New Zealand National Football Leagues

The New Zealand National League is the name given to the current New Zealand top football competition. Originally set up as the New Zealand National Soccer League there has been many versions of the competition as well as many different names. The most common format saw club teams play each other, at least two times, on a home and away basis. At the completion of those games, the best-performing team was declared as the New Zealand champion. The latest version has the clubs play in their regional leagues with the top teams qualifying for the Championship phase to then play each other for the champion.

Leagues structures

The national competition has had many different formats:

Structure	Format	Participation	Season	Entry
Provincial Champions 1892–1968	Provincial	Club	Winter	Promotion/Relegation
Regional Leagues 1966–1969	Regional	Club	Winter	Promotion/Relegation
National Soccer League 1970–1992	National	Club	Winter	Promotion/Relegation
Superclub League 1993–1995	Regional leading to National finals	Super Club	Winter	Promotion/Relegation
National Summer League 1996–1998	National	Club	Summer	Participation criteria
New Zealand Island Leagues 1999	North Island/South Island leagues North Island v South Island play-off	Club	Winter	Participation criteria
National Soccer League 2000–2003	Regional leading to National finals	Club	Winter	Promotion/Relegation
New Zealand Football Championship 2004–2021	National with playoff series	Franchise	Summer	Participation criteria
New Zealand National League 2021–	Regional leading to National finals	Club	Summer	Participation criteria

1892–1968

Canterbury


1905 Christchurch Celtic	1906 Christchurch Club	1907 Burnham IS & Christchurch Celtic	1908 Christchurch Club	1909 Burnham IS	1910 Burnham IS
1911 Burnham IS	1912 Christchurch Nomads	1913 Sydenham Christchurch	1914 Sydenham Christchurch	1915 Christchurch Club	1916 Christchurch Rangers
1917 Linwood Christchurch	1918 Excelsior Christchurch	1919 Linwood Christchurch & Excelsior Christchurch	1920 Nomads Christchurch	1921 Corinthians	1922 Rangers
1923 Sunnyside	1924 Sunnyside	1925 Sunnyside	1926 Sunnyside	1927 Nomads	1928 Western
1929 Thistle	1930 Thistle	1931 Rangers & Nomads	1932 Thistle	1933 Thistle	1934 Thistle
1935 Western	1936 Western	1937 Technical OB & Western	1938 Nomads	1939 Western	1940 Western
1941 Western	1942 Western	1943 Western	1944 Thistle	1945 Western	1946 Western
1947 Western	1948 Western	1949 Technical OB	1950 Technical OB	1951 Technical OB	1952 Technical OB
1953 Western	1954 Western	1955 Western	1956 Western	1957 Western	1958 Western
1959 Western	1960 Western	1961 Technical OB	1962 Western	1963 Nomads	1964 Christchurch City
1965 Christchurch City	1966 Christchurch City	1967 Christchurch City

1965–1970

Northern League
1965 Eastern Suburbs
1966 Eastern Suburbs
1967 Ponsonby AFC
1968 Mount Wellington
1969 Mount Wellington
Central League
1966 Kiwi United
1967 Eastern Union
1968 Western Suburbs
1969 Western Suburbs
Southern League
1968 Christchurch City
1969 Christchurch Technical

1970–1992

When the National Soccer League was launched in 1970, it became the first national league for any sport in New Zealand. It involved clubs playing each other two times, on a home and away basis. Two points were awarded for a win, and one point was awarded for a draw. The club with the greatest number of points was declared the champion. The league was open and clubs could be relegated from it and promoted to it.
The National Soccer League continued until 1992 when the League was disbanded due to financial reasons.

Season results

1993–1995

Following the dissolution of the league a new competition, called Superclub Championship, was launched to decide the top club in the country. The top 10 clubs in each three regional groups would play each other home and away with $10,000 going to the team that finished first in their region, $7,000 for second and $5,000 for third. Then the country's top eight teams, being three teams from northern, and central regions, and two from the south, combine to play each other once. After that the top four teams then play each other once before culminating in a grand final between the top two from that round. For the team that finished first, they were paid $30,000, $15,000 went to the runner-up with $5,000 to third and fourth.
The winners in those years were as follows:

Year	Regional League sizes	Regional matches per team	National League size	Matches per team	Winners	Runners-up
1993	10, 10, 10	18, 18, 18	8	7	Napier City Rovers	Waitakere City
1994	10, 10, 10	18, 18, 18	8	7	North Shore United	Napier City Rovers
1995	10, 11, 10	18, 20, 18	8	7	Waitakere City	Waikato United

The increase in the number of teams participating for the championship, as well as lack of a true national league system, caused a strong drop in playing standards. It was clear that New Zealand not only needed a national league, but also one which was financially stable.

1996–1998

In 1996 a National League was launched for the second time in the history of New Zealand soccer. This time however, the league was played during the summer months and did not feature relegation and promotion. Teams were invited to participate and the selection criteria involved the financial strength of the club and its location. The league also featured a championship play-off session at the end of the seasons, involving teams finishing high in the table.
To further upset the traditionalists, penalties followed matches which ended in a draw. The winners of the penalty shoot-out were awarded two points, the losers one point while winners in the regular 90 minutes were awarded four points. The winners in those years were:

Year	League size	Matches per team	Winners	Runners-up
1996	10	18	Waitakere City	Miramar Rangers
1997	10	18	Waitakere City	Napier City Rovers
1998	11	20	Napier City Rovers	Central United

1999

In 1999, the National Soccer League again took a break. The competition for determining the New Zealand champion was moved back to winter months. Two leagues were created, the North Island Soccer League and the South Island Soccer League. The winner of the NISL, Central United, defeated the winner of the SISL, Dunedin Technical, 3–1, in extra time, in the championship final.

2000–2003

The National Soccer League was launched for the third time in 2000 as the National Club Championship. Like the original in 1970, it was played during winter months and a promotion and relegation system was used. In the first season, a bonus point was awarded for scoring four or more goals in one match but that system was dropped in subsequent seasons. The championship play-offs system at the end of the league was the major difference when compared with the competition launched in 1970.
Seven teams, participating in the first edition, came from the NISL and three came from the SISL.

Year	League size	Matches per team	Winner	Relegated	Promoted	Notes
2000	10	18	Napier City Rovers	Nelson Suburbs	Tauranga City United	Nelson Suburbs, who finished 7th, withdrew due to financial reasons. Metro, who finished 10th, retained their place following play-offs. Controversially, Tauranga City United, who finished third in the play-offs, were awarded Nelson's spot in the league, ahead of Caversham, who finished second.
2001	10	18	Central United	Metro	North Shore United
2002	10	18	Miramar Rangers	Waitakere City	Caversham
2003	10	18	Miramar Rangers	-	-

2004

2004 was the transition year between the National Soccer League and the New Zealand Football championship. Regional competitions were played but no New Zealand champion was determined.

2004–2021

On 15 October 2004 the New Zealand Football Championship was launched. It marked a turning point in the history of the game in New Zealand, as for the first time traditional clubs were not eligible to participate in the top league. They were replaced by eight so-called "franchises", which represented specific regions of the country. in the latter years of the competition a small number of traditional clubs were invited to join the league