Stephen Hoyle opens up on why he’s desperate to help Napier City Rovers to a sixth Chatham Cup title. Video / Neil Reid
Having twice endured a Chatham Cup final loss, Stephen Hoyle talks to Neil Reid on his desire to help Napier City Rovers go all the way for title number six.
Stephen Hoyle says he’s “desperate” to add the sweet taste of success into his personal Chatham Cup history which is tinged with too much on-field agony.
The Napier City Rovers player and assistant coach shapes as a key member of the squad which will face fellow top-four Central League side Miramar Rangers at Bluewater Stadium in Sunday’s fourth round clash of the knock-out competition.
“I feel like there’s nobody more desperate here [at Napier City Rovers] to win a Chatham Cup than me,” he said.
“It’s the biggest competition in New Zealand football and one I need to win. I’ve lost two finals, I’ve lost semifinals. It’s one [title} I need to get before I finish playing.”
Napier City Rovers veteran player and assistant coach Stephen Hoyle (right), talks tactics. Photo / Neil Reid
Along with Central United, they have won the famous trophy five times.
University-Mount Wellington and Christchurch United have won it seven times.
They were widely tipped to win in 2015 – a match which would turn out to be Hoyle’s first grand final loss – after smashing all-comers in that year’s Central League; including setting a new record for points scored in a season.
But Eastern Suburbs denied them 2-1 in the final.
Hoyle was also part of the Eastern Suburbs team which lost to fellow Auckland club, Auckland City, 1-0 in the 2022 final.
Stephen Hoyle has twice tasted defeat in Chatham Cup finals. Photo / Neil Reid
“I still remember it. It still hurts,” Hoyle said.
“When Jimbo [James Hoyle] got over the line in 2019, when I wasn’t here at the club, I was super proud of him. But I want to feel that as well, I want to get a Chatham Cup before I finish.”
“To be a provincial team, located here in Napier, and to win as many cups as we have . . . they have no right,” Hoyle said of final wins over clubs from major centres.
“If you look at the other teams who have won lots of Chatham Cups, they’re from the big cities.
Napier City Rovers will be going out to keep the winning ways continuing when they play Miramar Rangers on Sunday. Photo / Neil Reid
“We are that little dog that keeps on barking, keeps on fighting and has more than it should have in that clubrooms.”
Napier City Rovers go into Sunday’s match sitting in third spot in the Central League after their first 12 matches in the 18-round competition.
On Saturday they dispatched bottom-placed Stop Out 2-0 in Wellington.
That came on the back of a rampant second half the weekend before against Waterside Karori, with the Bill Robertson-coached team turning around a 1-0 deficit at the break to score seven unanswered goals in the final 45 minutes.
And the week prior to that, they won their third-round Chatham Cup clash against North Wellington; a match where they again bounced back from being 1-0 down, this time with just 10 men for the final 40 minutes, to win 2-1.
The nature of the wins over Waterside Karori and North Wellington in particular highlighted the spirit in the 2024 Napier City Rovers squad, a unit Hoyle described as a “resilient group”.
Napier City Rovers have one of the best records in the Chatham Cup, winning the famous trophy five times. Photo / Neil Reid
“We’ve proved a point this year when we don’t start how we want to,” he said.
“If we do go behind in games, we’re never out of games and you know that’s a good habit to have.
“I try not to get too caught up with the scoreboard. Bill and I both want us to play a certain style of play that’s aggressive, that’s attacking, that’s on the front foot.
“I’m old enough now to not get worried and just keep doing what we’re doing. As long as we’re creating chances, we’ve got very good forwards and they’ll put it in the net.”
Napier City Rovers’ coaching staff and players have made no secret of their desire to go deep into this year’s Chatham Cup.
Qualifying for the 10-team National League is also a firm goal; with the side in a strong position after 12 rounds.
Four teams from Central League will qualify; the Wellington Phoenix Reserves are guaranteed a spot in their participation agreement, with the other places going to the top three finishing clubs.
Napier City Rovers' Hoyle brothers, left to right, captain Jim and teammate and assistant coach Stephen, during a training session. Photo / Neil Reid
Rovers are in third place on the league table. But they do have a match in hand over both first-placed Wellington Olympic and Western Suburbs, who are in second but on the same number of competition points as Napier City Rovers.
“The points table is very tight and we just have to focus on one game at a time,” Hoyle said.
“I know it’s a cliche, but it’s about that focus of how good are you week-to-week and keep trying to pick up results.”
Neil Reid is a Napier-based senior reporter who covers general news, features and sport. He joined the Herald in 2014 and has 30 years of newsroom experience.
