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Northern League (New Zealand)

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Northern League
Founded1965
CountryNew Zealand New Zealand
ConfederationOFC (Oceania)
Number of teams12
Level on pyramid2
Feeder toNational League
Relegation toNRFL Championship
Current championsAuckland City (4th title)
(2024)
Most championshipsAuckland City
Bay Olympic
Takapuna
Central United (4 titles)
TV partnersFIFA+ (select games)
WebsiteNorthern Region Football
Current: 2024 Northern League

The Northern League is an amateur New Zealand association football competition. It is a top-tier competition during the winter season, and sits at step two overall.

The Northern League includes football clubs located in the northern part of the North Island from the Northland, Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions. The competition was known as the NRFL Premier until 2021, when New Zealand's football league system was restructured. Clubs compete each season to qualify for the New Zealand National League.

History

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See also: Association football in New Zealand

The first four years (1965–1969)

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In the years 1965–1969, before the launch of a National Soccer League, the Northern League was the highest level competition available to the clubs in the northern region. When the National Soccer League was created in 1970, the Northern League became one of its feeder leagues.

In 1997 and 1998, when the National Soccer League operated as an invitation-only summer league, the Northern League again became the highest level club competition available to the clubs from the northern provinces.

Football Championship (2004–2021)

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With the demise of the club-based National Soccer League in 2004, the Northern League, now known as Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Men's Premier, became part of the highest level of football league competition in New Zealand for the third time in its history. The league runs between the New Zealand autumn and winter months (April to September), while the New Zealand Football Championship runs between the New Zealand spring and summer months (October to March).

National League (2021–)

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Auckland City dominance
Season Champions Runners-up
2021 Auckland City Auckland United
2022 Auckland City Birkenhead United
2023 Auckland City Eastern Suburbs
2024 Auckland City Western Springs
  Oceania Double winners
  Quadruple winners

In March 2021, New Zealand Football announced a change to the structure of both the premiership and the top regional leagues around the country. The four top regional leagues (NRFL Premier, Central Premier League, Mainland Premier League and the FootballSouth Premier League) would be formed into the Northern League, Central League, and the Southern League. These leagues would allow local clubs to qualify for the premiership season (now known as the National League Championship), with the top 4 teams from the Northern League, the top 3 teams from the Central League, and the top 2 teams from the Southern League making up the competition, alongside the Wellington Phoenix Reserve side. All teams that qualify plus the Phoenix Reserves, would then play a single round-robin competition between September and December.[1]

The first few season were dominated by Auckland City after replacing sister club Central United at the dissolution of the New Zealand Football Championship.[2] Auckland City won the league four consecutive times in their first four seasons. In the 2023 season, Auckland City and Eastern Suburbs completed the season undefeated.[3][4] This is the first time, since Eastern Suburbs did so in the inaugural 1965 season, and the first time two clubs have done so in the same season.[5]

Current Northern League structure

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Sponsors

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The following list is of the official sponsors of the League, unless otherwise noted.

Current

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  • South Korea Kia Motors 2010–2012, (marketing partner)
  • Italy Lotto Sport Italia 2008–2012, (primary sponsor)
  • New Zealand ASB Bank 2010–2012, (marketing partner)
  • New Zealand Prime (New Zealand) 2010–2012, (TV channel), (TV partner)
  • New Zealand FTN – Family Television Network 2010–2012, (TV channel), (TV partner)
  • New Zealand TVNZ 2010–2012,(TV channel), (official TV sponsor)
  • New Zealand Sky Network Television 2009–present, (TV channel), (TV partner – For national & international broadcasting)

Current clubs

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class=notpageimage|
Location of clubs in New Zealand for the 2024 Northern League season
class=notpageimage|
Location of clubs in Auckland Region for the 2024 Northern League season

As of the 2024 season.[6]

Team Location Home ground 2023 season
Auckland City Sandringham, Auckland Kiwitea Street 1st
Auckland United Mount Roskill, Auckland Keith Hay Park 3rd
Bay Olympic New Lynn, Auckland Olympic Park 10th
Birkenhead United Beach Haven, Auckland Shepherds Park 8th
East Coast Bays Northcross, Auckland Bay City Park 2nd in Championship (promoted)
Eastern Suburbs Kohimarama, Auckland Madills Farm 2nd
Hamilton Wanderers Chartwell, Hamilton Porritt Stadium 6th
Manurewa Manurewa, Auckland Memorial Park 4th
Melville United Melville, Hamilton Gower Park 9th
Tauranga City Mount Maunganui, Tauranga Links Avenue 1st in Championship (promoted)
West Coast Rangers Whenuapai, Auckland Fred Taylor Park 7th
Western Springs Westmere, Auckland Seddon Fields 5th

Past champions

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Performance by club

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Club Location Titles Last title
Takapuna City Takapuna 4 1988
Bay Olympic New Lynn 4 2011
Central United Auckland 4 2016
Auckland City Sandringham 4 2024
Hamilton Wanderers Hamilton 3 1984
Mount Wellington Auckland 3 1997
East Coast Bays North Shore 3 2013
Glenfield Rovers Glenfield 3 2014
Eastern Suburbs Kohimarama 3 2015
North Shore United North Shore 3 2019
Papatoetoe Papatoetoe 2 1991
Mount Maunganui Tauranga 2 1994
Tauranga City Tauranga 2 2000
Melville United Melville 2 2009

Notable players

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This list consists of past or present notable players that have either represented an international team, or made more than fifty appearances at a professional level in their careers.

Top scorers

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The following list is from the 2021 season onwards after New Zealand Football changed the football league system in New Zealand. From 2021, the Northern League has acted as a qualifier league to the National League.

Season Top scorer(s) Club(s) Goals
2021 New Zealand Alex Greive Birkenhead United 19
2022[7] Ghana Derek Tieku Hamilton Wanderers 17
2023 New Zealand Ryan de Vries
Ghana Derek Tieku 		Auckland City
Hamilton Wanderers 		19
2024[8] New Zealand Jake Mechell Eastern Suburbs 19

Records

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The following records are from the 2021 season onwards after New Zealand Football changed the football league system in New Zealand. From 2021, the Northern League has acted as a qualifier league to the National League. The records are up to date as of the end of the 2024 season.

MVP Winners

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Season Winner(s) Club(s)
2021[9] New Zealand Alex Greive Birkenhead United
2022[10] Ghana Derek Tieku Hamilton Wanderers
2023[11] Ghana Derek Tieku Hamilton Wanderers
2024[12] New Zealand Jake Mechell Eastern Suburbs

References

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  1. ^ "New National League competition details confirmed". New Zealand Football. 26 February 2021. Archived from the original on 17 March 2021. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  2. ^ "Football: Auckland City FC find way to survive New Zealand club football restructure". Newshub. Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  3. ^ "Unbeaten Auckland City wrap up three-peat of Northern League titles". friendsoffootballnz.com. 2 September 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  4. ^ "Men's National League regional winners and Championship qualifiers confirmed". New Zealand Football. 2 September 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  5. ^ "Unbeaten Seasons". ultimatenzsoccer.com. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  6. ^ "Northern Region Football – Home".
  7. ^ "2022 Northern League Top Scorers". New Zealand Football instagram. 4 September 2022. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
  8. ^ "National League | Golden Boot 🥇". New Zealand Football. 2 September 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2024 – via Facebook.
  9. ^ "Goal-filled final weekend in the South Central Series as Miramar Rangers (men) and Southern United (women) crowned winners". NZFootball.co.nz. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  10. ^ "Congratulations to the winners of the MVP awards in the Northern, Central and Southern Leagues #NZNationalLeague". New Zealand Football Instagram. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  11. ^ "National League MVPs and Golden Boot winners named". New Zealand Football. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  12. ^ "Announcing the MVPs of the regional phase of the National League 2024 🌟". New Zealand Football. 25 September 2024. Retrieved 25 September 2024 – via Instagram.
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