South Island United have appointed Scott Hales as their new head coach for the 2027 OFC Pro League, turning to a proven figure in New Zealand football as the Christchurch-based club prepares for its second professional season. The 44-year-old Englishman replaces Rob Sherman, who guided the team to the semi-finals of the inaugural competition before his departure was announced earlier this year.
Hales arrives with experience across several levels of New Zealand football, including a national championship with Team Wellington and a Northern League title with Western Springs. His appointment signals South Island United’s intention to build on their promising debut campaign while establishing a stronger identity both on the pitch and within the communities the club represents.
The new coach takes charge of a team that exceeded expectations in its first year. South Island United finished fourth in the regular-season standings with 20 points from 14 matches, securing a place among the competition’s leading contenders. They eventually reached the semi-finals before losing 1-0 to fellow New Zealand side Auckland FC, the eventual champions.
Sherman had overseen the considerable challenge of assembling a professional squad and preparing the South Island’s first professional football club for competition across Oceania. Although his tenure lasted only one season, his work provided a foundation that Hales will now be expected to develop further.
Hales has built much of his reputation through his ability to improve teams over successive seasons, rather than relying exclusively on immediate results. His most recent coaching role at Western Springs offers an example of that progression.
After joining the Auckland club in 2023, he helped guide them to third place in the 2024 National League Championship before winning the Northern League in 2025, the first such title in Western Springs’ history.
His earlier achievements at Team Wellington are equally significant. Hales was part of the coaching staff when the club won the OFC Champions League in 2018, earning a place at the FIFA Club World Cup. He later led Team Wellington to the New Zealand national title in 2021, demonstrating his ability to succeed in domestic competition as well as his familiarity with football at continental level.
His coaching background also includes positions with Central Football, New Zealand Football, the Wellington Phoenix academy and Miramar Rangers. These roles have provided experience in player development and senior football, two areas that will be particularly relevant to a relatively new professional organisation attempting to establish itself over the longer term.
South Island United chief executive Ryan Edwards pointed to Hales’ record of building successful teams as an important factor behind the appointment.
“Scott has shown he can build on the success of an established team and develop a club over several seasons into a title winner. That combination, alongside the positive feedback from players who have worked with him, gave us real confidence he was the right person to lead our next chapter,” Edwards said.
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