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Play the season in new zealand

Football: Play the season in New Zealand

Duration: 23 weeks

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Overview

Playing football in New Zealand

Your pad

Working overseas

Social life

FAQs

A week in the life

Overview

Experience the buzz of football New Zealand style. You’ll join a Kiwi club, hand picked to suit your ability, and spend the season enjoying some fierce football and laid back fun. Get ready for loads of adventures with a group of new Sport Lived friends, plus your Kiwi team mates.

Recommended for:

Living in New Zealand all season long
Improving your game in a kiwi club
Exploring the wonders of New Zealand
Boosting your CV with a part-time job

At a glance:

Hand picked Kiwi football club
Regular matches, training & social events
4-star fully furnished accommodation
24/7 mentor support throughout your stay

Sporting adventures

Our Play the Season programme allows you to spend 6 months living, working and playing football in New Zealand. With so much time you’ll become fully integrated into overseas life, and explore the natural beauty and wonders of New Zealand.

You have the chance to live in an amazing city where our centrally located 4-star accommodation puts you at the heart of the action.

Prices and dates...

Location	Duration	From	To	Price
Christchurch	23 weeks	14/03/2011	21/08/2011	£ 4995

FAQs

1. What type of visa do I need and what are the restrictions?

Most UK citizens aged 18-30 are eligible for a New Zealand Working Holiday Visa which enables holders to live and work in New Zealand for up to 12 months. It costs around £60 and can take up to 4 weeks to process so we recommend getting the paperwork sorted well in advance of your departure.

If you don’t wish to work whilst away, a standard holiday Visa is available for most UK citizens. This is processed on arrival in New Zealand and allows participants to stay in New Zealand for up to 12 months.

For more information see the Travel & Visa section in the Need to Know area of our site.

2. What’s included in the price of my programme and how much spending money will I require?

The cost of all Sport Lived programmes includes the following:

4-star accommodation including most household bills (telephone and internet charges are NOT covered)
membership of your football club
airport pick-up at the start of your programme
mentor support throughout your stay
a handbook with useful information

The programme cost does NOT include the following:

flights, insurance, visas, return airport transfer, local transport or food

Your main costs whilst overseas will be transport, match/competition fees plus food and beer money. A cost of living guide for each Sport Lived destination is provided in the Need to Know section. This should help you plan and budget for your time away.

3. Do I need to be an elite player?

Absolutely not! We cater for players of all abilities. We will obtain further information on your sporting ability once you have submitted your booking form. We will assess your ability and match you with a suitable club. If you’re an elite player, we’ll ensure you’re matched with a top-class club who know you’re serious about sport!

4. When will I find out full details of my programme e.g. what club I will join and where I will live?

Once you have sent in a booking form, we’ll start working behind the scenes to put everything in place for the perfect programme. 3-4 weeks later you’ll receive a confirmation document outlining details of your club, key dates and an overview of your specific programme details.

Final payment for all programmes is due 12 weeks before departure which allows us to finalise accommodation arrangements and send you details of your flatmates and your new address in New Zealand!

The pre-departure briefing takes place around 8 weeks before you join us and provides a chance for you and your parents to meet up with the Sport Lived team and fellow participants and ask any remaining questions you may have.

5. How can I find out more general information?

Hopefully, most key pieces of information are available on the website where you can download programme notes, prices and dates. Our Need to Know section also contains lots of useful information. If you have other questions or just want to have a chat, we’re always available either on the phone or via email.

We know that planning a trip overseas can be scary at times and there’s loads to think about. So don’t hesitate to get in touch if you need to discuss anything at all.

Working overseas

You’ll have plenty of spare time between training and competing if you’d like to get a job. As well as enhancing your CV and boosting your bank balance, working overseas will help you meet new people and provide more structure to your time away.

Top tips for getting work:

Plan the type of work you'd like to obtain
Try to gain relevant work experience
Prepare a CV and have two references
Be proactive & persistent in job hunting

Employment options:

Café/bar work: sociable environment
Office work: good rates of pay
Coaching: fulfilling and well paid
Work experience: boost your CV

Working in New Zealand

You’ll be living close to lots of employment options like offices, shops, bars and restaurants. Contacts at your sport club might also help you to find coaching work.

In addition, your mentor will provide guidance on working in New Zealand but you should ensure you’re well prepared as the job market can be as competitive as the sports arena!

Your pad

Accommodation is key to the Sport Lived experience. You’ll live in centrally located apartments. Your club will be easily accessible by public transport and with lots of bars, clubs, restaurants and shops close by there are plenty of places to work, rest or play!

At a glance:

4-star apartments all fully furnished
Located close to transport and nightlife
Shared with other Sport Lived participants
Stress free as the price includes most bills

Home from home...

Apartments are shared with other Sport Lived participants and include many mod-cons. Each complex has a 24 hour reception and many have an in-house swimming pool and gym. Apartments are fully furnished including a TV, linen, kitchen appliances, etc. They are also serviced weekly (but you will have to wash your own undies!)

NB: Illustrative accommodation pictures.

Apartment lounge

Apartment lounge diner

Apartment lounge

Apartment lounge diner

Apartment lounge

Apartment lounge diner

Apartment lounge

Playing football in New Zealand

We work with a wide range of football clubs in New Zealand. They all offer a warm welcome and fantastic facilities, so whatever your standard you’ll fit in perfectly!

Club structure

Sport Lived has affiliations with clubs that play at a variety of levels in New Zealand. At the top amateur level, clubs play in football competitions just below the NZ Football Championship. The standard of these competitions is high, comparable with non league football in the UK.

Most clubs have 3-5 teams, made up of senior and U20 teams, and a number of clubs also have mid-week and social sides.

Matches and training

You’ll train 2-3 times a week with matches played at the weekends and occasionally mid-week.

Off the pitch

With so many members, your club will be a hive of social activity. There’ll be drinks after training and matches, plus social events throughout the season. Many clubs also arrange pre-season tours, a great chance to get to know your teammates whilst exploring a new part of New Zealand.

Football development

Our clubs are selected for quality coaching and facilities, helping you to return a much improved player.

…and finally

New Zealand’s a beautiful country, famous for its sport, so what are you waiting for?

A week in the life...

...of Richard Moyes who played football in Sydney for a season. Richard lived in 4 star apartments 20 minutes walk from the Opera House and played for one of the top football clubs in Sydney.

Monday

Hit the gym this morning for a session focused on strength training. Grab some lunch and a coffee with a mate at a café down the road from our apartment. Spend the afternoon relaxing before evening training.

Tuesday

Early shift at work (a local café) from 7.30am-1.30pm. Then I hit the city centre shops for some new jeans. Evening football training focused on skill and fitness work – tough session! Sports massage after training and spaghetti bolognaise for dinner to top up my carb intake!

Wednesday

Another early shift at the café. Hit the gym in the afternoon before catching the bus to watch Sydney FC train at Sydney Football Stadium. Takeaway dinner on the way home - not so great for the body! Sport Lived movie night - we watched the new Transformers film, loved it!

Thursday

Yet another early shift at work. In the afternoon we have a fitness session followed by recovery in the pool. Another training session in the evening focused on skills and tactics. Head out for dinner and a few drinks at Darling Harbour with a couple of boys from the club.

Friday

Sport Lived crew 10 pin bowling get-together. 4 strikes and a score of 145, not bad! Afternoon spent sending emails back to the UK. Watch Sydney FC in an A-League Match in the evening and Sydney won for once!

Saturday

Getting prepared for the game with a 20 minute walk and stretching session listening to ipod tunes. Afternoon match is a 2-1 victory, sealed in the 82nd minute. There’s an after match function and night on the tiles with the lads in town.

Sunday

Trip up to Central Coast on the train for a day out at the beach with the Sport Lived crew. Mid morning start certainly wasn’t easy, but once we got to the beach it was worth it!

New Zealand

Home of the famous Haka, icy glaciers, stunning fjords and of course bungee! New Zealand is the ultimate place to combine sport and adventure. Whichever programme you choose, memories of your Sport Lived experience in Kiwi-land will last forever.

New Zealand highlights:

Try adventure sports in Queenstown
Climb the ancient Franz Josef glacier
Tour the stunning Hawkes Bay vineyards
Check out Abel Tasman's golden beaches
Head to Kaikoura for whale watching

Choose your destination city...

Our programmes run in stunning Christchurch located in New Zealand’s south island. Click on Christchurch to learn more about our spectacular Kiwi destination.

Sport Lived in Auckland

Simon is part of Sport Lived’s team in Auckland. He’s a local with a passion for the city so who better to tell you all about New Zealand’s capital city.

The weather in Auckland today is...

Chance of rain13

Your mentor recommends:

Head up the Sky Towers for a 360-degree view of Auckland
Explore Mangere Mountain, created 20,000 years ago by volcanic eruptions
Chill out on the beaches of Auckland's north shore
Take a sailing lesson in the “city of sails”

Tom, Luke, and Paul in Auckland

Night out with team mates

Sport Lived participants watching a live match

Come to Auckland, New Zealand! Auckland is New Zealand’s largest city with a huge multicultural population, friendly people, and a top level sporting scene that will turn your sporting talent into class.

Auckland offers beautiful scenery, many amazing beaches and a glowing night life. The huge number of events rocking somewhere in the city will always keep you more than satisfied. There is always something going on in the ‘City of Sails’, whether the Auckland Blues are out taking care of business at the world famous Eden Park or live music is pumping in one of Auckland’s many parks. You will always find something fun to do!

If you’re looking for fun out of the city, Auckland is only a short distance away from many of the tourist destinations New Zealand has to offer. Mud pools, natural springs and Maori cultural experiences can be found in Rotorua while the Tongariro National Park offers winter skiing, snowboarding and incredible outdoor experiences.

Whether you’re looking to further develop your sporting skills or basically just have a good time, get to Auckland with Sport Lived and you will be guaranteed the true ‘Kiwiana’ experience!

Sport Lived in Christchurch

Here’s your chance to meet Sarah, a Sport Lived mentor in Christchurch and local resident with a passion for her local city. See the South Island’s major city through the eyes of an enthusiastic local.

The weather in Christchurch today is...

Chance of rain15

Your mentor recommends:

Ride the Gondola for spectacular city views
Explore the city on Christchurch's trams
Watch a Canterbury Crusaders match
Punting through the city on the Avon river

Sport Lived soical night out, Christchurch

Summer beach, Christchurch

Enjoying a drink, Christchurch

Positioned on the East coast of the South Island, Christchurch has all you would want in a city, plus more! We are the largest city on the South Island but the centre is compact and has so many parks and gardens that it is easy to pretend you are in the countryside. Besides the green space, there are beaches; a city centre packed with pubs and restaurants and several museums. All the ingredients for a great stay.

If adventure and an adrenalin rush is your thing then you won’t be disappointed - we have awesome surfing beaches, river rapids, bush walks, paragliding and some of the best ski fields in the southern hemisphere less than one hour from the city centre - something you definitely wouldn't find in the big smoke up north!

The city centre has an amazing vibe and atmosphere, without having the feel of a "big city". With an awesome range of clubs and bars there is definitely something to satisfy everyone’s partying tastes. You’ll also find that the Christchurch people are an awesome bunch who are more than happy to stop and have a chat.

As for our sporting prowess, Christchurch continually proves that it is the sporting capital of the nation: hockey, cricket, softball, netball, basketball, and need I mention the mighty Crusaders? So whatever takes your fancy, Christchurch is the city that has it all! So what are you waiting for?

Book your place

Request a brochure

Download a summary