 | |
| Founded | 2013; 12 years ago (2013) 2000–2012(as NSW Premier League) 1992–2000(as Super League) 1983–1991(as Division One) 1978–1982(as Super League) 1956–1977(as Division One) |
|---|---|
| Country |  Australia |
| State |  NSW |
| Confederation | AFC |
| Number of clubs | 16 |
| Level on pyramid | 2 |
| Relegation to | Football NSW League |
| Domestic cup(s) | National Australia Cup State Waratah Cup |
| Current champions | Apia Leichhardt (2025) |
| Current premiers | NWS Spirit (2025) |
| Most premierships | Sydney United 58 Blacktown City (8 titles each) |
| Broadcaster(s) | YouTube |
| Website | www |
| Current:2025 NPL NSW | |
TheNational Premier Leagues NSW is asemi-professionalsoccer competition inNew South Wales, Australia. The competition is conducted byFootball NSW, one of the two organising bodies in New South Wales (the other being theNational Premier Leagues Northern NSW organised byNorthern NSW Football). The league is a subdivision of the second tierNational Premier Leagues (NPL), which sits below the nationalA-League. Prior to becoming a subdivision of the NPL in 2013, the league was previously known as the NSW Premier League.
Since 1956, a top divisionalNew South Wales based league has been contested annually in various forms, with its early days remembered as Division One. The league, jointly with other state-based leagues, formed the highest tier of soccer in Australia until the creation of a national league, theNational Soccer League (NSL), in 1977. Before NSL, theAmpol Cup also ran concurrently as a state-based cup competition. In 1979 Division One officially changed its name to NSW State League, however, reverted to NSW Division One by 1983. The league continued to be contested throughout the winter months and included another name change in 1992 to the NSW Super League. During the 1980s and 1990s,Melita Eagles andBlacktown City FC were dominant in the league winning nine championships between them.
At the end of the 2000 season, the top soccer divisions were revamped with the highest level of soccer being named the Premier League and being played over the summer to align with the then top tier of soccer in Australia (NSL). The second highest NSW league was named the Winter Super League and played throughout 2001. The 2004–05 season saw the return of the New South Wales NSL giants in Sydney Olympic,Sydney United 58,Wollongong Wolves andMarconi Stallions.[1] This was the result of another overhaul of the entire national league structure. The NSL was abolished and theA-League took its place at the top of the soccer hierarchy in Australia. As this competition significantly reduced the teams from New South Wales to just three (Sydney FC,Central Coast Mariners andNewcastle Jets) these clubs were forced to return to the state leagues. The NSW Premier League continued to be run over summer throughout this period but after the2004–05 season reverted to a winter competition from 2006.
In 2008 the wholeNew South Wales men's, women's and youth competitions were reconstructed to align youth teams with their respective senior clubs along with women's teams.
In 2013 theFFA announced another re-structure, this time to the tier 2 level of soccer in Australia. This saw the top league in each state united under a single banner called theNational Premier Leagues, with the NSW Premier League rebranded as the National Premier Leagues NSW.[2]Bonnyrigg White Eagles became the inaugural champions of this competition after defeatingRockdale City Suns 1–0 in the final.Sydney United 58 FC were crowned premiers after placing first in the standing at the end of the regular season, earning the right to compete in the inauguralNational Premier Leagues Finals. Sydney United went on to win this tournament defeatingTasmanian sideSouth Hobart FC 2–0 in the final. In 2014, premiersBonnyrigg White Eagles failed to reach the grand final andBlacktown City FC were crowned champions. They defeatedSydney Olympic 2–1 after extra time.
| Seasons | Title |
|---|---|
| 1956–1977 | Division 1 |
| 1978–1982 | State League |
| 1983–1991 | NSW Division One |
| 1992–2000 | NSW Super League |
| 2000–2012 | NSW Premier League |
| 2013–present | National Premier Leagues NSW |
| Source: OzFootball | |
In the regular season there are 30 Rounds in total with each team playing each other twice; home and away. The winner is declared asPremier. The Premier also qualifies for a separate, nationwide competition, theAustralian Championship, which also includes five NSW NPL sides defined as "Foundation Clubs" (APIA Leichhardt,Marconi Stallions,Sydney Olympic,Sydney United 58,Wollongong Wolves).
The top six teams from the regular season qualify for a three-week finals series, the winner of which is declared asChampion.
| Club | Seasons | Location | Grounds | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| APIA Leichhardt | 12 | Leichhardt | Lambert Park | 7,000 |
| Blacktown City | 12 | Blacktown | Lily Homes Stadium | 7,500 |
| Central Coast Mariners Academy | 3 | Lisarow | Pluim Park | 2,000 |
| Manly United | 12 | Dee Why | Cromer Park | 5,000 |
| Marconi Stallions | 10 | Bossley Park | Marconi Stadium | 9,000 |
| Mt Druitt Town Rangers | 5 | Mount Druitt | Popondetta Park | 1,000 |
| NWS Spirit | 3 | Macquarie Park | Christie Park | 2,000 |
| Rockdale Ilinden | 12 | Rockdale | Rockdale Ilinden Sports Centre | 5,000 |
| St George City | 3 | Penshurst | Penshurst Park | 1,000 |
| St George FC | 3 | Banksia | Barton Park Sports Complex | 450[3] |
| Sutherland Sharks FC | 11 | Miranda | Seymour Shaw Park | 5,000 |
| Sydney FC Youth | 8 | Rockdale | Rockdale Ilinden Sports Centre | 5,000 |
| Sydney Olympic | 12 | Belmore | Belmore Sports Ground | 20,000 |
| Sydney United 58 | 12 | Edensor Park | Sydney United Sports Centre | 12,000 |
| Western Sydney Wanderers Youth | 3 | Rooty Hill | Wanderers Football Park | 3,000 |
| Wollongong Wolves | 12 | Wollongong Berkeley | WIN Stadium Macedonia Park | 23,750 3,000 |
This list includes all champions and premiers since the inaugural league of 1957. Grand finals have occurred during all seasons of the league over this time. As the 1996 season was split into two stages there was no official premier for the season.
| Club | Regular season premierships | Finals series championships | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premiers | Winning seasons | Champions | Winning grand finals | |
| Blacktown City | 8 | 1988, 1993, 2000,2000–01,2002–03, 2007, 2015 | 9 | 1991, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2007, 2010, 2014,2016, 2022 |
| Sydney United 58[c] | 8 | 1977, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982, 2009,2013,2016 | 5 | 1977, 1982, 1983, 2006, 2020 |
| APIA Leichhardt | 6 | 1964, 1965, 1967, 1975,2017,2023 | 7 | 1964, 1965, 1969, 1976, 2003, 2019, 2025 |
| Parramatta FC[d] | 6 | 1980, 1983, 1986, 1989, 1997,2001–02 | 6 | 1985, 1988, 1989, 1996, 1997, 2002 |
| Bonnyrigg White Eagles | 6 | 1992, 1998, 1999, 2010, 2012,2014 | 4 | 1992, 2001, 2013, 2015 |
| Hakoah Sydney City East[e] | 5 | 1968, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974 | 4 | 1961, 1962, 1966, 1968 |
| Prague | 4 | 1959, 1960, 1961, 1963 | 1 | 1959 |
| St George FC[f] | 3 | 1962, 1972, 1976 | 5 | 1967, 1971, 1974, 1975, 1981 |
| Sydney Olympic | 3 | 2011, 2018,2022 | 3 | 1980, 2011, 2018 |
| South Coast United[g] | 3 | 1958, 1966, 1969 | 1 | 1963 |
| Bankstown City Lions | 2 | 1994, 2004–05 | 4 | 1993, 1994, 2004, 2005 |
| Sutherland Sharks | 2 | 1991, 2008 | 3 | 1978, 1986, 2009 |
| Canterbury-Marrickville | 2 | 1957, 1985 | 2 | 1958, 1960 |
| Wollongong Wolves[h] | 2 | 1987, 2019 | 2 | 1987, 2008 |
| Rockdale Ilinden[i] | 2 | 2020,2024 | 1 | 1984 |
| Manly United | 1 | 1995 | 2 | 1995,2017 |
| Inter Monaro | 1 | 1984 | 1 | 1979 |
| Wollongong United | 1 | 1990 | 1 | 1990 |
| NWS Spirit | 1 | 2025 | ||
| Belconnen Blue Devils | 1 | 2003–04 | ||
| Marconi Stallions | 4 | 1972, 1973, 2012, 2024 | ||
| Auburn | 1 | 1957 | ||
| Yugal-Ryde | 1 | 1970 | ||
As of 2025, all matches are broadcast on the Football NSW YouTube channel, with highlights rolls for the games also being released at the end of each round. These broadcasts also now feature commentary, which is recorded live at the ground.
