The Waitakere United Sentinel
Player ratings19 Oct 2026
What a way to start for Oliver Rufer — 8.33
2 on the scoresheet on his first appearance and a mark of 8.33 beside it. Most debuts are got through; this one was enjoyed, by him and by everybody watching it.
Squad19 Oct 2026
6 saves: Owen Colvey was the team
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the whole of the defence. 6 saves, several of them the kind nobody expects to see made, and ten outfield players who owe him a drink.
Squad19 Oct 2026
Ben Just signs on for more
“Some decisions take a long time. This one took ten minutes, and most of that was finding a pen.” Ben Just and Waitakere United agree another 3 years.
Squad19 Oct 2026
Darko Rajkovic is a better footballer than he was
Not a run of form — an actual step up, held for months. At 18 he is doing things at this level he could not do at the start of the season, and the coaching staff will tell you exactly which of them.
Squad19 Oct 2026
Words exchanged at Waitakere United
Owen Colvey and a teammate said things this week that will take longer than a week to unsay. It was not about football, and both of them play on Saturday.
Boardroom19 Oct 2026
5 academy graduates step up at Waitakere United
Senior shirt numbers handed to boys the coaches have known since they were twelve. Most will not make it and all of them have already done the hard part.
Match17 Oct 2026
Oliver Rufer’s goal not enough for Waitakere United
Oliver Rufer scored, and precious little else went right: 2‑3 to Team Wellington, and a quiet walk to the dressing room.
The terraces19 Oct 2026
The crowd has taken to Oliver Rufer
At 20 he is being sung about by people twice his age, which is an affection a signing has to earn over years and a local kid gets for turning up. It is also the hardest thing in football to live up to.
Market19 Oct 2026
One of our own: Owen Payne joins the Waitakere United first team
Clubs spend fortunes looking for players and occasionally find one down the corridor. Owen Payne is that, and the reception he gets on his first appearance will be different in kind from the one any signing receives.
In brief
- Market Waitakere United promote Deklan Just from within
- Market Stefan Tuiloma steps up from the Waitakere United academy
- Market One of our own: Michael Sutton joins the Waitakere United first team