Superclub competition
Encyclopedia
The Superclub competition was a national association football league competition which ran in New Zealand
from 1993 to 1995. It replaced the first incarnation of the New Zealand National Soccer League
and was itself replaced by the National Summer Soccer League
.
when Dunedin City
withdrew from the league, citing the heavy expense of travel. As the league's southernmost club, and with many of the league's sides based in Auckland, City was especially hard hit by financial concerns related to travel, and these costs proved to be a discouragement to other sides from the far south of the country.
In order to alleviate these concerns and keep costs down, a new league set-up was devised with three regional divisions - Norther, Central, and Southern - each consisting of ten teams (in the competition's third season the central regional league had eleven teams) followed by a nationwide competition containing the top eight regional sides (three from the northern region, three from the central region, and two from the southern region), with each side playing each other side only once. This stage was then to be followed by a short knockout stage between the top four sides.
.
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...
from 1993 to 1995. It replaced the first incarnation of the New Zealand 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...
and was itself replaced by the National Summer Soccer League
National Summer Soccer League
The National Summer Soccer League was a short-lived national association football league competition which ran in New Zealand from 1996 to 1998. It replaced the Superclub competition and was itself replaced by the second incarnation of the New Zealand National Soccer League.-Background:The old New...
.
Background
Towards the end of the 23-year history of the NZNSL's first incarnation it became obvious that some clubs were finding it difficult to recoup the costs of competing. Matters were brought to a head in 19871987 New Zealand National Soccer League
The 1987 New Zealand National Soccer League was the eighteenth season of a nationwide round-robin club competition in New Zealand football. It was the first season in which 14 teams competed in the league, up from 12 in the previous season, and was also the first season with new sponsors Air New...
when Dunedin City
Dunedin City
Dunedin City is a former New Zealand football club based in the South Island city of Dunedin. The team won the Chatham Cup in 1981, and was a member of the National League in 1977 and 1979-87, before withdrawing from the league for financial reasons...
withdrew from the league, citing the heavy expense of travel. As the league's southernmost club, and with many of the league's sides based in Auckland, City was especially hard hit by financial concerns related to travel, and these costs proved to be a discouragement to other sides from the far south of the country.
In order to alleviate these concerns and keep costs down, a new league set-up was devised with three regional divisions - Norther, Central, and Southern - each consisting of ten teams (in the competition's third season the central regional league had eleven teams) followed by a nationwide competition containing the top eight regional sides (three from the northern region, three from the central region, and two from the southern region), with each side playing each other side only once. This stage was then to be followed by a short knockout stage between the top four sides.
Champions
Three different sides won the competition during its three years of existence. All three sides had previously won the New Zealand National Soccer LeagueNew 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...
| Year | Regional League sizes (N, C, S) | Regional matches per team (N, C, S) | National League size | Matches per team | Winners | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 1993 Superclub competition The 1993 Superclub competition was the inaugural season of a nationwide association football club competition in New Zealand. It replaced the New Zealand National Soccer League which had run from 1970 to 1992. The 1993 competition was won by Napier City Rovers over West Auckland side Waitakere... |
10, 10, 10 | 18, 18, 18 | 8 | 7 | Napier City Rovers Napier City Rovers Napier City Rovers are an association football team based in Napier, New Zealand. They are currently competing in the Central Premier League.-Club history:The team was founded in 1973 via a merger of Napier Rovers and Napier City.... |
Waitakere City |
| 1994 1994 Superclub competition The 1994 Superclub competition was the second season of a nationwide association football club competition in New Zealand. It was won by North Shore United.-Structure:... |
10, 10, 10 | 18, 18, 18 | 8 | 7 | North Shore United North Shore United North Shore United is a semi-professional football club based in North Shore, Auckland, New Zealand. They compete in the Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Division 2.Their home ground, Allen Hill Stadium, is located in the suburb of Devonport.-History:... |
Napier City Rovers Napier City Rovers Napier City Rovers are an association football team based in Napier, New Zealand. They are currently competing in the Central Premier League.-Club history:The team was founded in 1973 via a merger of Napier Rovers and Napier City.... |
| 1995 1995 Superclub competition The 1995 Superclub competition was the third and final season of a nationwide association football club competition in New Zealand. It was won by Waitakere City.-Structure:... |
10, 11, 10 | 18, 20, 18 | 8 | 7 | Waitakere City | Waikato United |
Demise
It quickly became apparent to those involved in the competition that the lack of a true national league, accompanied by the greatly increased number of teams involved in the competition, resulted in 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. In an attempt to provide this, the Superclub competition was replaced in 1996 by the National Summer Soccer LeagueNational Summer Soccer League
The National Summer Soccer League was a short-lived national association football league competition which ran in New Zealand from 1996 to 1998. It replaced the Superclub competition and was itself replaced by the second incarnation of the New Zealand National Soccer League.-Background:The old New...
.