Whanganui Athletic
# Whanganui Athletic

Whanganui Athletic are an association football team based in the New Zealand North Island city of Whanganui. They are traditionally the strongest team from the city, and played in the top flight of New Zealand football in both league and cup competitions. The team was founded in 1929 as Wanganui East Athletic, but briefly changed their name to Wanganui FC between 1974 and 1976 before reverting to their original name before dropping the East to just become Whanganui Athletic

## National competition

Athletic played in the 1993, 1994, and 1995 regional superclub championships, reaching the national league stage in 1993, where they finished seventh.

Athletic reached the last 16 stage of New Zealand's premier knockout cup competition, the Chatham Cup in 1970, and went one stage further to become quarter-finalists in 1996.

## Wanganui United

In 2009 the team entered a partnership with local rivals Wanganui City to form a top-level team, Wanganui United, with both clubs feeding the squad. The idea behind this was to push the level of football in Wanganui. The idea was short-lived; after the 2010 season Wanganui United disbanded, with the players released back to their respective clubs.

## Honours

* 1981 Central League Division Two
* 1987 Central League Division Three North
* 1992 Central League Premier Division
* 1994 Central Superclub Plate
* 1996 Central Superclub Championship
* 2010 Western Premiership Championship
* 2014 Federation League Championship
* 2022 Central Federation League

## New Zealand representation from Wanganui Athletic

* Hayden Englefield (U-20, U-23)
* James Musa (U-20, National team)
* Brad Scott (National team)
