NRFL Premier

The Northern Region Football League Premier, currently known as the Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Premier for sponsorship reasons, is a semi-professional New Zealand association football competition. It is the top-tier competition during the winter season, and sits at step two overall.

NRFL Premier League
Founded1965
Country New Zealand
ConfederationOFC (Oceania)
Number of teams12
Level on pyramid1 (Mar-Sept), 2 (overall)
Relegation toLotto Sport Italia NRFL Division 1
Current championsNorth Shore United
(2019)
Most championshipsBay Olympic, Takapuna AFC, Central United (4)
WebsiteAuckland Football Federation
Current: 2020 NRFL Premier

This is due to the league being played during the off-season of the country's main football competition, the New Zealand Football Championship, which operates from October to March. Thus, in the months of March to September, the NRFL Premier is the top competition in New Zealand, and unsurprisingly most New Zealand Football Championship players in the summer compete in the NRFL and other regional leagues during the autumn/winter months.

The NRFL Premier includes football clubs located in the northern part of the North Island from the Northland, Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions. Beginning 2020, clubs will be able to compete for promotion into the New Zealand Football Championship for the first time since 2004.

The first four years (1965–1969)

In the years 1965–1969, before the launch of a National Soccer League, the Northern League was the highest level competition available to the clubs in the northern region. When the National Soccer League was created in 1970, the Northern League became one of its feeder leagues.

In 1997 and 1998, when the National Soccer League operated as an invitation-only summer league, the Northern League again became the highest level club competition available to the clubs from the northern provinces.

Present day

With the demise of the club-based National Soccer League in 2004, the Northern League, now known as Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Men's Premier, became part of the highest level of football league competition in New Zealand for the third time in its history. The league runs between the New Zealand autumn and winter months (April to September), while the ASB Premiership runs between the New Zealand spring and summer months (October to March).

Current Northern League structure

Sponsors

The following list is of the official sponsors of the League, unless otherwise noted.

Current

Current clubs

As of the 2020 season.[1]

Team Location Stadium Notes
Auckland United Mount Roskill, Auckland Keith Hay Park
Bay Olympic New Lynn, Auckland Olympic Park 2nd in 2019 NRFL Division 1; promoted
Birkenhead United Birkenhead, Auckland Shepherds Park
Central United Sandringham, Auckland Kiwitea Street
Eastern Suburbs Reserves Kohimarama, Auckland Madills Farm
Forrest Hill Milford Forrest Hill, Auckland Becroft Park 1st in 2019 NRFL Division 1; promoted
Hamilton Wanderers Reserves Chartwell, Hamilton Porritt Stadium
Manukau United Māngere East, Auckland Centre Park
Melville United Melville, Hamilton Gower Park
North Shore United Devonport, Auckland Allen Hill Stadium
Waitakere City Whenuapai, Auckland Fred Taylor Park
Western Springs Westmere, Auckland Seddon Fields

Past champions

Performance by club
Club Location Titles Last Title
Bay OlympicNew Lynn42011
Central UnitedAuckland42016
Takapuna CityTakapuna41988
Glenfield RoversGlenfield32014
East Coast BaysNorth Shore32013
Mount WellingtonAuckland31997
Hamilton WanderersHamilton31984
Eastern SuburbsKohimarama32015
North Shore UnitedNorth Shore32019
Melville UnitedMelville22009
Tauranga CityTauranga22000
Mount MaunganuiTauranga21994
PapatoetoePapatoetoe21991

Notable players

This list consists of past or present notable players that have either represented an international team, or made more than fifty appearances at a professional level in their careers.

References
  1. http://www.aucklandfootball.org.nz/lottonrfl/Results-Fixtures
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