New Zealand football league system

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The New Zealand league system is the structure of leagues nationally and regionally, newly updated for the 2021 season.[1] The system previously had a path from grassroots to the top flight but that stopped in 2004 with the New Zealand Football Championship being created as a replacement to the former New Zealand National Soccer League.

The current top flight of New Zealand Football is the National League, entering its inaugural season in 2021.[2]

The top 4 Divisions of the Northern Region Football leagues for both men and women (Tiers 2-5) will be restructured for the 2023 season.[3]

Cups[]

The premier cup competition in New Zealand is the Chatham Cup which dates back to 1923.

Regional cup competitions are also run within federations, allowing multiple teams from the same club to enter.

Men's structure (2021-22)[]

Clubs at the top of the pyramid are only permitted to enter a single team in their confederation's higher levels. Other teams from the same club are permitted to enter teams below this threshold, but have restrictions on promotion.[4][5] Clevedon FC are currently the lowest ranked 1st team in the country, playing in NRF South/East 9 (Tier 15).[6]

Level

League(s)/division(s)

1

New Zealand National League
10 clubs[a]

2

Northern League
12 clubs – 4 qualifications, 2 relegations

Central League
10 clubs – 3 qualifications, 1 relegation

Southern League
8 clubs – 2 qualifications

3

NRFL Division 1
12 clubs – 2 promotions, 2 relegations[b]

Central Federation League
9 clubs

Capital Premier
10 clubs

Mainland Premier League
8 clubs – 5 qualifications

FootballSouth Premier League
8 clubs – 3 qualifications

4

NRFL Division 2
12 clubs – 2 promotions, 2 relegations[b]

Horizons Premiership – 10 clubs
Pacific Premiership – 8 clubs
Gisborne Eastern 1 – 5 clubs
Taranaki Premiership – 10 clubs

Capital 1
10 clubs

Mainland Championship
8 clubs

South Canterbury Division 1 – 7 clubs
Otago Division 1 – 8 clubs
Southland Premier (Donald Gray) – 8 clubs

5

NRF Championship
8 clubs – 1–2 promotions

12 clubs – 0–1 promotions, 2 relegations

Manawatu Championship – 9 clubs
Whanganui Championship – 12 clubs
Hawkes Bay Division 2 – 8 clubs
Gisborne Eastern 2 – 11 clubs
Taranaki Championship – 10 clubs

Capital 2
10 clubs

Mainland Division 1 – 10 clubs
Nelson Premiership Division 1 – 8 clubs
South Canterbury Division 2 – 7 clubs
Otago Division 2 – 10 clubs
Southland Division 1 – 9 clubs

6

NRF Championship Division 1
10 clubs

WaiBOP Championship

12 clubs – 2 promotions, 2 relegations

Manawatu Division 2 – 9 clubs
Hawkes Bay Division 3 – 10 clubs
Taranaki Division 1 – 9 clubs

Capital 3
10 clubs

Mainland Division 2 – 10 clubs
Nelson Division 2 – 8 clubs
South Canterbury Division 3 – 6 clubs
Otago Division 3 – 8 clubs
Southland Division 2 – 13 clubs

7

NRF Northland Championship – 6 clubs
NRF Community Division 1 – 10 clubs
Waikato Division 1 – 9 clubs
Bay League Division 1 – 9 clubs

Manawatu Division 3 – 10 clubs
Taranaki Division 2 – 9 clubs

Capital 4
10 clubs

Mainland Division 3 – 10 clubs
Nelson Division 3 – 6 clubs
Otago Division 4 – 11 clubs

8

NRF Northland Community Division 1 – 6 clubs
NRF Community Division 2 – 10 clubs
Waikato Division 2 – 10 clubs
Bay League Division 2 – 10 clubs

Manawatu Division 4 – 9 clubs
Wellington 1 – 10 clubs
Horowhenua/Kapiti Local League – 15 clubs
Wairarapa 1 – 6 clubs

Mainland Division 4 – 10 clubs
Nelson Division 4 – 6 clubs

9

NRF Northland Community Division 2 – 11 clubs
NRF Community Division 3 – 10 clubs
Waikato Division 3 – 9 clubs

Wellington 2 – 10 clubs
Wairarapa 2 – 6 clubs

Mainland Division 5 – 11 clubs
Nelson Division 5 – 7 clubs

10

NRF Northland Community Division 3 – 8 clubs
NRF Harbour/Waitakere 4 – 10 clubs
NRF Central/West 4 – 10 clubs
NRF South/East 4 – 10 clubs
Waikato Division 4 – 10 clubs

Wellington 3 – 10 clubs
Wairarapa 3 – 6 clubs

Mainland Division 6 – 9 clubs

11

NRF Harbour/Waitakere 5 – 10 clubs
NRF Central/West 5 – 10 clubs
NRF South/East 5 – 9 clubs

Wellington 4 – 10 clubs

Mainland Division 7 – 7 clubs

12

NRF Harbour/Waitakere 6 – 10 clubs
NRF Central/West 6 – 10 clubs
NRF South/East 6 – 11 clubs

Wellington 5 – 10 clubs

Mainland Division 8 – 7 clubs

13

NRF Harbour/Waitakere 7 – 10 clubs
NRF Central/West 7 – 12 clubs
NRF South/East 7 – 9 clubs

Wellington 6 – 10 clubs

—

14

NRF Central/West 8 – 10 clubs
NRF South/East 8 – 10 clubs

—

—

15

NRF South/East 9 – 8 clubs

—

—

Women's structure (2021)[]

Sources[8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15]

Level League(s)/division(s)
1 New Zealand Women's National League

8 clubs

2 NRFL Women's Premier Division

6 clubs – 4 qualifications, 1 relegation playoff

Capital W-League

7 clubs – 1 relegation

Mainland Women's Premiership – 6 clubs

Women's Southern Premiership – 7 clubs

3 NRF Women's Championship

10 clubs – 0-1 promotions, 2 relegations

WAIBoP W-League

8 clubs – 0-1 promotions

Central Women's Federation League

5 clubs – 0 promotions

Women's Capital Premier

8 clubs – 1 promotion, 1 relegation

Mainland Women's Championship – 11 clubs

ODT Women's Competition – 14 clubs

South Canterbury Senior Women's – 4 clubs

Southland Kolk Cup – 7 clubs

4 NRF Women's Community Division 1 – 10 clubs

Waikato Senior Women's Division 1 – 7 clubs

Women's Bay Division 1 – 8 clubs

Hawke's Bay Women's Premiership – 10 clubs

Team Robinson Manuwatu Premiership – 6 clubs

Gisborne Eastern League – 7 clubs

Whanganui Kelly Hiroa Premiership – 7 clubs

Taranaki Women's Premiership – 10 clubs

Women's 1

8 clubs – 2 relegations (round 1)

8 clubs – 1 promotion, 2 relegations (round 2)

—
5 NRF Women's Community Division 2 – 10 clubs

NRF Northland Women's Championship – 10 clubs

Waikato Senior Women's Division 2 – 9 clubs

Manuwatu Women's Championship – 8 clubs Women's 2

8 clubs – 2 promotions, 2 relegations (round 1)

8 clubs – 2 promotions, 2 relegations (round 2)

—
6 NRF Harbour/Waitakere 3 – 9 clubs

NRF Central/South/East 3 – 7 clubs

Women's 3

9 clubs – 2 promotions (round 1)

9 clubs – 2 promotions (round 2)

—
7 NRF Harbour/Waitakere 4 – 8 clubs

NRF Central/South/East 4/5 – 14 clubs

— —
8 NRF Harbour/Waitakere 5

NRF South/Central/East 5

— —

Notes[]

  1. ^ 9 teams qualify from regional leagues to join the Wellington Phoenix Reserves, who automatically qualify.[2]
  2. ^ a b Promotion and relegation is dependent on regulations that only allow one team per club in the top grades[4][5][7]

References[]

  1. ^ "The National League System". New Zealand Football. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  2. ^ a b "New National League competition details confirmed". New Zealand Football. 26 February 2021. Archived from the original on 17 March 2021. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  3. ^ "2021 NRFL Review". NRF.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ^ a b "Waikato Bay of Plenty Football, Regulations 2021". . Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  5. ^ a b "Northern Region Football Playing Regulations". Northern Region Football. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  6. ^ "Community Senior Men". NRF.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. ^ "Capital Football Federation Football Playing Regulations". Capital Football. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  8. ^ "Capital Football Federation Football Playing Regulations". Capital Football. 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ^ "Northern Regional Football League Regulations". NFF. 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. ^ "Football South - Fixtures & Results". www.footballsouth.co.nz. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
  11. ^ "Southland Football - Senior Fixtures/Results/Table". www.southlandfootball.org.nz. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
  12. ^ "WaiBOP Football Federation - Fixtures & Results". www.waibopfootball.co.nz. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
  13. ^ "Mainland Football - Football Fixtures & Results". www.mainlandfootball.co.nz. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
  14. ^ "Football Fixtures - Home". www.sporty.co.nz. Retrieved 2021-07-15.
  15. ^ "NO. 4 DISTRICT FEDERATION OF NEW ZEALAND FOOTBALL SENIOR COMPETITION REGULATIONS". Sporty.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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