ABOUT OUR CLUB

Founded in 1888, Roslyn Wakari AFC stands as one of the most enduring football clubs in New Zealand. With over 700 players, we are proud to be one of the largest clubs in the South Island, serving generations of families and continuing a long tradition of community-focused football.

At Roslyn Wakari, we are dedicated to growing the game and promoting active, healthy lifestyles within our local community and across Dunedin and Otago. Our club is built on a strong commitment to supporting every member - players, coaches, administrators, and supporters - so they can reach their full potential both on and off the field.

Our vision is to foster a connected, supportive football community where individuals of all ages and abilities feel encouraged to develop, improve, and aspire to the highest level. Guided by this vision, our mission is to create an environment where people can build their skills, discover their strengths, and work towards their goals and dreams.

Whether someone is taking their first steps in football or striving for high-performance pathways, Roslyn Wakari AFC is proud to provide opportunities, guidance, and a positive club culture that helps everyone grow.

Roslyn Wakari "Where football is more than a game!”

Our Values

Respect

We are respected by others, as a club of honest and fair competitors. We show respect to others including all members of our own and other clubs, coaches, administrators, referees and sporting bodies. 

Whanau

We are one big Whanau with a diverse membership and a culture of unity that embraces diversity, where everyone is given an equitable opportunity and support to participate and thrive at being involved in football.

Aspire

All coaches, players and teams are supported to perform to the best of their ability, with our top teams aiming to compete at the highest possible level, locally, nationally and internationally. The club drives towards excellence, consistent improvement and intuitive ways to meet and overcome the challenges of the future.

Fun

We create an environment where players and members enjoy the collegiality of, training, playing and reaching their goals alongside their teammates and coaches. We provide regular opportunities to socialise and network as a club and beyond.

Commitment

The club is committed to maintaining our Historical club, which is fiscally sound and has facilities and a structure of administrators and coaching staff that will support our members far into the future.

Our members are committed to upholding our values, supporting their teammates, and achieving their goals.

OUR HISTORY

Roslyn Wakari is one of New Zealand’s oldest football clubs, established in 1888 and it is based at Ellis Park in Kaikorai Valley, Dunedin.

The club’s history starts back in 1888 when the Wakari Football Association team played in the first local Dunedin league. This was only 44 years after the foundation of Dunedin. The Wakari AFC consisted of 14 members with 11 or 12 playing members. The first committee included Sir Robert Stout (Premier of NZ 1884 – 1897) as its President. The club obtained a farmer’s paddock, and a ditch was dug as the outline for the pitch. In 1890 the Wakari AFC changed its name to Roslyn AFC and then in 1895 the Roslyn AFC split into two clubs with the second becoming Wakari AFC. The next ten years saw friendly rivalry between the two clubs as they competed for the “Otago Banner”. In 1904 the two clubs amalgamated to become Roslyn Wakari AFC. The club went into recess from 1915 (initially due to World War I) until 1929 when they re-entered the Otago Football Association competition.

From 1897 the clubs home ground was the Asylum Ground (now Littlebourne Park) on Stuart Street. The ground was levelled and drained by the inmates from the Dunedin Asylum. In 1912 the ground was allocated jointly to the Boys High School and the Football Association.

Roslyn Wakari AFC shifted its activities to Ellis Park when the ground was opened in 1929. Ellis Park included areas once used as an open-air swimming pool and an old tip site. The swimming pool was located in the area that is now the training ground above the present clubrooms.

In 1949 a 2 storey clubhouse was developed incorporating the old stables that had housed the horses that pulled carts to the tip and later when developing the sports grounds. The Club adopted the horses head as its logo in recognition of this connection. Some of the wood used in modifying the new Clubrooms came from the demolition of the old swimming pool.

The construction of the existing clubrooms, consisting of the lounge and the gymnasium was completed in 1971. The changing sheds and committee room were added soon after. Once the move to the new clubrooms had been made, the old 2 storey clubrooms was burnt down as a training exercise by the Roslyn Fire Brigade.At the conclusion of the 2009 season the Club began a major refit of the lounge, kitchen and bar facilities. It is the first full renovation since the move from the Stables. The club celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2013.