National Premier Leagues Women’s
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The National Premier Leagues Women's (NPLW), also referred to as Women's National Premier Leagues (WNPL) in some states, are regional
association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
competitions in some states and territories in Australia, which act as the second tier of the sport in the country below the
A-League Women A-League Women (currently known as the Ninja A-League for sponsorship reasons), formerly the W-League, is the top-division women's soccer league in Australia. The W-League was established in 2008 by Football Australia (then known as Football Fe ...
. The WNPL consists of the highest level state league in a subset of the state-based federations within Australia, and is overseen by
Football Australia Football Australia is the sports governing body, governing body of Soccer in Australia, soccer, futsal, and beach soccer within Australia, headquartered in Sydney. Although the first governing body of the sport was founded in 1911, Football Au ...
(FA) in partnership with participating member federations. With the addition of Northern NSW in 2022, the WNPL is now contested by clubs from seven member federations: Capital Football (ACT),
NSW New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a state on the east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria to the south, and South Australia to the west. Its coast borders the Coral and Tasman Seas to the east. T ...
, Northern NSW, Queensland, South Australia,
Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...
and
Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...
.


History

In October 2010, (FFA) commenced a National Competition Review, its main objective being to review the current structure of soccer competitions in Australia, and to monitor and improve elite player development. NSW were the first federation to commence a competition, after a review on women's football in NSW in 2013, which looked at staying aligned with the FFA's pathway for women's football program. Queensland switched to the NPL format in 2015, followed by South Australia and
Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...
in 2016, the ACT (
Capital Football Capital Football is the trading name for the ACT Football Federation Incorporated, the state governing body for soccer in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), but also has affiliated clubs based in surrounding areas of New South Wales. It i ...
) in 2017, Western Australia in 2020, and Northern NSW in 2022.


Competition format and teams

The WNPL competitions in each state and territory are run independently by the member federations, with a similar format to the equivalent men's competition - the
National Premier Leagues The National Premier Leagues (NPL) is a men's national association football competition in Australia which acts as the second tier of the sport in the country below the A-League. The NPL consists of the highest level state league in each state- ...
. Teams may be relegated from the WNPL to a third-tier league in the same state (and vice versa), but there is currently no mechanism for a team to be promoted to the first tier of Australian Football, the
A-League Women A-League Women (currently known as the Ninja A-League for sponsorship reasons), formerly the W-League, is the top-division women's soccer league in Australia. The W-League was established in 2008 by Football Australia (then known as Football Fe ...
. The number of teams promoted and relegated from third-tier leagues per state has varied over time. The table below details the number of teams relegated automatically from the WNPL at the end of the season and the number of NPL teams which go into a relegation playoff against a lower league team.


Current clubs

Below are listed the National Premier Leagues clubs in each competing member federation announced for the 2023 season. {, , - valign=top , {, class="wikitable" !NSW , - ,
APIA Leichhardt Tigers APIA Leichhardt Football Club, also known simply as APIA (Associazione Poli-sportiva Italo Australiana), is a semi-professional soccer club based in the suburb of Leichhardt, New South Wales, Leichhardt in Sydney, Australia. The club was forme ...
, - , Bankstown City , - , Blacktown Spartans , - ,
Bulls FC Academy Bulls FC Academy is an semi-professional association football, soccer club based in the Sydney suburb of Northbridge, New South Wales, Australia. Founded in 1952 as Northbridge Football Club, Bulls FC Academy was formed in 2023 following a merg ...
, - , Emerging Jets , - , Football NSW Institute , - , Gladesville Ravens , - , Illawarra Stingrays , - , Macarthur Rams , - ,
Manly United Manly United Football Club is an Australian soccer club based in the Northern Beaches area of Sydney. The club competes in the National Premier Leagues NSW and their home ground is Cromer Park, in the suburb of Dee Why, approximately 15 minute ...
, - , Northern Tigers , - , NWS Spirit , - ,
Sydney Olympic Sydney Olympic Football Club is an Australian semi-professional soccer club, based in Belmore, Sydney, New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states o ...
, - ,
Sydney University The University of Sydney (USYD) is a public university, public research university in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in both Australia and Oceania. One of Australia's six sandstone universities, it was one of the ...
, {, class="wikitable" , - !South Australia , - ,
Adelaide City Adelaide City Football Club is a semi-professional soccer club based in Oakden, a north-eastern suburb of Adelaide. The club was a founding member of the now-defunct National Soccer League (NSL) and currently competes in the National Premier ...
, - , Adelaide Comets , - ,
Adelaide University Adelaide University is a planned public university, public research university based in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 2024, it will combine the University of Adelaide, the third-oldest university in Australia, and the University of ...
, - , Fulham United , - , Flinders United , - , Metro United , - , Football SA NTC , - , Salisbury Inter , - , West Adelaide , - , West Torrens Birkalla , {, class="wikitable" , - !Victoria , - , Alamein , - , Bayside United , - , Boroondara-Carey Eagles , - , Box Hill United , - , Bulleen Lions , - , Calder United , - , FV Emerging , - ,
Heidelberg United Heidelberg United Alexander Football Club (founded as Alexander the Great-Melbourne Soccer Club) established in 1958 is a football (soccer) club based in the northern Melbourne suburb of Heidelberg West, Victoria, Australia. The team currently ...
, - ,
Preston Lions FC Preston Lions Football Club (formerly Preston Makedonia Soccer Club) is a semi-professional association football, soccer club from Preston, Victoria, Preston, a northern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia. The club ...
, - ,
South Melbourne South Melbourne is an inner suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Port Phillip local government area. South Melbourne recorded a population of 11,548 at the 2021 ...
, - , Southern United , {, class="wikitable" , - !Western Australia , - , Balcatta , - ,
Curtin University Curtin University (previously Curtin University of Technology and Western Australian Institute of Technology) is an Australian public university, public research university based in Bentley, Western Australia, Bentley, Perth, Western Australia. ...
, - , Football West NTC U-19 , - , Fremantle City , - , Murdoch University Melville FC , - , Perth SC , - , Perth RedStar , - ,
Subiaco AFC Subiaco AFC is a soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ...


Honours


Premiers by season

Federations commenced under the WNPL Structure in different years. {, class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" , - ! Season!! ACT !! New South Wales !! Northern NSW !! Queensland !! South Australia !! Victoria !! Western Australia , - , 2014 , — , Macarthur Rams , — , — , — , — , — , - , 2015 , — , Macarthur Rams , — , The Gap , — , — , — , - , 2016 , — ,
Sydney University The University of Sydney (USYD) is a public university, public research university in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in both Australia and Oceania. One of Australia's six sandstone universities, it was one of the ...
, — , The Gap , Metro United , Calder United , — , - , 2017 , Belconnen United , Macarthur Rams , — , Peninsula Power , West Adelaide ,
South Melbourne South Melbourne is an inner suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Port Phillip local government area. South Melbourne recorded a population of 11,548 at the 2021 ...
, — , - , 2018 , Belconnen United ,
Sydney University The University of Sydney (USYD) is a public university, public research university in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in both Australia and Oceania. One of Australia's six sandstone universities, it was one of the ...
, — , The Gap , Metro United ,
South Melbourne South Melbourne is an inner suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Port Phillip local government area. South Melbourne recorded a population of 11,548 at the 2021 ...
, — , - , 2019 , Belconnen United ,
Sydney University The University of Sydney (USYD) is a public university, public research university in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in both Australia and Oceania. One of Australia's six sandstone universities, it was one of the ...
, — , Lions FC ,
Adelaide City Adelaide City Football Club is a semi-professional soccer club based in Oakden, a north-eastern suburb of Adelaide. The club was a founding member of the now-defunct National Soccer League (NSL) and currently competes in the National Premier ...
, Calder United , — , - , 2020 , Canberra Croatia ,
Sydney University The University of Sydney (USYD) is a public university, public research university in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in both Australia and Oceania. One of Australia's six sandstone universities, it was one of the ...
, — ,
Gold Coast United Gold Coast United Football Club is an Australian Association football, soccer club based in Gold Coast, Queensland. The earliest incarnation of the club formed in 1966 and its home ground was at Nikiforides Family Park in Broadbeach. The first ...
,
Adelaide City Adelaide City Football Club is a semi-professional soccer club based in Oakden, a north-eastern suburb of Adelaide. The club was a founding member of the now-defunct National Soccer League (NSL) and currently competes in the National Premier ...
, — , — , - , 2021 , Canberra Croatia , — , — , Lions FC , Salisbury Inter , — , Murdoch University Melville , - , 2022 , ,
Sydney University The University of Sydney (USYD) is a public university, public research university in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in both Australia and Oceania. One of Australia's six sandstone universities, it was one of the ...
, , , West Adelaide , , Perth RedStar


Champions by season

Federations commenced under the WNPL Structure in different years. {, class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" , - ! Season!! ACT !! New South Wales !! Northern NSW !! Queensland !! South Australia !! Victoria !! Western Australia , - , 2014 , — , Football NSW Institute , — , — , — , — , — , - , 2015 , — ,
Sydney University The University of Sydney (USYD) is a public university, public research university in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in both Australia and Oceania. One of Australia's six sandstone universities, it was one of the ...
, — , The Gap , — , — , — , - , 2016 , — ,
Sydney University The University of Sydney (USYD) is a public university, public research university in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in both Australia and Oceania. One of Australia's six sandstone universities, it was one of the ...
, — , The Gap , Metro United , Calder United , — , - , 2017 , Canberra FC ,
Manly United Manly United Football Club is an Australian soccer club based in the Northern Beaches area of Sydney. The club competes in the National Premier Leagues NSW and their home ground is Cromer Park, in the suburb of Dee Why, approximately 15 minute ...
, — , Peninsula Power ,
Adelaide City Adelaide City Football Club is a semi-professional soccer club based in Oakden, a north-eastern suburb of Adelaide. The club was a founding member of the now-defunct National Soccer League (NSL) and currently competes in the National Premier ...
,
South Melbourne South Melbourne is an inner suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Port Phillip local government area. South Melbourne recorded a population of 11,548 at the 2021 ...
, — , - , 2018 , Belconnen United , Macarthur Rams , — , Brisbane Roar NTC ,
Adelaide City Adelaide City Football Club is a semi-professional soccer club based in Oakden, a north-eastern suburb of Adelaide. The club was a founding member of the now-defunct National Soccer League (NSL) and currently competes in the National Premier ...
, Bulleen Lions , — , - , 2019 , Belconnen United ,
Sydney University The University of Sydney (USYD) is a public university, public research university in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in both Australia and Oceania. One of Australia's six sandstone universities, it was one of the ...
, — , Lions FC ,
Adelaide City Adelaide City Football Club is a semi-professional soccer club based in Oakden, a north-eastern suburb of Adelaide. The club was a founding member of the now-defunct National Soccer League (NSL) and currently competes in the National Premier ...
, Calder United , — , - , 2020 , Canberra Croatia ,
Manly United Manly United Football Club is an Australian soccer club based in the Northern Beaches area of Sydney. The club competes in the National Premier Leagues NSW and their home ground is Cromer Park, in the suburb of Dee Why, approximately 15 minute ...
, — , Lions FC , Metro United , — , Murdoch University Melville , - , 2021 , — , — , — , , Salisbury Inter , — , Murdoch University Melville , - , 2022 , , Macarthur Rams , , , West Adelaide , , Perth RedStar


See also

*
National Premier Leagues The National Premier Leagues (NPL) is a men's national association football competition in Australia which acts as the second tier of the sport in the country below the A-League. The NPL consists of the highest level state league in each state- ...
*
Football Australia Football Australia is the sports governing body, governing body of Soccer in Australia, soccer, futsal, and beach soccer within Australia, headquartered in Sydney. Although the first governing body of the sport was founded in 1911, Football Au ...
*
Australian soccer league system The Australian soccer league system is the league system, league structure for soccer clubs in Australia. The league system in Australia since 1977 has involved one top divisional league controlled by Football Australia and many leagues run with ...


Notes


References

{{AUS fb general 2 Women's Football Australia Recurring sporting events established in 2014 2014 establishments in Australia