 | |
| Founded | 2021; 4 years ago (2021) |
|---|---|
| Country | New Zealand |
| Confederation | OFC |
| Number of clubs | 11 |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Domestic cup(s) | Chatham Cup Charity Cup |
| International cup | OFC Champions League |
| Current champions | Auckland City (2nd title) (2024) |
| Most championships | Auckland City (2 titles) |
| Top scorer | Garbhan Coughlan (28) |
| Broadcaster(s) | FIFA+ TVNZ (Highlights) |
| Website | nzfootball.co.nz/nzfnl |
| Current:2025 National League | |
TheNew Zealand Men's National League (NZNL), known as theDettol Men's National League for sponsorship reasons, is an amateur[1] men'sfootball league at the top of theNew Zealand football league system. Founded in 2021, the New Zealand National League is the successor to theNew Zealand Football Championship. The league is contested by ten teams, with teams qualifying from their regional leagues. Four teams qualify from theNorthern League, three qualify from theCentral League, two qualify from the newly formedSouthern League, theAuckland FC Reserves andWellington Phoenix Reserves are automatically given a spot each year.[2][3][4]
The regional leagues runs from March through to September, with each league having a varying number of games. The Championship phase runs after the completion of the regional phase with each team playing each other once, followed by a grand final. Each season, two clubs gain qualification to theOFC Champions League, the continental competition for theOceania region.
The New Zealand National League was Oceania's strongest national league for four consecutive years in 2023 according toIFFHS.[5]
There are two stages to the competition: the regional phase, in which each team plays each other twice in their respective regions; and the championship phase, in which the top teams in each region play a single round-robin competition, followed by a grand final in order to determine the champion.[4] Each team can field a maximum of four foreign players as well as one additional foreign player who hasOceania Football Confederation nationality.[6] Originally each team had to also start at least two players aged 20 or under in every game.[7] Before the 2023 season this was changed so that players aged 20 or under must account for 10% of available playing minutes throughout the season.[8]
In August 2025, it was revealed thatNew Zealand Football planned to restructure the National League for the 2027 season, based on the structure of the formerNational Soccer League, following several months of consultation and feedback. The proposal would see the removal of the summer Championship phase, contested from September to December, and its replacement with a winter-based National League. Three potential formats were outlined; a 12-team round robin with a finals series, a 12-team round robin without a finals series, or a 14-team round robin without a finals series. All proposed formats would continue to allow clubs to participate in theChatham Cup.[9][10][11]
Among the most prominent topics of feedback was the under-20 player rule. New Zealand Football indicated a proposal to remove the current version of the rule, while ensuring the national talent development pathways are still maintained. Another area of review was the foreign player rule, which at present counts only New Zealand citizens as local players. The proposed amendment would expand this definition to include New Zealand permanent residents.[9][10][11]
The winners of the National League Grand-Final qualify for theOFC Champions League each season, it used to be two team qualify; those two teams being the two finalists of the championship phase.[4]
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 theFootballSouth Premier League) would be formed into theNorthern League,Central League, and theSouthern League. These leagues would allow local clubs to qualify for the premiership season (now known as theNational 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 theWellington Phoenix Reserve side. All teams that qualify plus the Phoenix Reserves, would then play a single round-robin competition between October and December. The top two placed teams will then progress to the Grand Final.[12]
In 2021 New Zealand Football announced a change in plans to the Championship phase of the 2021 competition due toCOVID-19alert levels.[13] The Championship phase was to be split up into two 'Hubs', the Auckland Hub and the South Hub, followed by a finals series. The Auckland Hub hadNorthern League team competing, with the South Hub havingCentral League andSouthern League teams competing.[13] Later on the 1 November, after confirmation that the alert levels would not change to allow the Auckland and Waikato teams to play any further part in the National Competition,New Zealand Football announced that they were cancelling the remainder of the National League.[14] New Zealand Football replaced this with a one-off competition, theSouth Central Series, for teams qualifying from the Central League and Southern League.Miramar Rangers were both the premiers and champions for this stand alone competition.[15]
The2022 New Zealand National League Championship phase kicked off on 1 October 2022.[16]The 10 inaugural members were:
Auckland City were both the premiers and champions with beatingWellington Olympic in the grand final.[17] Auckland City also won theOFC Champions League and theChatham Cup.
The2023 New Zealand National League Championship phase kicked off on 23 September 2023.[18] It'sEastern Suburbs,Manurewa andPetone's first time in the league and they replacingBirkenhead United,Miramar Rangers andMelville United.Wellington Olympic were both the premiers and champions with beatingAuckland City in the grand final.[19] Auckland City won theOFC Champions League andChristchurch United won theChatham Cup.
The2024 New Zealand National League Championship phase kicked off on 23 September 2024.[20] It'sCoastal Spirit,Western Springs andWestern Suburbs's first time in the league, they are joined byBirkenhead United competing for the second time. They replacingAuckland United,Christchurch United,Manurewa andPetone. Birkenhead United were the premiers andAuckland City were champions with beating Birkenhead United in the grand final.[21] Auckland City won theOFC Champions League andWellington Olympic won theChatham Cup.
The2025 New Zealand National League Championship phase will kick off on 27 September 2025. The league expanded for the first time to 11 teams from 10 teams, the expansions was to include New Zealand's secondA-League clubAuckland FC'sReserve team. It's their first time in the league, they are joined byAuckland United andChristchurch United competing for the third time, as well asMiramar Rangers for the second time. They replacingCashmere Technical,Eastern Suburbs andNapier City Rovers. Auckland City won theOFC Champions League andWellington Olympic won theChatham Cup.
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Northern League;
Central League;
Southern League
These are the current clubs for the 2025 National League Championship phase season:
| Team | Stadium | Location | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auckland City | Kiwitea Street | Sandringham,Auckland | Northern League 4th place |
| Auckland FC Reserves | Fred Taylor Park | Whenuapai,Auckland | Automatic qualification |
| Auckland United | Keith Hay Park | Mount Roskill,Auckland | Northern League 3rd place |
| Birkenhead United | Shepherds Park | Beach Haven,Auckland | Northern League runners-up |
| Christchurch United | United Sports Centre | Spreydon,Christchurch | Southern League runners-up |
| Coastal Spirit | Linfield Park | Bromley,Christchurch | Southern League champion |
| Miramar Rangers | David Farrington Park | Miramar,Wellington | Central League runners-up |
| Wellington Olympic | Wakefield Park | Island Bay,Wellington | Central League champion |
| Wellington Phoenix Reserves | Fraser Park | Taitā,Lower Hutt | Automatic qualification |
| Western Springs | Seddon Fields | Westmere,Auckland | Northern League Champions |
| Western Suburbs | Endeavour Park | Whitby,Porirua | Central League 3rd place |
There are 17 teams that have taken part in 4 National League Championships that were played from the2022 season until the2025 season. The teams in bold compete in the National League Championship phase currently. The year in parentheses represents the most recent year of participation at this level. Three teams have competed in every National League Championship season, those beingAuckland City,Wellington Olympic andWellington Phoenix Reserves.
On 31 January 2025, New Zealand Football agreed a multi-year sponsorship deal with cleaning brandDettol for naming rights of the National League from the start of the 2025 season.[22]
Sky Sport had the broadcasting rights for the first two seasons (including the South Central Series). One game a week was live on television with the remaining four games free to air on either the Sky Sport Next orNew Zealand FootballYouTube channels.[23][24]
In September 2023, New Zealand signed a deal to have all National League games streamed for free onFIFA+ worldwide. This includes select games of the qualifying league games as well.[25][26] On 8 May 2024, New Zealand Football announced they had partnered with Sportway to continue broadcasting on FIFA+. 4K Sportway cameras have begun to be installed at grounds as of May 2024 with plans to broadcast over 200 games for the2024 season,[27] as well as the2025 season.[2]
| Season | Grand Final | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Champions | Score | Runners-up | |
| 2021[a] | Miramar Rangers | 7–2 | Wellington Olympic |
| 2022 | Auckland City | 3–2 | Wellington Olympic |
| 2023 | Wellington Olympic | 2–0 | Auckland City |
| 2024 | Auckland City | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | Birkenhead United |
By league[edit]
| By region[edit]
| By city/town[edit]
|
| Season | Top scorer(s) | Club(s) | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | National League season cancelled | ||
| 2022 |  Gianni Bouzoukis Garbhan Coughlan | Wellington Olympic Cashmere Technical | 9 |
| 2023 | Gianni BouzoukisGarbhan Coughlan | Wellington Olympic Cashmere Technical | 11 |
| 2024 | Daniel BunchGarbhan CoughlanMonty Patterson | Birkenhead United Cashmere Technical Birkenhead United | 8 |
The records are up to date as of the end of the2024 season. As the 2021 season was cancelled, the2021 South Central Series was not officially part of the National League.[28]
Appearances[edit]
| Top scorers[edit]
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Season | Winner(s) | Club(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 2022[29] |  Silvio Rodić | Birkenhead United |
| 2023[30] | Garbhan Coughlan | Cashmere Technical |
| 2024[31] | Monty Patterson | Birkenhead United |
| Season | Winner(s) | Club(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 2023[32] | Joel Stevens | Wellington Olympic |
| 2024[31] | Mario Ilich | Auckland City |
TheOFC Champions League, also known as theO-League, is the premier football competition in Oceania. It is organised by the OFC, Oceania's football governing body. It has been organised since 2007 under the current format, following its successor, the Oceania Club Championship. Two teams from the New Zealand National League participate annually. Four O-League titles have been won by teams from New Zealand.
TheCharity Cup was introduced in 2011 and is contested between the winner of the National League Grand Final and the winner of theChatham Cup.[33] Although it was planned to start in 2022 after the inaugural season of the National League, the Charity Cup only restarted in 2024.[34][35]
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