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The Northern League is a semi-professional New Zealand
association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
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 Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about ...
,
Waikato Waikato () is a local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipa District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton City, as well as Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsul ...
and
Bay of Plenty The Bay of Plenty ( mi, Te Moana-a-Toi) is a region of New Zealand, situated around a bight of the same name in the northern coast of the North Island. The bight stretches 260 km from the Coromandel Peninsula in the west to Cape Runaw ...
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 The New Zealand Men's National League is a men's football league at the top of the New Zealand football league system. Founded in 2021, the New Zealand National League is the successor to the New Zealand Football Championship. The league will ...
.


History


The first four years (1965–1969)

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.


Present day

With the demise of the club-based National Soccer League in 2004, the Northern League, now known as
Lotto Sport Italia Lotto Sport Italia is an Italian sports equipment manufacturer based in Trevignano, near Treviso. The company manufactures and commercialises sporting and casual clothing and footwear (including sneakers, and football boots). Its clothing lin ...
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).


Renaming and restructuring of leagues in the country

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 The Northern League is a semi-professional 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 pa ...
,
Central Premier League The Central League is an amateur status league competition run by Capital Football for Association football clubs located in the southern and central parts of the North Island, New Zealand. From 2021 it is at the second level of New Zealand Footb ...
,
Mainland Premier League The Mainland Premier League is a league competition run by Mainland Football for association football clubs located in the northern half of the South Island, New Zealand. It is currently regarded by the New Zealand footballing community as the s ...
and the
FootballSouth Premier League The Southern Football Premier League (known as the ODT Southern Men's Premier League for sponsorship reasons) is a New Zealand association football league competition administered bSouthern Footballinvolving clubs from the lower half of the Sout ...
) 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.


Current Northern League structure

* Northern League (''this page'') *
NRFL Division 1 The Northern Regional Football League Division One, currently known as Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Division 1 for sponsorship reasons, is a semi-professional New Zealand association football league competition. The league includes football clubs loc ...
*
NRFL Division 2 The Northern Regional Football League Division 2, currently known as Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Division 2 for sponsorship reasons, is a New Zealand amateur football league. The league is run by the Auckland Football Federation and includes foot ...
*
NRF Championship The NRF League One is a New Zealand amateur football league. The league is run by Northern Region Football, an amalgamation of the Auckland Football Federation and Northern Football Federation, and includes football clubs located in Northland ...
/ WaiBOP Premiership *Community Leagues


Sponsors

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


Current

*
Kia Motors Kia Corporation, commonly known as Kia (, ; formerly known as Kyungsung Precision Industry and Kia Motors Corporation), is a South Korean multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. It is South Korea's second lar ...
2010–2012, (marketing partner) *
Lotto Sport Italia Lotto Sport Italia is an Italian sports equipment manufacturer based in Trevignano, near Treviso. The company manufactures and commercialises sporting and casual clothing and footwear (including sneakers, and football boots). Its clothing lin ...
2008–2012, (primary sponsor) * ASB Bank 2010–2012, (marketing partner) *
Prime (New Zealand) Prime is a New Zealand free-to-air television network. It airs a varied mix of programming, largely imported from Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. It was originally owned by Prime Television Limited in Australia. Prime lat ...
2010–2012, (TV channel), (TV partner) * FTN – Family Television Network 2010–2012, (TV channel), (TV partner) * TVNZ 2010–2012,(TV channel), (official TV sponsor) *
Sky Network Television Sky Network Television Limited, more commonly known as Sky, is a New Zealand broadcasting company that provides pay television services via satellite, media streaming services and broadband internet services. It is also a wholesale channel prov ...
2009–present, (TV channel), (TV partner – ''For national & international broadcasting'')


Current clubs

''As of the 2022 season.''


Past champions

* 1965 –
Eastern Suburbs AFC Eastern Suburbs Association Football Club is a professional Association football club based in the suburb of Kohimarama in Auckland, New Zealand. The club competes in the Northern League (New Zealand), Northern League. Club history Eastern Sub ...
* 1966 –
Eastern Suburbs AFC Eastern Suburbs Association Football Club is a professional Association football club based in the suburb of Kohimarama in Auckland, New Zealand. The club competes in the Northern League (New Zealand), Northern League. Club history Eastern Sub ...
* 1967 –
Ponsonby AFC Mount Albert-Ponsonby is a semi-professional association football club in Mount Albert, Auckland, New Zealand. History The club is an amalgamated between Mount Albert FC and Ponsonby in 1971. Ponsonby had previously won the Chatham Cup, New Z ...
* 1968 – Mount Wellington * 1969 – Mount Wellington * 1970 – Mt Albert * 1971 – Takapuna City * 1972 –
Hamilton Wanderers Hamilton Wanderers Association Football Club is a semi-professional Association football club from Hamilton, New Zealand, that currently competes in the Northern League. National League Hamilton Wanderers joined the New Zealand Football Champ ...
* 1973 –
North Shore United North Shore United Association Football Club is an amateur football club based in the North Shore, Auckland. They compete in the Northern League, where they last won the competition in 2019. Their home ground is Allen Hill Stadium, which is l ...
* 1974 – Eden * 1975 –
Manurewa Manurewa is a major suburb in South Auckland, New Zealand. It was part of Manukau City before the creation of the Auckland super city in 2010. It is located south of the Manukau City Centre, and southeast of Auckland CBD. The suburb is b ...
* 1976 –
Hamilton Wanderers Hamilton Wanderers Association Football Club is a semi-professional Association football club from Hamilton, New Zealand, that currently competes in the Northern League. National League Hamilton Wanderers joined the New Zealand Football Champ ...
* 1977 –
Courier Rangers Courier Rangers, known prior to 1968 as Otahuhu Rangers, is a former New Zealand football club based in the suburb of Otahuhu, Auckland. The team was a member of the New Zealand National Soccer League in 1978 and 1979, finishing fifth on the ...
* 1978 –
Manurewa Manurewa is a major suburb in South Auckland, New Zealand. It was part of Manukau City before the creation of the Auckland super city in 2010. It is located south of the Manukau City Centre, and southeast of Auckland CBD. The suburb is b ...
* 1979 –
Hamilton Wanderers Hamilton Wanderers Association Football Club is a semi-professional Association football club from Hamilton, New Zealand, that currently competes in the Northern League. National League Hamilton Wanderers joined the New Zealand Football Champ ...
* 1980 – Takapuna City * 1981 –
East Coast Bays East Coast Bays is a string of small suburbs that form the northernmost part of the North Shore, part of the contiguous Auckland metropolitan area in New Zealand. The suburbs line the north-east coast of the city along the shore of the Haurak ...
* 1982 –
Papatoetoe Papatoetoe is a suburb in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest suburb in Auckland by population and is located to the northwest of Manukau Central, and 18 kilometres southeast of Auckland CBD. Papatoetoe has the unofficial title of Auckland ...
* 1983 –
University of Auckland , mottoeng = By natural ability and hard work , established = 1883; years ago , endowment = NZD $293 million (31 December 2021) , budget = NZD $1.281 billion (31 December 2021) , chancellor = Cecilia Tarrant , vice_chancellor = Dawn F ...
* 1984 –
Hamilton Wanderers Hamilton Wanderers Association Football Club is a semi-professional Association football club from Hamilton, New Zealand, that currently competes in the Northern League. National League Hamilton Wanderers joined the New Zealand Football Champ ...
* 1985 – Takapuna City * 1986 –
Mount Maunganui Mount Maunganui (, ) is a major residential, commercial and industrial suburb of the Tauranga metropolitan area, located on a peninsula to the north-east of Tauranga's city centre. It was an independent town from Tauranga until the completio ...
* 1987 – AFC Waikato * 1988 – Takapuna City * 1989 –
Mount Roskill Mount Roskill is a suburban area in the city of Auckland, New Zealand. It is named for the volcanic peak Puketāpapa (commonly called "Mount Roskill" in English). Description The suburb, named after the Mount, is located seven kilometres to ...
* 1990 – Mt Albert-Ponsonby * 1991 –
Papatoetoe Papatoetoe is a suburb in Auckland, New Zealand. It is the largest suburb in Auckland by population and is located to the northwest of Manukau Central, and 18 kilometres southeast of Auckland CBD. Papatoetoe has the unofficial title of Auckland ...
* 1992 –
Oratia United Oratia United AFC is an amateur association football club based in West Auckland, New Zealand. They compete in the Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Division Two, at Step 3 of the New Zealand football pyramid. The club's home stadium is Parrs Park, Or ...
* 1993 – Ellerslie * 1994 –
Mount Maunganui Mount Maunganui (, ) is a major residential, commercial and industrial suburb of the Tauranga metropolitan area, located on a peninsula to the north-east of Tauranga's city centre. It was an independent town from Tauranga until the completio ...
* 1995 –
Melville United Melville United AFC is an amateur football club in Melville, Hamilton, New Zealand. It competes in the Northern League. History The club was formed in 1996 from the merger of Melville AFC (founded 1972) and Waikato United (founded 1988). The ...
* 1996 – Lynn-Avon United * 1997 – Mount Wellington * 1998 – Metro F.C. * 1999 – Tauranga City * 2000 – Tauranga City * 2001 –
North Shore United North Shore United Association Football Club is an amateur football club based in the North Shore, Auckland. They compete in the Northern League, where they last won the competition in 2019. Their home ground is Allen Hill Stadium, which is l ...
* 2002 – Glenfield Rovers * 2003 – Glenfield Rovers * 2004 –
Central United Central United Football Club is an amateur association football (soccer) club based in Sandringham, Auckland, New Zealand who complete in the NRF Championship. The team was officially called ''Central Soccer Club'' until 1996 when it change ...
* 2005 –
Bay Olympic Bay Olympic is an association football club based in New Lynn, Auckland, New Zealand. They currently compete in the Northern League. They have won the NRFL Premier League three times. History The club was formed from the merger of Blockhouse ...
* 2006 –
Bay Olympic Bay Olympic is an association football club based in New Lynn, Auckland, New Zealand. They currently compete in the Northern League. They have won the NRFL Premier League three times. History The club was formed from the merger of Blockhouse ...
* 2007 –
Central United Central United Football Club is an amateur association football (soccer) club based in Sandringham, Auckland, New Zealand who complete in the NRF Championship. The team was officially called ''Central Soccer Club'' until 1996 when it change ...
* 2008 –
Central United Central United Football Club is an amateur association football (soccer) club based in Sandringham, Auckland, New Zealand who complete in the NRF Championship. The team was officially called ''Central Soccer Club'' until 1996 when it change ...
* 2009 –
Melville United Melville United AFC is an amateur football club in Melville, Hamilton, New Zealand. It competes in the Northern League. History The club was formed in 1996 from the merger of Melville AFC (founded 1972) and Waikato United (founded 1988). The ...
* 2010 –
East Coast Bays East Coast Bays is a string of small suburbs that form the northernmost part of the North Shore, part of the contiguous Auckland metropolitan area in New Zealand. The suburbs line the north-east coast of the city along the shore of the Haurak ...
* 2011 –
Bay Olympic Bay Olympic is an association football club based in New Lynn, Auckland, New Zealand. They currently compete in the Northern League. They have won the NRFL Premier League three times. History The club was formed from the merger of Blockhouse ...
* 2012 –
Bay Olympic Bay Olympic is an association football club based in New Lynn, Auckland, New Zealand. They currently compete in the Northern League. They have won the NRFL Premier League three times. History The club was formed from the merger of Blockhouse ...
* 2013 –
East Coast Bays East Coast Bays is a string of small suburbs that form the northernmost part of the North Shore, part of the contiguous Auckland metropolitan area in New Zealand. The suburbs line the north-east coast of the city along the shore of the Haurak ...
* 2014 – Glenfield Rovers * 2015 –
Eastern Suburbs AFC Eastern Suburbs Association Football Club is a professional Association football club based in the suburb of Kohimarama in Auckland, New Zealand. The club competes in the Northern League (New Zealand), Northern League. Club history Eastern Sub ...
* 2016 –
Central United Central United Football Club is an amateur association football (soccer) club based in Sandringham, Auckland, New Zealand who complete in the NRF Championship. The team was officially called ''Central Soccer Club'' until 1996 when it change ...
* 2017 –
Onehunga Sports Onehunga Sports Football Club is a youth football club based in Onehunga, New Zealand. A senior side formerly competed in the Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Premier, last appearing in the competition in 2019. The club is widely regarded within New Zea ...
* 2018 –
Onehunga Sports Onehunga Sports Football Club is a youth football club based in Onehunga, New Zealand. A senior side formerly competed in the Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Premier, last appearing in the competition in 2019. The club is widely regarded within New Zea ...
* 2019 –
North Shore United North Shore United Association Football Club is an amateur football club based in the North Shore, Auckland. They compete in the Northern League, where they last won the competition in 2019. Their home ground is Allen Hill Stadium, which is l ...
* 2020 – ''season cancelled due to COVID-19'' *
2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...
Auckland City *
2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeypo ...
Auckland City


Performance by club


Notable players

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. * Chris Wood *
Danny Hay Daniel John Hay (born 15 May 1975) is a retired New Zealand professional Football (soccer), footballer who is currently the manager of the New Zealand national football team, New Zealand national under-23 football team, New Zealand U-23, and N ...
*
Cameron Howieson Cameron Drew Neru Howieson (born 22 December 1994) is a New Zealand professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Auckland City in the New Zealand Football Championship and the New Zealand national team. Howieson signed a ...
* Te Atawhai Hudson-Wihongi * Tim Payne *
Marco Rojas Marco Rodrigo Rojas (born 5 November 1991) is a New Zealand professional footballer who plays as a forward for Chilean side Colo-Colo and the New Zealand national team. During his time in the A-League with Melbourne Victory, Rojas was dubb ...
*
Ryan Thomas Ryan may refer to: People and fictional characters *Ryan (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) *Ryan (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) Places Australia * Division of Ryan, an electo ...
*
Ivan Vicelich Ivan Robert Vicelich ( hr, Vicelić, ; ; born 3 September 1976) is a former New Zealand professional footballer who is currently assistant coach at Auckland City FC in the ASB Premiership. He is his country and Oceania's most-capped interna ...
*
Gareth Rowe Gareth Rowe (born 17 January 1977) is a Association football, football (soccer) player who plays for Canterbury United and has represented New Zealand national football team, New Zealand at international level. Club career Rowe is recognised a ...
* Ross Nicholson *
Kayne Vincent Kayne Vincent (born 29 October 1988) is a New Zealand professional footballer who currently plays as a forward for Western Springs in the Northern League. Born in Auckland, he played football in Japan, New Zealand, India, Australia, Thailand ...
* Cole Tinkler * Kris Bright * Alex Greive * Monty Patterson * David Browne * Tommy Semmy * Faitalia Hamilton * Micah Lea'alafa * Jama Boss * Mohamed Awad * Alex Oikkonen * Emiliano Tade *
Mario Bilen Mario Bilen (born 23 January 1985 in Vinkovci, Croatia) is a Croatian professional footballer who currently plays for NRFL Division 2 club Ngaruawahia United. Club career A stalwart in Croatia's top-flight, the 1.HNL. and youth national tea ...
* Silvio Rodić *
Sean Devine Sean Thomas Devine (born 6 September 1972) is a retired professional Association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football)#Striker, striker. Biography He began his career with Millwall F.C., Millwall. Having spent ti ...
* Marko Đorđević *
Albert Riera Albert Riera Ortega (born 15 April 1982) is a Spanish former footballer who played as left winger but also as a left-back, currently manager of Slovenian club Olimpija Ljubljana. He made a name for himself at Espanyol (with whom he won a Copa ...
* Víctor Espasandín


Top scorers

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 The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team ...
.


Records

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 National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League (NL), is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada, and the world's oldest extant professional team ...
. The records are up to date as of the end of the 2022 season. * Most wins in a season: 20 – Auckland City (
2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeypo ...
) * Fewest defeats in a season: 1 – Auckland City (
2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeypo ...
) * Most goals scored in a season: 68 – Auckland City (
2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeypo ...
) * Fewest goals conceded in a season: 16 – Auckland City (
2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeypo ...
) * Most points in a season: 61 – Auckland City (
2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeypo ...
) * Fewest points in a season: 8 – Waiheke United,
North Shore United North Shore United Association Football Club is an amateur football club based in the North Shore, Auckland. They compete in the Northern League, where they last won the competition in 2019. Their home ground is Allen Hill Stadium, which is l ...
(both
2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeypo ...
) * Highest goal difference: 52 – Auckland City (
2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretariat; The global monkeypo ...
) * Biggest home win: –
Birkenhead United Birkenhead United AFC is an amateur football club based in Beach Haven, on the North Shore of Auckland, New Zealand. They currently compete in the Northern League. Club history The club was established as Birkenhead in 1960 before it amalgama ...
9–0
Melville United Melville United AFC is an amateur football club in Melville, Hamilton, New Zealand. It competes in the Northern League. History The club was formed in 1996 from the merger of Melville AFC (founded 1972) and Waikato United (founded 1988). The ...
(1 May 2021) * Biggest away win: **
North Shore United North Shore United Association Football Club is an amateur football club based in the North Shore, Auckland. They compete in the Northern League, where they last won the competition in 2019. Their home ground is Allen Hill Stadium, which is l ...
1–7 Auckland City (18 April 2022) **
North Shore United North Shore United Association Football Club is an amateur football club based in the North Shore, Auckland. They compete in the Northern League, where they last won the competition in 2019. Their home ground is Allen Hill Stadium, which is l ...
1–7
Melville United Melville United AFC is an amateur football club in Melville, Hamilton, New Zealand. It competes in the Northern League. History The club was formed in 1996 from the merger of Melville AFC (founded 1972) and Waikato United (founded 1988). The ...
(21 May 2022) **
North Shore United North Shore United Association Football Club is an amateur football club based in the North Shore, Auckland. They compete in the Northern League, where they last won the competition in 2019. Their home ground is Allen Hill Stadium, which is l ...
0–6 Auckland United (20 August 2022) * Highest scoring match: 9 goals **
Birkenhead United Birkenhead United AFC is an amateur football club based in Beach Haven, on the North Shore of Auckland, New Zealand. They currently compete in the Northern League. Club history The club was established as Birkenhead in 1960 before it amalgama ...
9–0
Melville United Melville United AFC is an amateur football club in Melville, Hamilton, New Zealand. It competes in the Northern League. History The club was formed in 1996 from the merger of Melville AFC (founded 1972) and Waikato United (founded 1988). The ...
(1 May 2021) **
Bay Olympic Bay Olympic is an association football club based in New Lynn, Auckland, New Zealand. They currently compete in the Northern League. They have won the NRFL Premier League three times. History The club was formed from the merger of Blockhouse ...
2–7
Hamilton Wanderers Hamilton Wanderers Association Football Club is a semi-professional Association football club from Hamilton, New Zealand, that currently competes in the Northern League. National League Hamilton Wanderers joined the New Zealand Football Champ ...
(24 April 2021) ** Auckland United 6–3
Northern Rovers Northern Rovers Football Club is an amateur football club based in Glenfield, New Zealand. Formed in 2020 as an amalgamation between Glenfield Rovers and Forrest Hill-Milford United, Northern Rovers men's team currently competes in the NRFL ...
(17 July 2021)


MVP Winners


References


External links


National League websiteAuckland Football FederationLotto NRFL Premier League
{{NZ fb general 1 2 Sports leagues established in 1965 1965 establishments in New Zealand