Here at The Football Institute  we support and challenge players to be the best they can be, both on and off the field. 

We enable players to reach excellence in the game of football and in their education.

We are a collaboration between the Christchurch United Football Club and Ao Tawhiti Unlimited Discovery School in Christchurch.

The Football Institute allows it's student athletes to seamlessly blend and manage a programme of football with their education. Maximising time and minimising stress. Setting each student up for a successful future in Football, whatever that might be.

Christchurch United is a proud Christchurch Football Club with a strong and successful history. The club was formed as a merger of several Christchurch clubs in the early 1970s.

It was one of the founding clubs of the NZ National Soccer League in 1970. Over the years the club have won six National League Titles, six English Cups and seven Chatham Cups, including the two famous doubles in 1975 and in 1991.

The Club produced a number of great players including 44 who played for All Whites. Steve Sumner and Ryan Nelsen were the captains of NZ National teams at the 1982 and 2010 World Cups. All these legend players wore blue and white uniform of United in the prime of their careers.

In 1995 association of football reporters recognised Christchurch United as the best NZ club for 1970-1995.

In 2016 Christchurch United cemented the future of the Club after merging with the rapidly growing Christchurch Football Academy (CFA) who were based at the new state-of-the-art Football Centre. The merger between CFA and CUFC in 2016 has reignited the legacy.

In 2022, our mens senior first team won the Southern League for the first time in 24 years and joined the National League for the first time in 30 years. Our Womens first team won the Championship in the same year.

In 2023, our mens senior first team won the Southern League again and for the first time since 1991 won the Chatham Cup.

Since 2019 we have had 14 Academy players make their debut for the mens senior team. Together we share a strong vision and passion for the Club and Academy future development.

Our dream is to establish a modern successful multi-sport club. This club will be based in the state-of-the-art facility, supported by qualified coaches and staff to secure future

Ao Tawhiti is a Special Character state school based in Christchurch's CBD. We have a fundamental tenet that the child is central in directing their own learning so that the enthusiasm and love of learning is retained.

Our students value the choice, flexibility and respect that our style of education provides them.

Our students are encouraged to develop and engage with their own learning programmes. Our students do not have to follow the class route to obtain their qualifications or aspirations. If you’re passionate about something, willing to make a plan and have the persistence to follow wherever your learning will take you, then you can make it happen. 

There are no limits to what you could do at Ao Tawhiti Unlimited Discovery. 

All our students are tracked against the New Zealand Curriculum, their own personal learning outcomes, and NCEA. Students do not have to follow prescribed assessment routes at our school – instead students can work at whichever level of the curriculum that best serves their current needs. Our desire to have all students take an active part in their learning also provides regular opportunities for our students to assess themselves against their own outcomes. 

All of this information is used to help create the best learning plan for you. You don’t need to prove yourself at Ao Tawhiti before you can do it, and we’ll never treat you like a year level. We recognise that every student has different strengths and weaknesses, and use this information to make a programme that is uniquely yours.