NRFL Championship
Founded1965
CountryNew Zealand New Zealand
ConfederationOFC (Oceania)
Number of teams12
Level on pyramid3
Promotion toNorthern League
Relegation toNRFL Northern Conference
NRFL Southern Conference
Domestic cup(s)Chatham Cup
Current championsTauranga City (2nd title)
(2023)
Most championshipsBirkenhead United
Central United
East Coast Bays
Onehunga Sports
(3 titles each)
Websitenrf.org.nz
Current: 2024 NRFL Championship

The Northern Regional Football League Championship, currently known as Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Championship for sponsorship reasons, is a semi-professional New Zealand association football league competition. Up until 2022, the competition was known as NRFL Division 1.[1][2][3]

The league includes football clubs located in the northern part of the North Island, with clubs from the Northland, Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty provinces. The league sits at step 3 of the New Zealand football pyramid.

Current clubs

NRFL Championship is located in New Zealand
Auckland
Auckland
Ngaruawahia United
Location of clubs in New Zealand for the 2024 NRFL Championship season
NRFL Championship is located in Auckland
ELL
FEN
FRA
HBC
MAN
MET
MAP
NSU
NTR
OHM
TAK
Location of clubs in Auckland Region for the 2024 NRFL Championship season

Takapuna and Manukau United joined the league following their relegation the season prior from the Northern League. Franklin United were promoted as winners of NRFL Conference play-offs.

Tauranga City won the 2023 season and were promoted alongside East Coast Bays to the Northern League, while Waiheke United were relegated to NRFL Northern Conference.

Team Location Stadium 2023 season
Ellerslie Ellerslie, Auckland Michaels Avenue 7th
Franklin United Drury Drury Sports Grounds 1st in Northern Conference (promoted via play-offs)
Fencibles United Pakuranga, Auckland Riverhills Domain 8th
Hibiscus Coast Whangaparaoa, Auckland Stanmore Bay Park 6th
Manukau United Māngere East, Auckland Centre Park 12th in Northern League (relegated)
Metro Mount Albert, Auckland Phyllis Street 11th
Mount Albert-Ponsonby Mount Albert, Auckland Anderson Park 4th
Ngaruawahia United Ngāruawāhia Centennial Park, Ngāruawāhia 3rd
North Shore United Devonport, Auckland Allen Hill Stadium 5th
Northern Rovers Glenfield, Auckland McFetridge Park 9th
Onehunga-Mangere United Māngere Bridge, Auckland Māngere Domain 10th
Takapuna Takapuna, Auckland Taharoto Park 11th in Northern League (relegated)

Past winners

Numbers in parentheses indicate wins up to that date.

Season Winner[4] Promoted
1965[5] Ponsonby Eden
1966[6] Lynndale Hamilton
1967[7] Birkenhead United Rotorua City
1968[8] Courier Rangers Hamilton
1969[9] Whangarei Birkenhead United
1970[10] Takapuna City Papatoetoe
East Coast Bays
Huntly Thistle
1971[11] Metro College Ellerslie
1972[12] Papakura City Lynndale
1973[13] Manurewa Papatoetoe
1974[14] Whangarei City (2) Takapuna City
1975[15] Lynndale (2) Rotorua City
1976[16] Glenfield Rovers Metro College
1977[17] Ellerslie Mt. Roskill
1978 East Coast Bays Metro College
1979 Waitemata City Papatoetoe
1980 Birkenhead United (2) Rotorua City
1981 Eden Whangarei City
1982 University Lynndale
1983 Otara Rangers[a]
1984 Howick Papakura City
1985 Mount Maunganui Otara Rangers
1986 Waikato Oratia United
Kelston West
1987 Mount Albert-Ponsonby[b] (2) Manukau City
Blockhouse Bay
1988 Central Rotorua City
1989 East Coast Bays (2) Massey
1990 University (2)
1991 Central (2) Rotorua City
Kawerau Town
1992 Tauranga City Eden
Pakuranga Town
1993 Melville United Onehunga Sports
1994 Metro (2) Ngaruawahia United
1995 Cambridge Northland United
Hamilton Wanderers
Takapuna
1996 Glenfield Rovers[c] (2)
1997 Hamilton Wanderers Glenfield Rovers
1998 Three Kings United Tauranga City
1999 Takapuna (2) Eastern Suburbs
2000 Central United (3) Manukau City
2001 Onehunga Sports Bay Olympic
2002 Waitakere City University-Mount Wellington
2003 East Coast Bays (3) Mangere United
2004 Papakura City (2)
2005 Albany United Birkenhead United
2006 Onehunga Sports (2) Hamilton Wanderers
2007 Lynn-Avon United Melville United
Metro
Three Kings United
Papatoetoe
Mount Albert-Ponsonby
2008[18] Manurewa (2)
2009 Three Kings United (2)
2010[19][d] Hamilton Wanderers (2)
Onehunga Sports (3)
2011[20] Eastern Suburbs Manurewa
2012[21] Birkenhead United (3) Ellerslie
2013[22] Glenfield Rovers (3) Ngaruawahia United
2014[23] Western Springs Eastern Suburbs
Melville United
2015[24] Forrest Hill Milford United Tauranga City United
2016[25] Waitakere City (2) Manurewa
2017[26] Western Springs (2) Manukau City
2018[27] Melville United (2) North Shore United
2019[28][29] Forrest Hill Milford United (2) Bay Olympic
2020 Abandoned due to COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
2021[30][31][e] Waiheke United Takapuna
2022[33] West Coast Rangers Manurewa
2023[34] Tauranga City (2) East Coast Bays
  1. ^ No promotion to the Northern League due to the resizing of the league in 1984.
  2. ^ First title was won as Ponsonby.
  3. ^ No promotion to the Northern League due to the restructuring of the National league in 1996—97.
  4. ^ Division 1 split into two leagues after a grading round with Hamilton Wanderers winning Division 1A and Onehunga Sports winning Division 1B.
  5. ^ Season cancelled with games in hand due to COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand.[32]

References

  1. ^ "New look for LOTTO NRFL 2023". Northern Region Football. 2 March 2023. Archived from the original on 2 March 2023. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  2. ^ "Promoted sides drawn away in season openers for Lotto NRFL Men's Championship". friendsoffootballnz.com. 2 March 2023. Archived from the original on 2 March 2023. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  3. ^ "Lotto NRFL Review 2021". Northern Region Football. Archived from the original on 2 March 2023. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  4. ^ "Northern League". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Archived from the original on 27 April 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  5. ^ "1965 Northern Leagues". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Archived from the original on 27 April 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  6. ^ "1966 Northern Leagues". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Archived from the original on 29 April 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  7. ^ "1967 Innes-Tartan Northern League". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Archived from the original on 30 June 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  8. ^ "1968 Innes-Tartan Northern League". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Archived from the original on 28 April 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  9. ^ "1969 Rothmans Northern League". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Archived from the original on 27 April 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  10. ^ "1970 Rothmans Northern League". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Archived from the original on 28 June 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  11. ^ "1971 Rothmans Northern League". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Archived from the original on 26 April 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  12. ^ "1972 Northern League". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Archived from the original on 28 April 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  13. ^ "1973 Northern League". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Archived from the original on 29 June 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  14. ^ "1974 Broadlands Northern League". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Archived from the original on 28 April 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  15. ^ "1975 Broadlands Northern League". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Archived from the original on 29 June 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  16. ^ "1976 Broadlands Northern League". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Archived from the original on 27 April 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  17. ^ "1976 Broadlands Northern League". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Archived from the original on 27 April 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  18. ^ "Lotto NRFL 2008 award winners | Auckland Football Federation". www.aucklandfootball.org.nz. Archived from the original on 28 October 2017. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
  19. ^ "Award winners end NRFL year | Auckland Football Federation". www.aucklandfootball.org.nz. Archived from the original on 28 October 2017. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
  20. ^ "Ladder for NRFL Division 1". SportsTG. Archived from the original on 28 October 2017. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
  21. ^ "Ladder for 2012 NRFL Division 1". SportsTG. Archived from the original on 28 October 2017. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
  22. ^ "Ladder for 2013 Northern Region Football Division 1". SportsTG. Archived from the original on 28 October 2017. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
  23. ^ "Ladder for 2014 Northern Region Football Division 1". SportsTG. Archived from the original on 28 October 2017. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
  24. ^ "Ladder for NRFL 2015 Division 1". SportsTG. Archived from the original on 28 October 2017. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
  25. ^ "Ladder for 2016 NRFL Division 1". SportsTG. Archived from the original on 28 October 2017. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
  26. ^ "Ladder for NRFL Division 1". SportsTG. Archived from the original on 27 October 2017. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  27. ^ NRFL, LOTTO (10 August 2018). "CONGRATULATIONS! @MelvilleUnited have been crowned champions of the 2018 #LottoNRFL Men's Division One!pic.twitter.com/ADeSyMczOY". @LOTTONRFL. Archived from the original on 19 April 2020. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
  28. ^ "Auckland Football Federation - LOTTO NRFL 2019". www.aucklandfootball.org.nz. Archived from the original on 19 April 2020. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
  29. ^ Milford, Forrest Hill (30 August 2019). "pic.twitter.com/vfk2ICm7AJ". @ForrestHillFC. Archived from the original on 19 April 2020. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
  30. ^ "Northern League 2021". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Archived from the original on 15 September 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  31. ^ "Northern League and LOTTO NRFL results confirmed". Northern Region Football. Archived from the original on 26 January 2022. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  32. ^ "Remainder of Auckland football season cancelled". Northern Region Football. Archived from the original on 15 September 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  33. ^ "West Coast Rangers survive early scare to secure Lotto NRFL first division title". friendsoffootballnz.com. Archived from the original on 29 August 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  34. ^ "Tauranga City finish season in style to win Lotto NRFL Men's Championship". friendsoffootballnz.com. Archived from the original on 9 September 2023. Retrieved 10 September 2023.

External links

NRFL Championship
Association football in New Zealand
Categories