendations enabled NZ Football and its six regional federations to better connect with the wider football community through more inclusive participation pathways. 

  • We developed tiered membership options recognizing different participation levels, from casual players to registered club members, with tailored benefits for each category to address limited engagement with non-traditional participants. 

  • We established partnership frameworks with commercial providers, social leagues, and educational institutions to create accessible pathways into the football community, helping to modernise traditional structures. 

  • We proposed that NZ Football should continue and expand their football whānau database, so that past and present players, volunteers, and other supporters of the game can become NZ Football Supporter Members and continue to be connected with the sport, through digital engagement opportunities, exclusive content, and community benefits that don't require club affiliation. 

Interconnected coloured pathways forming abstract network diagram
Interconnected coloured pathways forming abstract network diagram