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 the OFC Champions League, the continental competition for the Oceania region.
The New Zealand National League was Oceania's strongest national league for four consecutive years in 2023 according to IFFHS.[5]
Competition format
Regional National League Zones
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 has Oceania 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]
Proposed changes
In August 2025, it was revealed that New Zealand Football planned to restructure the National League for the 2027 season, based on the structure of the former National 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 the Chatham 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]
Qualification to OFC Champions League
The winners of the National League Grand-Final qualify for the OFC Champions League each season, it used to be two team qualify; those two teams being the two finalists of the championship phase.[4]
History
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 the FootballSouth Premier League) 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 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 to COVID-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 had Northern League team competing, with the South Hub having Central League and Southern 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, the South 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]
There are 17 teams that have taken part in 4 National League Championships that were played from the 2022 season until the 2025 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 being Auckland City, Wellington Olympic and Wellington Phoenix Reserves.
On 31 January 2025, New Zealand Football agreed a multi-year sponsorship deal with cleaning brand Dettol for naming rights of the National League from the start of the 2025 season.[22]
Media coverage
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 or New Zealand FootballYouTube channels.[23][24]
In September 2023, New Zealand signed a deal to have all National League games streamed for free on FIFA+ 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 the 2024 season,[27] as well as the 2025 season.[2]
↑ 2021National League season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic in Northern regions;[28] Championship played as South Central Series, with the northern clubs missing in the first edition.
Birkenhead United Cashmere Technical Birkenhead United
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Records
The records are up to date as of the end of the 2024 season. As the 2021 season was cancelled, the 2021 South Central Series was not officially part of the National League.[28]
The OFC Champions League, also known as the O-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.
The Charity Cup was introduced in 2011 and is contested between the winner of the National League Grand Final and the winner of the Chatham 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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