2024 Southern Football Leagues


The 2024 Southern Football Leagues is the 25th season of football in the Southern Football federation. There are five main men's leagues and four main women's leagues. The main men's leagues are: Southern League, Southern Premiership, Fletcher Cup, Donald Gray Memorial Cup, and South Canterbury Division 1, respectively tier 2, 3, 4, 4 and 4 among New Zealand men's league system. The main women's leagues are: [Women's Women's South Island League (New Zealand)|South Island League (New Zealand)|South Island League], Southern Premiership, Combined Division One, and Kolk Cup, respectively tier 2, 3, 4 and 4 among New Zealand women's league system.
The Men's Premiership league is sponsored by Otago Daily Times, the Fletcher Cup is sponsored by, the Kolk Cup is sponsored by SBS Bank.

Men's Competitions

Southern League

The 2024 Southern League is the 3rd season of a full 10 team league, 4th season all total. Ten teams will compete in the league – the nine teams from the previous season and the winner of the Southern League play-offs also being the 2023 Canterbury Premiership League champions. The promoted team is University of Canterbury, after winning 5–3 win on aggregate against FC Nelson, then drawing 2–2 on aggregate against Roslyn-Wakari, with University of Canterbury won 6–5 on penalties. This is University of Canterbury's first season in the Southern League, they replaced Green Island after withdrawing at the end of the previous season, they spent three seasons in the league with their highest finish being 8th on all three occasions.
The Southern League sits above the Southern Premiership and is also overseen by Mainland Football and Southern Football, despite being run by New Zealand Football as part of the New Zealand National League regional phase.

Southern League play-off series

The final of the Southern League play-off series is a two-legged match that take place between the Mainland Football nominated club and Southern Football nominated club. The winner of the Mainland Football play-off will face the Southern Football nominated club, Wanaka. Wanaka came second in the [|2024 Southern Premiership League], with champions Mosgiel, declining to participate for the second year in a row. None of the clubs in the Southern League play-off series have previously participated in the Southern League.
;Overview
;Matches – Southern League Playoff Series

Southern Premiership League

The 2024 Southern Premiership League is the 25th season of premiership football in the region. The League started on 6 April and finishes on 7 September, with the competition being a double round robin. Each team can field a maximum of five foreign players as well as one additional foreign player who has Oceania Football Confederation nationality. Temporary Dismissals will be in use for when a player commits a cautionable offence that is relevant to dissent and the length of the dismissal is 10 minutes starting from when play restarts.
At the end of season, the highest ranked team will be nominated to play in a Southern League Playoff series, two-leg home and away series, against the winner of the Mainland Football Federation Playoffs. The Mainland Playoffs consists of the highest ranked nominated team from Canterbury Premiership League and Nelson Bays Premiership League. The winner of Southern League Playoff will be promoted to Southern League, assuming they will have the correct club licensing before the season starts.

Southern Premiership teams

Ten teams are competing in the league – all ten clubs from the previous season. Green Island's reserve team were relegated due to their first team withdrawing from the 2024 Southern League, as per the regulations stating that only one team per club is allowed in the league, the reserve team will play in the Fletcher Cup.
TeamLocationHome Ground2023 season
Dunedin City Royals ReservesCaledonian GroundDunedin North8th
Green IslandSunnyvale ParkGreen Island8th in Southern League
MosgielMemorial Park GroundMosgiel1st
NorthernForrester ParkNorth East Valley3rd
Northern HeartsAorangi StadiumTimaru10th
Otago UniversityDunedin Artificial TurfDunedin North7th
Queens ParkSurrey ParkInvercargill5th
QueenstownQueenstown Events Centre StadiumQueenstown9th
Roslyn-WakariEllis ParkKaikorai Valley2nd
WanakaWanaka Recreation CentreWānaka4th

Southern Premiership relegation play-off

The Southern Premiership relegation play-off was a one-legged match that took place between the [|Southern Premiership's] bottom placed club and [|Fletcher Cup's] winners. The bottom placed team of the Southern Premiership league, Queenstown, will face the Fletcher Cup winners, Old Boys. The winner of the Donald Gray Memorial Cup was meant to play the winner of the Fletcher Cup in a play-off match, but due to the winner, Queens Park, already having a team in the league and second placed Gore Wanderers declining by having no ambitions for promotion to the Southern Premiership, the first play-off game got canceled.
;Overview
;Matches – Southern Premiership relegation play-off

Blair Davidson Trophy

The Blair Davidson Trophy is a Challenge Shield, where any team can challenge for the shield. It is only up for challenge when the current holders plays a league home game, cups competitions aren't challenge games. The season started with Green Island holding the trophy, before Mosgiel took the trophy off them. Mosgiel defended it against Wanaka, losing it to Otago University. Otago University went on to defend it against Dunedin City Royals Reserves and Green Island, then Wanaka won it. Wanaka's shield defence didn't last long as Mosgiel won it back. Mosgiel went on to defend it for the rest of the season with comfortable wins against Roslyn Wakari and Northern Hearts. Mosgiel's last defense match against Queenstown got cancelled as Queenstown defaulted the match.
The Blair Davidson Trophy current holders are Mosgiel, who defeated Wanaka 0–1 in the 12th round to claim the shield. They have defended the trophy twice, once against Roslyn Wakari and once against Northern Hearts.
Blair Davidson Trophy Matches
;Match 1
;Match 2
;Match 3
;Match 4
;Match 5
;Match 6
;Match 7
;Match 8
;Match 9
;Match 10

Southern Premiership scoring

Southern Premiership top scorers
Southern Premiership hat-tricks
Southern Premiership own goals

Fletcher Cup League

The 2024 Fletcher Cup is the 7th season of championship football in the Otago region. The League started on 6 April and finished on 31 August, with league format being a double round robin.

Fletcher Cup scoring

Fletcher Cup top scorers
Fletcher Cup hat-tricks
Fletcher Cup own goals

Donald Gray Memorial Cup League

The 2024 Donald Gray Memorial Cup is the 75th season of premiership football in the Southland Region. The Leagues starts on 13 April and finishes on 31 August, with the competition being a quadruple round robin.

Donald Gray teams

Five teams are competing in the league.
TeamHome GroundLocation2023 season
Gore WanderersHyde ParkGore4th
Old Boys ReservesWaverley ParkWaverley, Invercargill1st
Queens Park ReservesSurrey ParkGlengarry, Invercargill3rd
ThistleILT Football TurfInvercargill2nd
WaihopaiSurrey ParkGlengarry, Invercargill

Donald Gray scoring

Donald Gray top scorers
Donald Gray hat-tricks
Donald Gray own goals

South Canterbury Men's Division 1

The Leagues starts on 6 April and finishes on 27 July, with the competition being a treble round robin.

South Canterbury teams

Six teams are competing in the league.
TeamLocationHome Ground
GeraldineGeraldine OvalGeraldine
Northern Hearts ReservesAorangi ParkGlenwood, Timaru
Pleasant PointPleasant PointPleasant Point
Timaru Boys' High SchoolWindsor FieldWest End, Timaru
ThistleAnzac SquareParkside, Timaru
West EndWest EndWest End, Timaru

South Canterbury scoring

South Canterbury hat-tricks
South Canterbury own goals

Women's Qualifying Competitions

South Island Qualifying League

The SF Women's Southern Qualifying League is to determine the top two teams in Southern's federation, with the third-placed team playing in a playoff against the fourth-placed team in Mainland Qualifying, who go on to play the top three teams from Mainland Football. The bottom teams will play in the Women's Premiership, starting after this league finishes. They will be joined by the top teams from the Women's Division One League.
Six team are competing in the leagues - five teams from last year from last season and one promoted team. The promoted team is Queens Park. They are competing in the league, replacing Mosgiel and Queenstown.

Women's Division One

Women's Division One teams

Six teams are competing in the league.
TeamHome GroundLocation
Dunedin City Royals ReservesCulling ParkSt Kilda
Grants BraesOcean Grove SportsgroundOcean Grove
MosgielMemorial Park GroundMosgiel
Otago University ReservesLogan ParkDunedin North
Otago University ThirdsLogan ParkDunedin North
Roslyn Wakari ReservesMultipleMultiple

Women's Competitions

South Island League

The South Island League sits above the Canterbury Women's Premiership League and Southern Women's Premier League and is also overseen by Mainland Football and Southern Football, despite being run by New Zealand Football as part of the New Zealand Women's National League. The league will start in late June.

Women's Southern Premiership League

Women's Southern Premiership teams

Six teams are competing in the league. Otago University Thirds came 3rd, but due to the regulations allowing one team per club, 4th place Roslyn Wakari Reserves participated in this league and Otago University Thirds competed in [|Women's Combined Division One].
TeamHome GroundLocationQualifying
Dunedin City Royals ReservesCulling ParkSt Kilda2nd in [|Billy Scott Cup]
Green IslandSunnyvale ParkGreen Island5th in South Island Qualifying (South)
NorthernForrester ParkNormanby6th in South Island Qualifying (South)
Otago University ReservesLogan ParkDunedin North1st in Billy Scott Cup
Queens ParkSurrey ParkGlengarry4th in South Island Qualifying (South)
Roslyn Wakari ReservesEllis ParkGlenross4th in Billy Scott Cup

Women's Southern Premiership scoring

Women's Southern Premiership top scorers

Women's Combined Division One

Women's Combined Division One teams

Eleven teams are competing in the league. All teams that competed in Women's Division Two are in the league, with three teams from Women's Division One in the league.
TeamHome GroundLocationQualifying
BalcluthaBalclutha ShowgroundsBalclutha3rd in Division Two
Dunedin City Royals Div2Bayfield Park
Culling Park
Tonga Park
Andersons Bay
St Kilda
South Dunedin
5th in Division Two
Dunedin City Royals LeopardsBayfield Park
Culling Park
Tonga Park
Andersons Bay
St Kilda
South Dunedin
7th in Division Two
Grants BraesOcean Grove SportsgroundOcean Grove5th in Billy Scott Cup
Green Island GreenSunnyvale ParkGreen Island4th in Division Two
Green Island GoldSunnyvale ParkGreen Island6th in Division Two
MorningtonMornington ParkMornington8th in Division Two
MosgielMemorial Park GroundMosgiel6th in Billy Scott Cup
Otago University EaglesLogan ParkDunedin North1st in Division Two
Otago University ThirdsLogan ParkDunedin North3rd in Billy Scott Cup
Roslyn Wakari ShetlandsEllis ParkGlenross2nd in Division Two

Kolk Cup League

The Leagues starts on 13 April and finishes on 24 August, with the competition being a quadruple round robin.

Kolk Cup teams

Five teams are competing in the league.
TeamHome GroundLocation
Gore WanderersHyde ParkGore
Old BoysWaverley ParkWaverley, Invercargill
ThistleILT Football TurfInvercargill
Southend UnitedBain ParkStrathern, Invercargill
WaihopaiSurrey ParkGlengarry, Invercargill
WintonMoores ReserveWinton
Wyndham TownMenzies CollegeWyndham