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25-574: The former New Zealand National Soccer League , which spanned from 1970 to 1992, had faced several financial issues during its existence, primarily travel expenses associated with teams partaking in a nationwide tournament. In order to mitigate travel expenses, the national tournament was replaced by a regional tournament, the winning teams in each region then competed in a subsequently shorter national tournament (the Superclub competition ). However, this tournament also had drawbacks of its own, specifically

50-897: A home and away basis. At the completion of those games, the best-performing team was declared as the New Zealand champion. The latest version has the clubs play in their regional leagues with the top teams qualifying for the Championship phase to then play each other for the champion. The national competition has had many different formats: Canterbury Northern League 1965 Eastern Suburbs 1966 Eastern Suburbs 1967 Ponsonby AFC (Auckland) 1968 Mount Wellington 1969 Mount Wellington Central League 1966 Kiwi United (Western League) 1967 Eastern Union (Central Districts League) 1968 Western Suburbs 1969 Western Suburbs Southern League 1968 Christchurch City 1969 Christchurch Technical When

75-586: A promotion and relegation system was used. In the first season, a bonus point was awarded for scoring four or more goals in one match but that system was dropped in subsequent seasons. The championship play-offs system at the end of the league was the major difference when compared with the competition launched in 1970. Seven teams, participating in the first edition, came from the NISL ( Central United , Waitakere City , Napier City Rovers , Mt Wellington , Miramar Rangers , Metro and Manawatu AFC ) and three came from

100-752: The North Island Soccer League (NISL) and the South Island Soccer League (SISL). The winner of the NISL, Central United , defeated the winner of the SISL, Dunedin Technical , 3–1, in extra time, in the championship final. The National Soccer League was launched for the third time in 2000 as the National Club Championship. Like the original in 1970, it was played during (mostly) winter months and

125-914: The Northern League , Central League , and the Southern League . These leagues would allow local clubs to qualify for the premiership season (now known as the National League Championship ), with the top 4 teams from the Northern League, the top 3 teams from the Central League, and the top 2 teams from the Southern League making up the competition, alongside the Wellington Phoenix Reserve side. All teams that qualify plus

150-515: The South Island (the SISL) were followed by a play-off between the two champion sides to determine the national champions. The games were mainly played during winter, in direct contrast to the previous summer league. The format proved to be both controversial and unpopular, and from 2000 a New Zealand National Soccer League returned. Participants in the 2000 league were the top seven teams in

175-436: The 1996 and 1997 seasons; eleven took part in the 1998 campaign. The competition operated as a round-robin league, with each team playing every other team twice, once at each team's home ground. The top teams at the end of this league section would then qualify for a play-off series culminating in a final. In the first two seasons, the top two league sides would play each other, with the winner of that match advancing directly to

200-437: The 1999 NISL and the top three teams in the 1999 SISL. Twelve teams took part in the NISL. These included five from the northern region ( Central United , Melville United , Mount Wellington , North Shore United , and Waitakere City ) and two from the central region ( Miramar Rangers and Napier City Rovers ) which had been participants in the 1998 National Summer Soccer League . The remaining five teams were promoted from

225-479: The League was disbanded due to financial reasons. Following the dissolution of the league a new competition, called Superclub Championship , was launched to decide the top club in the country. The top 10 clubs in each three regional groups (Northern, Central, Southern) would play each other home and away with $ 10,000 going to the team that finished first in their region, $ 7,000 for second and $ 5,000 for third. Then

250-541: The National Soccer League was launched in 1970, it became the first national league for any sport in New Zealand. It involved clubs playing each other two times, on a home and away basis. Two points were awarded for a win, and one point was awarded for a draw. The club with the greatest number of points was declared the champion. The league was open and clubs could be relegated from it and promoted to it. The National Soccer League continued until 1992 when

275-638: The Northern and Central Leagues ( Metro were Northern League champions; Western Suburbs FC , Lower Hutt City , Manawatu AFC , and Wellington Olympic were first, second, fourth, and fifth respectively in the Central League). It is unclear why Waterside Karori , who finished third in the Central League, were not promoted to the NISL. The composition of the league included five Auckland teams, four Wellington teams, plus one team each from Hamilton, Palmerston North, and Napier. Eight teams took part in

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300-751: The Phoenix Reserves, would then play a single round-robin competition between October and December. The top two placed teams will then progress to the Grand Final. North Island Soccer League In 1999 , two New Zealand island soccer leagues were run to replace the National Summer Soccer League which had finished at the end of the 1998 season. The two leagues, one for the North Island (the NISL) and one for

325-631: The SISL ( Dunedin Technical , Nelson Suburbs , Woolston WMC ). 2004 was the transition year between the National Soccer League and the New Zealand Football championship. Regional competitions were played but no New Zealand champion was determined. On 15 October 2004 the New Zealand Football Championship was launched (NZFC). It marked a turning point in the history of the game in New Zealand , as for

350-430: The SISL. These included one team from the central region ( Nelson Suburbs ) which had been participants in the 1998 National Summer Soccer League , and the teams which finished in the top six places in the Southern League in 1998 ( Dunedin Technical , Christchurch Technical , Southland United , Northern Hearts , Woolston WMC , and Caversham ). The sixth team was a new composite team, Marlborough . The composition of

375-766: The competition during its three years of existence. Both had previously won the New Zealand National Soccer League New Zealand National Soccer League The New Zealand National League is the name given to the current New Zealand top football competition. Originally set up as the New Zealand National Soccer League there has been many versions of the competition as well as many different names. The most common format saw club teams play each other, at least two times, on

400-419: The competition operated, a unique system of awarding points was used, though this was scrapped at the end of the 1997 season to be replaced by the traditional 3-1-0 system. In the 1996 and 1997 seasons, teams were awarded four points for a win and one for a draw. In drawn matches, a penalty shoot-out (three shots per side) would then take place, with the winning side awarded a bonus point. Two different sides won

425-457: The country's top eight teams, being three teams from northern, and central regions, and two from the south, combine to play each other once. After that the top four teams then play each other once before culminating in a grand final between the top two from that round. For the team that finished first, they were paid $ 30,000, $ 15,000 went to the runner-up with $ 5,000 to third and fourth. The winners in those years were as follows: The increase in

450-542: The dilution of playing standard caused by the inclusion of more amateur teams in each region. After just three seasons of the Superclub competition it was scrapped and ultimately replaced by a new competition, the National Summer Soccer League. The new league included invited teams, rather than featuring the traditional promotion and relegation system. Selection criteria for these teams involved

475-418: The final. The loser would play the winner of a match between third- and fourth-placed sides. The winner of that tie would then qualify as the other finalist. In the 1998 season this process was simplified, with the final taking place between the first-placed side at the end of the league section of the season and the winner of a match between the second- and third-placed sides. For the first two seasons in which

500-435: The financial strength of the club and its location. The league also featured a championship play-off session at the end of the seasons, involving teams finishing high in the table. The new competition was played during the summer months, with the 1996 season running from January to May, and subsequent seasons running from November to March (the season being named for the year in which the final took place). Ten teams competed in

525-529: The first time traditional clubs were not eligible to participate in the top league. They were replaced by eight franchise style entities. In March 2021, New Zealand Football announced a change to the structure of both the premiership and the top regional leagues around the country. The four top regional leagues ( NRFL Premier , Central Premier League , Mainland Premier League and the FootballSouth Premier League ) would be formed into

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550-421: The league included two teams from Christchurch, two from Dunedin, and one each from Nelson, Timaru, Blenheim, and Invercargill. By winning the title, Central United qualified for the 1999 Oceania Club Championship . This article related to sport in New Zealand is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about an Oceania Football Confederation association football competition

575-414: The number of teams participating for the championship, as well as lack of a true national league system, caused 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 1996 a National League was launched for the second time in the history of New Zealand soccer. This time however, the league was (mostly) played during

600-521: The penalty shoot-out were awarded two points, the losers one point while winners in the regular 90 minutes were awarded four points (although this system as dropped in the last year of the National Summer Soccer League). The winners in those years were: In 1999, the National Soccer League again took a break. The competition for determining the New Zealand champion was moved back to (mostly) winter months. Two leagues were created,

625-420: The summer months and did not feature relegation and promotion. Teams were invited to participate and the selection criteria involved the financial strength of the club and its location. The league also featured a championship play-off session at the end of the seasons, involving teams finishing high in the table. To further upset the traditionalists, penalties followed matches which ended in a draw. The winners of

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