The 2024 NRFL Leagues is the 60th and 58th seasons respectively of the NRFL Championship and NRFL Conference, football competitions in New Zealand. Established in 1965, currently twelve teams compete in the championship while eight teams compete in the Northern and Southern sections of the Conference League.
The week the Northern League and NRFL Championship started, NRF announced changes to the competition structure for the 2024 season to accommodate Auckland FC. Auckland FC will have a reserves team playing in the qualifying and championship phases of the New Zealand National League from next season to fulfil their A-League Men requirements. To allow space for Auckland FC, the Northern League will now have a relegation play-off between the 10th place team and the runners up of the NRFL Championship for this season only. This also means an additional team will be relegated from the NRFL Championship and from the NRFL Conference leagues (with potential for further relegations to keep the conference leagues at 8 teams). New Zealand Football apologised for the late communication of decisions on 5 September 2024.
Northern League
The Northern League sits above the two NRFL Divisions and is also overseen by Northern Region Football, despite being run by New Zealand Football as part of the New Zealand National League.
Twelve teams will compete in the league – the top ten teams from the previous season and the two teams promoted from the 2023 Championship. The promoted teams are Tauranga City and East Coast Bays. This is both Tauranga's and East Coast Bay's first season in the Northern League. They replaced Takapuna (two seasons) and Manukau United (three seasons).
Northern League table
Championship
Each team can field a maximum of five foreign players as well as one additional foreign player who has Oceania Football Confederation nationality. Over the course of the season, each team must also ensure players aged 20 or under account for 7% of available playing minutes.
Championship teams Twelve teams are competing in the league – nine teams from the previous season, the two teams relegated from the 2023 Northern League and one team promoted from the NRFL Conference. The relegated teams were Takapuna and Manukau United, while the promoted team is Franklin United. Tauranga City were promoted alongside East Coast Bays, while Waiheke United were relegated.
TeamLocationStadium2023 seasonEllerslieEllerslie, AucklandMichaels Avenue 7thFranklin UnitedDruryDrury Sports Grounds 1st in Northern Conference (promoted via play-offs)Fencibles UnitedPakuranga, AucklandRiverhills Domain 8thHibiscus CoastWhangaparāoa, AucklandStanmore Bay Park 6th Manukau United Māngere East, Auckland Centre Park 12th in Northern League (relegated)MetroMount Albert, AucklandPhyllis Street 11thMount Albert-PonsonbyMount Albert, AucklandAnderson Park 4th Ngaruawahia United Ngāruawāhia Centennial Park, Ngāruawāhia 3rd North Shore United Devonport, Auckland Allen Hill Stadium 5thNorthern RoversGlenfield, AucklandMcFetridge Park 9thOnehunga-Mangere UnitedMāngere Bridge, AucklandMāngere Domain 10th Takapuna Takapuna, Auckland Taharoto Park 11th in Northern League (relegated)
Championship personnel and kits Team Manager Captain Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsorEllerslie Ben Fletcher Seb PoelmanLotto Sport ItaliaNoneFencibles United Rhys Ruka NikeNew World HowickFranklin United Tashreeq Davids Lotto Sport Italia Frame HomesHibiscus Coast Ryan Faithfull Dynasty Sport Barfoot & Thompson Manukau United Gordon Paulsen Joma Munchy MartMetro Neil Sykes NikeNoneMount Albert-Ponsonby Darren White Lewis Black Lotto Sport Italia Woodview ConstructionNgaruawahia United Kyle Park Jordan Boon Joma None North Shore United Dave Fahy Harry Lissington Nike Atlas ConcreteNorthern Rovers Daniel Donegan Lotto Sport Italia Edge MortgagesOnehunga-Mangere United Paul Marshall Nike NoneTakapuna Daniel Semp Lotto Sport Italia Harcourts Cooper & Co
Championship table
Championship results table
Championship scoring Championship top scorers Rank Player Club Goals 1 Darius Palma Ngaruawahia United 24 2 Daniel Bunch Fencibles United 16 Kodie Nicol Fencibles United 4 Adam Creaney Metro 15 5 Reuben Henderson Ngaruawahia United 12 6 Aston Burns Fencibles United 11 Dylan Horgan Manukau United Nick Petherick Takapuna / North Shore United Meysum Shafahi Manukau United 10 João Moreira Takapuna 10 Brodie Putt North Shore United
Northern Conference
Northern Conference teams Eight teams are competing in the league – five teams from the previous season, the team relegated from the 2023 Championship and the champions of the 2023 NRF League One. The relegated team is Waiheke United, while the promoted team is Te Atatu. Franklin United were promoted as winners of the conference play-off, while West Auckland and Central United were relegated.
TeamLocationStadium2023 seasonAlbany UnitedAlbany, AucklandRosedale Park 6thBeachlands MaraetaiBeachlands, AucklandTe Puru Park 5thBucklands BeachBucklands BeachLloyd Elsmore Park 2ndNorthlandMorningside, WhangāreiMorningside Park 7thOratia UnitedOratia, AucklandParrs Park3rdTe AtatuTe Atatū Peninsula, AucklandTe Atatū Peninsula Park1st in NRF League One (promoted) Waiheke United Waiheke Island, Auckland Onetangi Sports Park 12th in Championship (relegated)WaitemataTe Atatū South, AucklandMcLeod Park 4th
Northern Conference table
The final game between Bucklands Beach and Northland was cancelled, with neither team being able to change league positions regardless of result.
Northern Conference results table
Northern Conference scoring
Northern Conference top scorers Rank Player Club Goals 1Sander WaterlandBucklands Beach 18 2Mark GilesBeachlands Maraetai 17 3James Chamberlain-BarlowAlbany United 114Fumiya ItoNorthland10Nicolas Federico VaninaWaiheke United 6Kyle LevellNorthland9Harry MurphyWaitemata 8Joshua SmithBucklands Beach8Adam HargoodWaitemata 10Alex ThurbonBeachlands Marartai7Diego Sepúlveda CarvajalWaiheke UnitedArnold KochasiraWaitemata
Southern Conference
Southern Conference teams Eight teams are competing in the league – the same eight teams from the previous season. No side were promoted from WaiBOP League One as Tauranga City won the league and couldn't be promoted, due to their first team being in an NRFL league.
TeamLocationStadium2023 seasonCambridgeCambridgeJohn Kerkhof Park 2ndClaudelands RoversClaudelands, HamiltonGalloway Park 4th Ngongotahā Lakes Ngongotahā, Rotorua Tamarahi Reserve 7th Otumoetai Matua, Tauranga Fergusson Park 6th Papamoa Papamoa Beach, Papamoa Gordon Spratt Reserve 5th Taupo Tauhara, Taupō Crown Park 3rd Te Awamutu Te Awamutu The Stadium 8th Waikato Unicol Silverdale, Hamilton Jansen Park 1st
Southern Conference table
Southern Conference results table
Southern Conference scoring
Southern Conference top scorers Rank Player Club Goals1Jack ConnorCambridge322Kirshaant SinghClaudelands Rovers253Joshua ClarkinCambridge244Joe O'DonoghueTaupo195Bailey WebsterCambridge176Jack BolandOtumoetai157Rahim NabizadaCambridge148Henry StephenClaudelands Rovers10Abdul SuliemanWaikato Unicol10Steffano RileyNgongotaha Lakes9Andrew CooperPapamoaTy ChristensenTaupo
Conference play-offs The conference play-offs took place on 14 and 21 September 2024.
Overview
Matches
Cambridge won 2–0 on aggregate and was promoted to NRFL Championship.
Women's Premiership
The NRFL Women's Premiership acts as a qualifier for the New Zealand Women's National League.
Eight teams are competing in the league – the top seven teams from the previous season and the promoted side from the 2023 NRFL Championship. The promoted team is Franklin United as winners of the NRFL Championship. They replaced Northern Rovers.
Women's Premiership table
Women's Championship
Women's Championship teams Eight teams are competing in the league – five teams from the previous season, the one team relegated from the 2023 NRFL Premiership, Northern Rovers, and one team promoted from each of the NRF Women's Conference and the WaiBOP W-League. The promoted teams are Birkenhead United and Melville United. Franklin United were promoted, while Te Atatu were relegated. Tauranga City and Otumoetai merged along with Papamoa to form FC Tauranga Moana.
TeamLocationStadium2023 season Birkenhead United Beach Haven, Auckland Shepherds Park 1st in NRF Women's Conference (promoted)Central UnitedSandringhamKiwitea Street 7thFC Tauranga MoanaMount Maunganui, TaurangaLinks Avenue 4thFranklin UnitedDruryDrury Sports Grounds 3rd Manukau United Māngere East, Auckland Centre Park 6th Melville United Melville, Hamilton Gower Park 1st in WaiBOP W League (promoted via play-offs)Northern RoversGlenfield, AucklandMcFetridge Park 8th in NRFL Women's Premiership (relegated)Onehunga SportsOnehunga, AucklandWaikaraka Park 2nd
Women's Championship table
The final game between Melville United and Birkenhead United was cancelled.
Women's Championship results table
References