Soccer in New Zealand
Encyclopedia
Association football, also known as football or soccer, is a popular recreation sport in New Zealand
. The sport is administered in New Zealand by the governing body New Zealand Football (NZF).
Football is one of the most popular participation sport for both boys and girls in New Zealand, only exceeded by rugby union
and netball
.
. In 1982
the qualification was noted in that New Zealand played more matches (15) and traveled further (55,000 miles) than any other team to qualify. Grouped with Brazil
, Scotland
and the USSR, New Zealand did not win any of their matches. They also qualified for the 2010 World Cup
in South Africa. New Zealand drew all their matches are did not progress beyond the initial round. They were the only team to remain undefeated in the competition.
New Zealand also participated in the 2009 Confederations Cup, also in South Africa. They were placed in Group A with Iraq, South Africa, and Spain. New Zealand lost their opening match 0-5 against Spain before losing 0-2 to South Africa. However the team earnt New Zealand's first competition point at a senior men's FIFA tournament after drawing 0-0 with Iraq. In the 2010 World Cup, they again exited in the first round
, but had far more success on the field than in 1982 or in the Confederations Cup. The All Whites drew 1–1 with Slovakia
and defending champion
Italy
and 0–0 with Paraguay
.
New Zealand hosted the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Championship
, with matches played in North Shore City, Napier
, Christchurch
and Dunedin
. New Zealand also hosted the inaugural FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup
in 2008
, with matches hosted in North Shore City, Hamilton
, Wellington
and Christchurch.
New Zealand's under-23 team, the "Oly-Whites
", qualified for their first Olympic Games appearance in 2008 for the Beijing Summer Olympics. The Oly-Whites drew against China and lost against Belgium and Brazil.
The New Zealand's women's team also qualified for their first Olympic appearance, where they drew against Japan
and lost to Norway
and USA
. In addition to this, the Football Ferns have participated in the 1991 and, more recently, the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cups. New Zealand won the 1975 AFC Women's Championship
, defeating Thailand 3-1 in Hong Kong.
Fully professional football began in 1999 with the induction of the Auckland-based Football Kingz F.C. into Australia's National Soccer League (NSL). Despite having a record of poor attendances, Auckland was included in the A-League
competition when the NSL was scrapped in favour of an eight-franchise A-League
. The Kingz were re-branded as New Zealand Knights FC
but still only managed to draw small crowds. In their final season, the average attendance for the Knights was 3,014, well below the average of the next lowest attracting team—Perth Glory averaging 7,671.
During the later stages of the 2006-07 season, Football Federation Australia
(FFA) removed the New Zealand Knights's (NZK) A-League license due to club's financial and administrative problems and poor on-field performance. After the resignation of the NZK board, the FFA transferred the license to New Zealand Soccer for them to administrate the rest of the club's season before its subsequent dissolution.
After these events, the FFA granted a provisional competition license for New Zealand Soccer to sub-let to a suitable, New Zealand-based team to take the place left vacant by the defunct Knights. After much delay from both the FFA and NZS, Wellington property magnate Terry Serepisos
was selected as the owner of the new franchise. The team, eventually named Wellington Phoenix FC, would be based at Wellington's Westpac Stadium
and coached by Ricki Herbert
. Herbert also held the responsibility of coaching the New Zealand national team. With only three months to prepare, the Phoenix faced a first season without a proper pre-season and with a much smaller talent pool to recruit from.
The first game in Phoenix history, a 2–2 draw with then-reigning champion Melbourne Victory
, set a new national record for attendance at a competitive football fixture at 14,421. The cumulative attendance over the first three home matches exceeded that of the Knights entire cumulative attendance from both years of their existence. The national attendance record was later exceeded a second time, with 18,345 turning out for a 1–2 loss against Adelaide United. The Phoenix followed this match with an exhibition friendly against Los Angeles Galaxy
, including their marquee player David Beckham
. The attendance from this match, 31,853 set a new national record for attendance at any football match which was only broken by the game the national team played with Bahrain to qualify for the 2010 World Cup.
Wellington finished its first season last in the league on goal differential, having equal points with seventh-placed Perth Glory, and only earnt one more ladder point than the Knights had the previous season. Despite this, Phoenix was declared the success story of the 2007–08 season by the FFA.
On March 7, 2010 a new attendance record for a club football fixture was set in Wellington during play-off match against Newcastle Jets. Phoenix won 3–1 in the extra time in front of 32,792 fans.
, Auckland City FC
, Waikato FC
, Hawke's Bay United
, YoungHeart Manawatu
, Team Wellington
, Canterbury United
and Otago United
. The Premiership provides New Zealand's two representatives to the OFC Champions League
, namely the season champion and the highest placing team among the remaining seven. The Premiership does not include the professional Wellington Phoenix, nor did it include the defunct New Zealand Knights.
NZF also runs the National Youth League, with eight academy sides affiliated with each ASB Premiership franchise. In addition to these teams are a third Auckland team (Auckland-Manukau United FC) and a "New Zealand Development Squad".
The ASB National Women's League, unaffiliated with the Premiership, consists of seven Federation Representative teams playing each other once.
Before 2004, the national senior men's football competition was the National Soccer League
. The NSL, founded in 1970, consisted of teams belonging to the regional leagues - for example, the inaugural NSL featured three teams from the Northern League, three from the Central League, and four from the now-defunct Southern League (now split into Mainland Premier League and Soccersouth Premier League). The NSL ceased to exist after the 2003 season.
The Chatham Cup is a national knockout competition in the style of England's FA Cup
. It is the oldest competition, having been contested since 1923. It is open only to clubs from the regional winter competitions - NZFC sides are not eligible to compete, nor is Wellington Phoenix FC. The competition rubs alongside the winter club seasons, beginning in April and usually concluding in September. The current holder is Wellington-based side Miramar Rangers
.
The 2010
final was held on 12 September.
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. The sport is administered in New Zealand by the governing body New Zealand Football (NZF).
Football is one of the most popular participation sport for both boys and girls in New Zealand, only exceeded by rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
and netball
Netball
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
.
Administration
Administration and promotion of the sport is divided into seven regional federations:- Federation One (United Soccer 1) - Northland, Northern and Western AucklandAucklandThe Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
- Federation Two (Auckland Football Federation) - Central, Eastern and Western AucklandAucklandThe Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
- Federation Three (Waikato-Bay of Plenty Football) - WaikatoWaikatoThe Waikato Region is a local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato, Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsula, the northern King Country, much of the Taupo District, and parts of Rotorua District...
, Bay of PlentyBay of PlentyThe Bay of Plenty , often abbreviated to BOP, is a region in the North Island of New Zealand situated around the body of water of the same name...
and King CountryKing CountryThe King Country is a region of the western North Island of New Zealand. It extends approximately from the Kawhia Harbour and the town of Otorohanga in the north to the upper reaches of the Whanganui River in the south, and from the Hauhungaroa and Rangitoto Ranges in the east to near the Tasman... - Federation Four (Central Football) - GisborneGisborne, New Zealand-Economy:The harbour was host to many ships in the past and had developed as a river port to provide a more secure location for shipping compared with the open roadstead of Poverty Bay which can be exposed to southerly swells. A meat works was sited beside the harbour and meat and wool was shipped...
, Hawke's Bay, Taranaki, Manawatu-WanganuiManawatu-WanganuiManawatu-Wanganui is a region in the lower half of the North Island of New Zealand, around the cities of Palmerston North and Whanganui. It is administered by the Horizons Regional Council.-Administration:... - Federation Five (Capital Football) - Greater WellingtonWellington RegionThe Wellington region of New Zealand occupies the southern end of the North Island.-Governance:The official Wellington Region, as administered by the Wellington Regional Council covers the conurbation around the capital city, Wellington, and the cities of Lower Hutt, Porirua, and Upper Hutt, each...
, including the Kapiti CoastKapiti CoastThe Kapiti Coast is the name of the section of the coast of the south-western North Island of New Zealand that is north of Wellington and opposite Kapiti Island. It falls under the jurisdiction of the Wellington Regional Council...
and WairarapaWairarapaWairarapa is a geographical region of New Zealand. It occupies the south-eastern corner of the North Island, east of metropolitan Wellington and south-west of the Hawke's Bay region. It is lightly populated, having several rural service towns, with Masterton being the largest... - Federation Six (Mainland Football) - TasmanTasman, New ZealandThe Tasman Region is both a region and a district of New Zealand. It borders with the West Coast Region, Marlborough Region and the Nelson Region. It is both a region and a unitary authority, and the District Council sits at Richmond, with Community Boards serving outlying communities in Motueka...
, MarlboroughMarlborough, New ZealandMarlborough is one of the regions of New Zealand, located in the northeast of the South Island. Marlborough is a unitary authority, both a region and a district, and its council is located at Blenheim. Marlborough is known for its dry climate, the picturesque Marlborough Sounds, and sauvignon blanc...
, NelsonNelson, New ZealandNelson is a city on the eastern shores of Tasman Bay, and is the economic and cultural centre of the Nelson-Tasman region. Established in 1841, it is the second oldest settled city in New Zealand and the oldest in the South Island....
, West CoastWest Coast, New ZealandThe West Coast is one of the administrative regions of New Zealand, located on the west coast of the South Island, and is one of the more remote and most sparsely populated areas of the country. It is made up of three districts: Buller, Grey and Westland...
, Northern and Central CanterburyCanterbury, New ZealandThe New Zealand region of Canterbury is mainly composed of the Canterbury Plains and the surrounding mountains. Its main city, Christchurch, hosts the main office of the Christchurch City Council, the Canterbury Regional Council - called Environment Canterbury - and the University of Canterbury.-... - Federation Seven (Footballsouth) - Southern CanterburyCanterbury, New ZealandThe New Zealand region of Canterbury is mainly composed of the Canterbury Plains and the surrounding mountains. Its main city, Christchurch, hosts the main office of the Christchurch City Council, the Canterbury Regional Council - called Environment Canterbury - and the University of Canterbury.-...
, OtagoOtagoOtago is a region of New Zealand in the south of the South Island. The region covers an area of approximately making it the country's second largest region. The population of Otago is...
, SouthlandSouthland RegionSouthland is New Zealand's southernmost region and is also a district within that region. It consists mainly of the southwestern portion of the South Island and Stewart Island / Rakiura...
History and achievements
New Zealand's senior mens side, the All Whites, has qualified twice for the FIFA World CupFIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
. In 1982
1982 FIFA World Cup
The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:...
the qualification was noted in that New Zealand played more matches (15) and traveled further (55,000 miles) than any other team to qualify. Grouped with Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
, Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
and the USSR, New Zealand did not win any of their matches. They also qualified for the 2010 World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
in South Africa. New Zealand drew all their matches are did not progress beyond the initial round. They were the only team to remain undefeated in the competition.
New Zealand also participated in the 2009 Confederations Cup, also in South Africa. They were placed in Group A with Iraq, South Africa, and Spain. New Zealand lost their opening match 0-5 against Spain before losing 0-2 to South Africa. However the team earnt New Zealand's first competition point at a senior men's FIFA tournament after drawing 0-0 with Iraq. In the 2010 World Cup, they again exited in the first round
2010 FIFA World Cup Group F
Group F of the 2010 FIFA World Cup began on 14 June 2010 and ended on 24 June 2010. The group consisted of reigning World Cup holders Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand and Slovakia. Italy previously met Paraguay in 1950, in which Italy defeated Paraguay 2–0; neither qualified for the next round.Paraguay...
, but had far more success on the field than in 1982 or in the Confederations Cup. The All Whites drew 1–1 with Slovakia
Slovakia national football team
The Slovakia national football team represents Slovakia in association football and is controlled by the Slovak Football Association , the governing body for football in Slovakia. Slovakia's home stadium is Štadión Pasienky and their head coach is Vladimír Weiss...
and defending champion
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
and 0–0 with Paraguay
Paraguay national football team
The Paraguay national football team is controlled by the Paraguayan Football Association and represents Paraguay in men's international football competitions. The team has reached the second round of the World Cup on four occasions . The 2010 trip also featured their first appearance in the...
.
New Zealand hosted the 1999 FIFA U-17 World Championship
1999 FIFA U-17 World Championship
The FIFA U-17 World Championship 1999 was held in the cities of Auckland, Christchurch, Napier, and Dunedin in New Zealand between 10 November and 27 November 1999...
, with matches played in North Shore City, Napier
Napier, New Zealand
Napier is a New Zealand city with a seaport, located in Hawke's Bay on the eastern coast of the North Island. The population of Napier is about About 18 kilometres south of Napier is the inland city of Hastings. These two neighboring cities are often called "The Twin Cities" or "The Bay Cities"...
, Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
and Dunedin
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
. New Zealand also hosted the inaugural FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup
FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup
The FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup is an international association football tournament for female players under the age of 17. It is organized by Fédération Internationale de Football Association...
in 2008
2008 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup
-Group B:---------------------Group C:---------------------Group D:---------------------Knockout stage:All times local -Quarterfinals:-----------------Semifinals:---------3rd Place Playoff:----...
, with matches hosted in North Shore City, Hamilton
Hamilton, New Zealand
Hamilton is the centre of New Zealand's fourth largest urban area, and Hamilton City is the country's fourth largest territorial authority. Hamilton is in the Waikato Region of the North Island, approximately south of Auckland...
, Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
and Christchurch.
New Zealand's under-23 team, the "Oly-Whites
New Zealand national under-23 football team
The New Zealand Under-23 Football Team, informally known as the "Oly-Whites", represents New Zealand Football and New Zealand in international Under-23 football events, such as the Summer Olympics....
", qualified for their first Olympic Games appearance in 2008 for the Beijing Summer Olympics. The Oly-Whites drew against China and lost against Belgium and Brazil.
The New Zealand's women's team also qualified for their first Olympic appearance, where they drew against Japan
Japan women's national football team
The Japan women's national football team, or Nadeshiko Japan , is a selection of the best female players in Japan and is run by the Japan Football Association . Japan defeated the U.S...
and lost to Norway
Norway women's national football team
The Norway women's national football team represents Norway in international women's football. The team, controlled by the Football Association of Norway, are former European, World and Olympic champions and thus one of the most successful national teams...
and USA
United States women's national soccer team
The United States women's national soccer team represents the United States in international soccer competition and is controlled by U.S. Soccer. The U.S. team won the first ever Women's World Cup in 1991, and has since been a superpower in women's soccer. It is currently ranked first in the world...
. In addition to this, the Football Ferns have participated in the 1991 and, more recently, the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cups. New Zealand won the 1975 AFC Women's Championship
1975 AFC Women's Championship
The Asian Football Confederation's 1975 AFC Women's Championship was the first AFC Women's Championship. It was held from August 25 to September 3, 1975 in Hong Kong. Participating members were New Zealand, Thailand, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia...
, defeating Thailand 3-1 in Hong Kong.
Professional football
A-League
The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...
competition when the NSL was scrapped in favour of an eight-franchise A-League
A-League
The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...
. The Kingz were re-branded as New Zealand Knights FC
New Zealand Knights FC
This page details the history of the club. For information on seasons and results see New Zealand Knights seasons 2005-06 and 2006-07New Zealand Knights Football Club were the only professional football club in New Zealand before they became defunct...
but still only managed to draw small crowds. In their final season, the average attendance for the Knights was 3,014, well below the average of the next lowest attracting team—Perth Glory averaging 7,671.
During the later stages of the 2006-07 season, Football Federation Australia
Football Federation Australia
Football Federation Australia is the governing body for the sport of football in Australia. Before 1 January 2005, it was known as the Australian Soccer Association , which succeeded Soccer Australia in this role in 2003...
(FFA) removed the New Zealand Knights's (NZK) A-League license due to club's financial and administrative problems and poor on-field performance. After the resignation of the NZK board, the FFA transferred the license to New Zealand Soccer for them to administrate the rest of the club's season before its subsequent dissolution.
After these events, the FFA granted a provisional competition license for New Zealand Soccer to sub-let to a suitable, New Zealand-based team to take the place left vacant by the defunct Knights. After much delay from both the FFA and NZS, Wellington property magnate Terry Serepisos
Terry Serepisos
Terry Serepisos is a bankrupt Wellington-based property developer and former owner of A-League association football club Wellington Phoenix. In 2010 he was the host in the New Zealand incarnation of the hit TV series The Apprentice.-Biography:...
was selected as the owner of the new franchise. The team, eventually named Wellington Phoenix FC, would be based at Wellington's Westpac Stadium
Westpac Stadium
Westpac Stadium, is a major sporting venue in Wellington, New Zealand. Due to its shape and silver coloured external walls, it is colloquially known as The Cake-Tin to the locals and other New Zealanders...
and coached by Ricki Herbert
Ricki Herbert
Ricki Lloyd Herbert, CNZM is a New Zealand former association football player who represented his country at the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain...
. Herbert also held the responsibility of coaching the New Zealand national team. With only three months to prepare, the Phoenix faced a first season without a proper pre-season and with a much smaller talent pool to recruit from.
The first game in Phoenix history, a 2–2 draw with then-reigning champion Melbourne Victory
Melbourne Victory
Melbourne Victory Football Club is an Australian professional football club based in Melbourne, Victoria, that plays in the A-League....
, set a new national record for attendance at a competitive football fixture at 14,421. The cumulative attendance over the first three home matches exceeded that of the Knights entire cumulative attendance from both years of their existence. The national attendance record was later exceeded a second time, with 18,345 turning out for a 1–2 loss against Adelaide United. The Phoenix followed this match with an exhibition friendly against Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
, including their marquee player David Beckham
David Beckham
David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE is an English footballer who plays midfield for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer, having previously played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, and A.C...
. The attendance from this match, 31,853 set a new national record for attendance at any football match which was only broken by the game the national team played with Bahrain to qualify for the 2010 World Cup.
Wellington finished its first season last in the league on goal differential, having equal points with seventh-placed Perth Glory, and only earnt one more ladder point than the Knights had the previous season. Despite this, Phoenix was declared the success story of the 2007–08 season by the FFA.
On March 7, 2010 a new attendance record for a club football fixture was set in Wellington during play-off match against Newcastle Jets. Phoenix won 3–1 in the extra time in front of 32,792 fans.
National competitions
The current national senior men's competition is the ASB Premiership (previously known as the New Zealand Football Championship), a professional/semi-professional franchise league founded in 2004. The Premiership runs in the summer, and consists of eight teams run co-operatively by winter league clubs in their franchise area - Waitakere UnitedWaitakere United
Waitakere United is a football club based in Waitakere City, New Zealand. They are one of the franchises in the ASB Premiership. They play their home games at Fred Taylor Park in Kumeu.-History:...
, Auckland City FC
Auckland City FC
Auckland City Football Club is a football club based in Auckland, New Zealand's largest city. The club competes in the eight-team ASB Premiership which is the highest level of domestic football in the country...
, Waikato FC
Waikato FC
Waikato Football Club, currently known as Yardhouse Waikato Football Club due to sponsorship agreements, is a football club based in Hamilton, New Zealand. The club was founded in 2004 and currently play in the ASB Premiership...
, Hawke's Bay United
Hawke's Bay United
Hawke's Bay United is an association football club based in Napier, New Zealand. HB United play in the ASB Premiership - a semi-professional franchise based league, which runs independently of the winter club season. Local winter clubs provide the player pool for each franchise...
, YoungHeart Manawatu
YoungHeart Manawatu
YoungHeart Manawatu is a football club is based in Palmerston North, New Zealand. It participates in the ASB Premiership and their home ground is Memorial Park.- History :...
, Team Wellington
Team Wellington
Team Wellington are one of the eight franchises in the New Zealand ASB Premiership football competition. They play their home games at Newtown Park, Wellington.- History :...
, Canterbury United
Canterbury United
Canterbury United FC is an association football club from Christchurch, New Zealand. The club plays most of its matches at English Park in Christchurch, though they occasionally play in Nelson...
and Otago United
Otago United
Otago United is a soccer club based in Dunedin, New Zealand.It participates in the ASB Premiership. Their previous home stadium is Carisbrook in the South Dunedin suburb of Caversham which is the soon the replaced home of Otago Rugby...
. The Premiership provides New Zealand's two representatives to the OFC Champions League
OFC Champions League
The Oceania Champions League 2007 was held in January 2007 with six clubs from five member associations of the Oceania Football Confederation: New Zealand, New Caledonia, Tahiti, Fiji and the Solomon Islands. The six clubs were split into two groups of three for home and away matches.Auckland City...
, namely the season champion and the highest placing team among the remaining seven. The Premiership does not include the professional Wellington Phoenix, nor did it include the defunct New Zealand Knights.
NZF also runs the National Youth League, with eight academy sides affiliated with each ASB Premiership franchise. In addition to these teams are a third Auckland team (Auckland-Manukau United FC) and a "New Zealand Development Squad".
The ASB National Women's League, unaffiliated with the Premiership, consists of seven Federation Representative teams playing each other once.
Before 2004, the national senior men's football competition was the National Soccer League
New Zealand National Soccer League
The National Soccer League is a name given to competitions in which New Zealand's top soccer clubs play each other, at least two times, on a home and away basis . At the completion of the competition, the best-performed team is declared as the New Zealand champion...
. The NSL, founded in 1970, consisted of teams belonging to the regional leagues - for example, the inaugural NSL featured three teams from the Northern League, three from the Central League, and four from the now-defunct Southern League (now split into Mainland Premier League and Soccersouth Premier League). The NSL ceased to exist after the 2003 season.
The Chatham Cup is a national knockout competition in the style of England's FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
. It is the oldest competition, having been contested since 1923. It is open only to clubs from the regional winter competitions - NZFC sides are not eligible to compete, nor is Wellington Phoenix FC. The competition rubs alongside the winter club seasons, beginning in April and usually concluding in September. The current holder is Wellington-based side Miramar Rangers
Miramar Rangers
Miramar Rangers AFC is a semi-professional New Zealand association football club in the Wellington suburb of Miramar. They are current holders of the Chatham Cup, the fourth time they have won the trophy...
.
The 2010
2010 Chatham Cup
The 2010 Chatham Cup is New Zealand's 83rd knockout football competition.The 2010 competition had a preliminary round, a qualification round, and four rounds proper before quarter-finals, semi-finals, and a final...
final was held on 12 September.
Regional competition
Premier winter club competition is divided into five regional leagues:- The Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Premier, consisting of teams from Federations Two (Auckland) and Three (Waikato/Bay of Plenty)
- The US1 PremiershipUS1 PremiershipThe United Soccer 1 Men's Premiership is a semi-professional status New Zealand Association football league competition involving member football clubs of the . It is the highest level football competition in the Northland, North Auckland and West Auckland regions.The inaugural US1 Premiership...
, consisting of teams from the United Soccer 1 federation. US1 was originally part of the Lotto Sport Italia NRFL competition before the federation withdrew in 2008. - The Central Premier LeagueCentral Premier LeagueThe Central League is a semi-professional status league competition run by for Association football clubs located in the southern and central parts of the North Island, New Zealand...
, consisting of teams from Federations Four (Central North Island) and Five (Greater Wellington) - The Robbie's Premier Football LeagueMainland Premier LeagueThe Mainland Premier League or Robbie's Premier Football League for sponsorship reasons is a semi-professional status league competition run by for Association football clubs located in the northern half of the South Island, New Zealand....
, consisting of teams from Federation Six (Northern South Island) - The ODT Footballsouth Premier League, consisting of teams from Federation Seven (Lower South Island)