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Eric Liu
Juliano Schmeling, left, Paul Awa and Adam Cowan are involved with fustal at Palmerston North Marist.
Palmerston North Marist Football Club will enter a men’s team and a women’s team in the national Super League futsal competition next year.
Previously Central Football ran the Super League teams for the region, under the Central name, but it was based in Palmerston North.
This year Central Football partnered with Hawke’s Bay Futsal to instead run a men’s team from Napier, so not many Manawatū players were involved.
But now Marist will also enter two teams under the same partnership with Central Football in next year’s competition. Hawke’s Bay Futsal will also run a men’s team.
The Super League is New Zealand’s premier senior futsal competition, comprised of three tournaments, and teams from around the country vie for top spots.
Central Football chief executive Darren Mason said it was pleasing to have two men’s teams and the next step was to replicate that in the women’s game.
Palmerston North Marist chairman Jason Flynn was delighted to have their club involved.
“Marist have long been a champion of futsal and the opportunity to cater for our player base, and bring Super League futsal back to the region was too good to turn down.”
The club has a successful youth futsal academy with more than 90 players involved. It was hoped being involved at a national level would inspire boys and girls who love the growing sport.
Marist boasts several futsal internationals Mikaela Bouwmeester, Adam Cowan and Jono Steele, who could feature in the Super League teams, along with a number of up-and-coming players.
The club recently welcomed talented futsal player Paul Awa from the Solomon Islands.
He was expected to be involved in the Super League squad and already coaching with the futsal academy.
Marist will run a pre-season training programme before the league starts in early 2024.
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