University of Canterbury Football Club Wins South Island University Shield

The University of Canterbury Football Club has won the South Island University Shield this month, bringing home the shield for the first time.  

The University of Canterbury Football Club Women’s and Men’s First XI after winning the South Island University Shield for the first time. PHOTO: Supplied. 

The South Island University Shield is a yearly match between the Otago University Association Football Club and the University of Canterbury Football Club. 

Two games are played, the Men’s and Women’s First XI, and the aggregate score takes home the shield. 

Now in its fourth year, UC Football Club won the shield from Otago University Association Football Club, breaking Otago’s three-year winning streak.  

UC Football Club Women’s First XI Head Coach, Jonte Clifton, said “it’s a massive step in the right direction for us, and to have the shield come back this year was awesome.” 

The universities alternate hosting the competition, with this year’s match being held in Otago. The game scores were 1-1 for the women’s, and 1-0, to UC, for the men’s game. 

This year was Clifton’s first year as head coach, and he said it was “pretty awesome” for UC to bring home the shield.  

“It shows the standard that we’ve got at the Uni this year, and it’s shaping up for a really good season from there”, he said. 

Eileen Rodriguez was the goal scorer in the women’s match. She said she was “really proud.” 

Women’s First XI goal scorer, Eileen Rodriguez (right), holding the South Island University Shield, alongside Men’s First XI goal scorer, Joseph Wood (left). PHOTO: Supplied.  

Rodriguez, an exchange student from Chicago, Illinois, said she played football until her second year of university, and wanted to come to New Zealand and “reopen those doors.” 

“I felt a lot of relief when I saw my teammates rushing to me and, like, hugging me, because they were so excited that we had scored”, she said. 

Clifton said both teams played very well and said the women’s game started off “really strong” and the men’s game was the same. “It was back and forth, back and forth”, he said.  

Rodriguez said the women’s team had only two weeks of practice and performed “really well.” 

“I was really proud, and even though we’re barely getting to know each other, it was nice”, she said. 

Clifton said the biggest challenge for the UC teams was travel. “Travelling four and a half hours there, getting off the bus and straight into a warm-up, and then playing a game of footy isn’t easy”, he said. “But it was good to be a part of.” 

UC Football Club are thrilled that they were able to bring home the South Island University Shield this year and look forward to playing Otago in Christchurch next year, where they will “hopefully retain the shield on our home turf.”