New Zealand Youth National League

New Zealand Youth National League
Founded2003; 21 years ago (2003)
Rebranded 2022; 2 years ago (2022)
CountryNew Zealand New Zealand
ConfederationOFC (Oceania)
Number of clubs8
Current championsWellington Phoenix Academy (2nd title)
(2024)
Most championshipsAuckland City (7 titles)
WebsiteOfficial web page

The New Zealand Youth National League, formally National Youth League (NYL), is the premier competition for youth football players in New Zealand. Founded in 2003, it was a league competition consisting of the youth teams of each of the ten clubs that played in the New Zealand Football Championship. It was held each season between October and December, and consists of each team playing each other once; the fixture list mirrors that of the senior league.[1]

The last team to be champions of the original league and the most successful team of the competition was the youth team of Auckland City, finishing champions seven times in the sixteen years the original competition ran.[2][3]

In December 2021, New Zealand Football announced that they were bringing back the National Youth Development League to run alongside the National League.[4] The Competition will see eight teams from 3 qualifying leagues play-off in a knockout style tournament. Three teams qualify from the Northern League, three qualify from the Central League and two qualify from the Southern League.[5]

The regional leagues will run from August through to late September. The finals series will take place at a neutral location in October and will see all eight teams play 3 games in a knockout style competition.[5]

Wellington Phoenix Academy are the defending champions after winning the 2023 and 2024 editions.[6]

History

The first National Youth League was founded in 2003, with eight teams representing different regional football federations in New Zealand, playing each other once; the inaugural champions were Capital Soccer.[7]

In 2007, the competition changed from teams representing federations to teams representing each club in the New Zealand Football Championship.[8] The youth squad of Auckland City won the first season of this new format, and have since become the most successful team in the competition, winning six titles.[2]

In 2008, the competition used a ten-team, two-group format, with the top two teams from each group heading into a playoff system; Waitakere United won in the final against Canterbury United.[9] However, in 2009, only four teams participated due to funding issues (Auckland City, Waitakere United, Auckland-Manukau and Hawke's Bay United);[10][11] the league moved to nine teams in late 2010 following the league's rebrand to the ASB Premiership, still following the two-group format.[12][13]

The 2013 season introduced two more teams to make a twelve-team, two-group league, but in 2014 the format was amended to mirror the New Zealand Football Championship; each league team fielded a youth team in the National Youth league, with the competitions returning to its one-group format.[14]

In the 2016 season, mirroring the club movements of the New Zealand Football Championship, Hamilton Wanderers replaced the outgoing WaiBOP United and both newly founded teams Tasman United and Eastern Suburbs fielded sides in the competition.[15] Surprisingly, Hamilton Wanderers won the title at their first attempt under the leadership of first-team players Michael Built and Adam Luque.[16][17]

After a review by New Zealand Football of all their national competitions,[18] it was decided to end the national youth competition.[18][19] Instead each club from the New Zealand Football Championship will have to register 40 players, of which 17 of them have to be aged 21 or under. They will also work with the local federations the clubs are assigned with, to run a development team in the regional leagues.[18][19]

In the last season of the old competition, Auckland City won its seventh title as well as winning three in a row from 2017 to 2019 to finish as Champions of the competition.[3]

In 2021, New Zealand Football announced the reintroduction of the National Youth League as an U-17 competition that will run alongside the National League.[4][5]

Current teams

Team Location First season Head Coach
Auckland City Sandringham, Auckland 2007 England Jay Blake
Auckland United Mount Roskill, Auckland 2022 New Zealand Mark Atkinson
Christchurch United Yaldhurst, Christchurch 2024 New Zealand Jude Fitzpatrick
Fencibles United Pakuranga, Auckland 2023 India Royston Dsouza
Miramar Rangers Miramar, Wellington 2024 Germany Kelvin Rima-Samuels
Onslow/North Wellington Johnsonville, Wellington 2022 New Zealand Andrew Vines
Nelson-Marlborough Nelson/Marlborough 2024 England Neil Harding
Wellington Phoenix Academy Taitā, Lower Hutt 2014 United States Joshua Neff

Former teams

National Youth League

New Zealand Youth National League is located in New Zealand
Auckland teams: Auckland City Auckland United Eastern Suburbs Waitakere United Wanderers SC Hamilton teams: Hamilton Wanderers WaiBOP United Palmerston North teams: Heartland Wairarapa YoungHeart Manawatu Wellington teams: Team Wellington Wellington Phoenix Reserves
Auckland teams:
Auckland City
Auckland United
Eastern Suburbs
Waitakere United
Wanderers SC

Hamilton teams:
Hamilton Wanderers
WaiBOP United

Palmerston North teams:
Border Heartland Wairarapa
Border YoungHeart Manawatu

Wellington teams:
Team Wellington
Wellington Phoenix Reserves
Auckland
Auckland
Hamilton
Hamilton
Palmerston North
Palmerston North
Wellington
Wellington
Hawke's Bay United
Tasman United
Canterbury United
Southern United
class=notpageimage|
Location of all clubs in New Zealand for all seasons of the league
Team City, Region Stadium Joined Left
Auckland City Auckland, Auckland Kiwitea Street 2007 2019[a][b]
Auckland United Auckland, Auckland Mangere Centre Park 2014 2015
Canterbury United Christchurch, Canterbury English Park 2007 2019
Eastern Suburbs Auckland, Auckland Ngahue Reserve 2016 2019[b]
Hamilton Wanderers Hamilton, Waikato John Kerkhof Park 2016 2019[b]
Heartland Wairarapa Palmerston North Memorial Park 2014 2015
Hawke's Bay United Napier, Hawke's Bay Bluewater Stadium 2007 2019
Nelson-Marlborough The Wood, Nelson Trafalgar Park 2013 2015[a][c]
Southern United Dunedin, Otago Tahuna Park 2007 2019[c]
Tasman United Stoke, Nelson Saxton Field 2016 2019
Team Wellington Wellington, Wellington Memorial Park 2007 2019
Waikato FC Cambridge, Waikato John Kerkhof Park 2007 2016
Waitakere United Whenuapai, Auckland Seddon Fields 2007 2019
Wanderers SC North Shore, Auckland North Harbour Stadium 2014 2015
Wellington Phoenix Acadmey Wellington, Wellington Fraser Park 2014 2019[a][d]
YoungHeart Manawatu Palmerston North, Manawatū-Whanganui Memorial Park 2007 2015
  1. ^ a b c Participating in the Youth National League
  2. ^ a b c Participating in the Youth Northern League
  3. ^ a b Participating in the Youth Southern League
  4. ^ Participating in the Youth Central League
Name Changes

Youth National League

Team Location Last Participated Head Coach
Birkenhead United Beach Haven, Auckland 2023
Cashmere Technical Woolston, Christchurch 2022 Republic of Ireland Garbhan Coughlan
Nomads United Casebrook, Christchurch 2023 New Zealand Matthew Jansen
Selwyn United Rolleston 2023
Tauranga City Mount Maunganui, Tauranga 2022 New Zealand Maia Ririnui
Western Suburbs Wellington, Wellington 2023 New Zealand Tyler Logan

Champions

National Youth League
Season Champion[20]
2003 Capital Soccer
2004 United Soccer 1
2005 Capital Soccer
2006 Capital Soccer
2007 Auckland City
2008 Waitakere United
2009 Auckland City
2010 Waitakere United
2011 Canterbury United
2012 Auckland City
2013 Auckland City
2014 Nelson Falcons
2015 Team Wellington
2016 Hamilton Wanderers
2017 Auckland City
2018 Auckland City
2019 Auckland City
Youth National League
Season Champions
2022 Auckland United
2023 Wellington Phoenix Academy
2024 Wellington Phoenix Academy

References

  1. ^ "National Youth League Draw confirmed for 2018". New Zealand Football. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Junior Navy Blues nab sixth title". Auckland City FC.
  3. ^ a b "Vollenhoven seals three-in-a-row". Auckland City FC. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  4. ^ a b "New National Youth Development League format announced". New Zealand Football. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  5. ^ a b c "Youth National League launched, formats confirmed". New Zealand Football. Retrieved 10 July 2022.
  6. ^ "Phoenix Academy cap great weekend for club with national U-17 boys' title". friendsoffootballnz.com. 5 November 2023. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  7. ^ "New Zealand National Youth League 2003 (Soccerbot)". www.soccerbot.com.
  8. ^ "NZ National Youth League - 2007 (Soccerbot)". www.soccerbot.com.
  9. ^ "NZ National Youth League - 2008 (Soccerbot)". www.soccerbot.com.
  10. ^ "Youth football money, grounds in short supply". Stuff.
  11. ^ Maddaford, Terry (13 February 2009). "Soccer: Waitakere United win will open questions" – via www.nzherald.co.nz.
  12. ^ "Lion Foundation National Men's Youth League Poised For Kick-Off". Auckland City FC. Retrieved 4 January 2010.
  13. ^ "NZF signs its biggest sponsorship deal". Stuff.
  14. ^ "Football: Expanded ASB Premiership confirmed". 22 August 2014 – via www.nzherald.co.nz.
  15. ^ "Young talent set for centre stage". Team Wellington FC.
  16. ^ "Battle for youth supremacy begins". New Zealand Football. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  17. ^ "Stalwart rookie Michael Built buzzing ahead of national league football debut". Stuff.co.nz. 6 October 2017. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  18. ^ a b c "National competitions review - The way forward". New Zealand Football. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
  19. ^ a b Hepburn, Steve (2 November 2019). "Southern Utd's future looks assured under new league setup". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
  20. ^ "NYL – Auckland City favourites for title". www.nzfootball.co.nz.