Northern Lights (football team)

Originally known as Northern Football, the team made their debut in the National Women's League in 2010-11, qualifying for the playoffs unbeaten, but losing 10-1 to Waikato-Bay of Plenty in the semi-final.[2] The team have won the New Zealand Championship three times, firstly in 2011-12, beating Waikato-Bay of Plenty in the play off final 3-0,[3] and then again the following season, this time going undefeated and beating Auckland Football 2-0 in the final.[4] They were unable to make it a hat trick of championships in 2013 however, losing 4-2 to Mainland Pride in the final, despite topping the regular season table.[5] In 2014 the team failed to make the playoffs, finishing sixth in the regular season, winning only two of their seven games.[6] They then won their third title in the 2015, finishing second after the regular season, they went on to beat the NZ Development Squad 4–3 in the semi-final[7] before going on to beat first place Mainland Pride in the final 3–4 away from home, denying their opponents a three-peat of competition titles.[8]

On 28 August 2018, it was decided that the women's teams from Northern Football Federation would be re-branded as the Northern Lights to provide an identity for the teams, players, staff and supporters and to help build on the growth of the Female game within the region.[1]

• 2011: Northern Football* vs Waikato-Bay of Plenty (3-0)
• 2012: Northern Football* vs Auckland Football Federation (2-0)
• 2013: Northern Football* vs Mainland Pride (2-4)
• 2015: Northern Football vs Mainland Pride* (4–3)
• 2018: Canterbury United Pride* v Northern Lights (3–2)

*Home team for final. [9]