The Chatham Cup is a mixed blessing for Caversham.
Its appearance in the tournament brings prestige but success can also deliver a financial burden.
Caversham might scoop most of the major silverware on offer in Dunedin but the club fell on hard times two years ago.
It was so cash-strapped it opted out of the Chatham Cup and finding the funds to compete this season has not got any easier, head coach and committee member Tim Horner said.
Caversham drew an expensive away fixture in Auckland for today’s quarterfinal.
"As for any club these [away] games are certainly costly," Horner said.
"But we have made a commitment and feel it is a necessity to provide our players with the opportunity to play in these games.
"We’ve made a lot of sacrifices to ensure we can do that."
In 2014, Caversham took out a $10,000 loan to pay its bills.
It raised membership fees from $150 to $250 last year and has also considered moving away from its base at Tonga Park as it looks for ways to trim expenses.
The club has managed to fund the trip to Auckland without asking the players to dig into their own pockets.
But that might change if the team beats Waitakere City and then draws an away semifinal, Horner said.
"These types of trips can total up to $10,000 very quickly and should we progress we’ll have our fingers crossed [for a home match]. But either way we’ll be hoping to make that stage."
Horner said the club had to prepare at the start of the season for the potential costs that arise "on the bounce of the draw".
"Caversham is certainly not the biggest or the richest club in Dunedin and certainly not New Zealand. But it is an undertaking we’ve committed to.
"Everyone understands that we need to be in that competition and that we do the necessary work to ensure we can be there. The pay off is huge and not just because of the fact the players get to experience the bigger games but it does put the club on the map.
"The chance of hosting a quarter or a semi or being involved in the final is a massive thing and it would certainly be worth it."
