NRFL Championship

The Northern Regional Football League Championship, currently known as Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Championship for sponsorship reasons, is a semi-professional New Zealand association football league competition. Up until 2022, the competition was known as NRFL Division 1.[1][2][3]

NRFL Championship
Founded1965
CountryNew Zealand New Zealand
ConfederationOFC (Oceania)
Number of teams12
Level on pyramid3
Promotion toNorthern League
Relegation toNRFL Northern Conference
NRFL Southern Conference
Domestic cup(s)Chatham Cup
Current championsTauranga City (2nd title)
(2023)
Most championshipsBirkenhead United
Central United
East Coast Bays
Onehunga Sports
(3 titles each)
WebsiteNorthern Region Football
Current: 2023 NRFL Championship

The league includes football clubs located in the northern part of the North Island, with clubs from the Northland, Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty provinces. The league sits at step 3 of the New Zealand football pyramid.

Current clubs
Location of clubs in New Zealand for the 2023 NRFL Championship season
Location of clubs in Auckland Region for the 2023 NRFL Championship season

Waiheke United and North Shore United joined the league following their relegation the season prior from the Northern League. Hibiscus Coast were promoted as winners of NRFL Division 2, with Ngaruawahia United also promoted.

West Coast Rangers won the 2022 season and were promoted alongside Manurewa to the Northern League, while Albany United and Waitemata were relegated to NRFL Northern Conference.

Team Location Stadium 2022 season
East Coast Bays Northcross, Auckland Bay City Park 4th
Ellerslie Ellerslie, Auckland Michaels Avenue 7th
Fencibles United Pakuranga, Auckland Riverhills Domain 9th
Hibiscus Coast Whangaparaoa, Auckland Stanmore Bay Park 1st in Division 2 (promoted)
Metro Mount Albert, Auckland Phyllis Street 8th
Mount Albert-Ponsonby Mount Albert, Auckland Anderson Park 5th
Ngaruawahia United Ngāruawāhia Centennial Park, Ngāruawāhia 2nd in Division 2 (promoted)
North Shore United Devonport, Auckland Allen Hill Stadium 12th in Northern League (relegated)
Northern Rovers Glenfield, Auckland McFetridge Park 6th
Onehunga-Mangere United Māngere Bridge, Auckland Māngere Domain 10th
Tauranga City Mount Maunganui, Tauranga Links Avenue 3rd
Waiheke United Waiheke Island, Auckland Onetangi Sports Park 11th in Northern League (relegated)

Past winners

Numbers in parentheses indicate wins up to that date.

Season Winner[4] Promoted
1965[5]PonsonbyEden
1966[6]LynndaleHamilton
1967[7]Birkenhead UnitedRotorua City
1968[8]Courier RangersHamilton
1969[9]WhangareiBirkenhead United
1970[10]Takapuna CityPapatoetoe
East Coast Bays
Huntly Thistle
1971[11]Metro CollegeEllerslie
1972[12]Papakura CityLynndale
1973[13]ManurewaPapatoetoe
1974[14]Whangarei City (2)Takapuna City
1975[15]Lynndale (2)Rotorua City
1976[16]Glenfield RoversMetro College
1977[17]EllerslieMt. Roskill
1978East Coast BaysMetro College
1979Waitemata CityPapatoetoe
1980Birkenhead United (2)Rotorua City
1981EdenWhangarei City
1982UniversityLynndale
1983Otara Rangers[lower-alpha 1]
1984HowickPapakura City
1985Mount MaunganuiOtara Rangers
1986WaikatoOratia United
Kelston West
1987Mount Albert-Ponsonby[lower-alpha 2] (2)Manukau City
Blockhouse Bay
1988CentralRotorua City
1989East Coast Bays (2)Massey
1990University (2)
1991Central (2)Rotorua City
Kawerau Town
1992Tauranga CityEden
Pakuranga Town
1993Melville UnitedOnehunga Sports
1994Metro (2)Ngaruawahia United
1995CambridgeNorthland United
Hamilton Wanderers
Takapuna
1996Glenfield Rovers[lower-alpha 3] (2)
1997Hamilton WanderersGlenfield Rovers
1998Three Kings UnitedTauranga City
1999Takapuna (2)Eastern Suburbs
2000Central United (3)Manukau City
2001Onehunga SportsBay Olympic
2002Waitakere CityUniversity-Mount Wellington
2003East Coast Bays (3)Mangere United
2004Papakura City (2)
2005Albany UnitedBirkenhead United
2006Onehunga Sports (2)Hamilton Wanderers
2007Lynn-Avon UnitedMelville United
Metro
Three Kings United
Papatoetoe
Mount Albert-Ponsonby
2008[18]Manurewa (2)
2009Three Kings United (2)
2010[19][lower-alpha 4]Hamilton Wanderers (2)
Onehunga Sports (3)
2011[20]Eastern SuburbsManurewa
2012[21]Birkenhead United (3)Ellerslie
2013[22]Glenfield Rovers (3)Ngaruawahia United
2014[23]Western SpringsEastern Suburbs
Melville United
2015[24]Forrest Hill Milford UnitedTauranga City United
2016[25]Waitakere City (2)Manurewa
2017[26]Western Springs (2)Manukau City
2018[27]Melville United (2)North Shore United
2019[28][29]Forrest Hill Milford United (2)Bay Olympic
2020Abandoned due to COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand
2021[30][31][lower-alpha 5]Waiheke UnitedTakapuna
2022[33]West Coast RangersManurewa
2023[34]Tauranga City (2)East Coast Bays
  1. No promotion to the Northern League due to the resizing of the league in 1984.
  2. First title was won as Ponsonby.
  3. No promotion to the Northern League due to the restructuring of the National league in 1996—97.
  4. Division 1 split into two leagues after a grading round with Hamilton Wanderers winning Division 1A and Onehunga Sports winning Division 1B.
  5. Season cancelled with games in hand due to COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand.[32]

References
  1. "New look for LOTTO NRFL 2023". Northern Region Football. 2 March 2023. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  2. "Promoted sides drawn away in season openers for Lotto NRFL Men's Championship". friendsoffootballnz.com. 2 March 2023. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  3. "Lotto NRFL Review 2021". Northern Region Football. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  4. "Northern League". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  5. "1965 Northern Leagues". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  6. "1966 Northern Leagues". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  7. "1967 Innes-Tartan Northern League". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  8. "1968 Innes-Tartan Northern League". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  9. "1969 Rothmans Northern League". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  10. "1970 Rothmans Northern League". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  11. "1971 Rothmans Northern League". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  12. "1972 Northern League". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  13. "1973 Northern League". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  14. "1974 Broadlands Northern League". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  15. "1975 Broadlands Northern League". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  16. "1976 Broadlands Northern League". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  17. "1976 Broadlands Northern League". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  18. "Lotto NRFL 2008 award winners | Auckland Football Federation". www.aucklandfootball.org.nz. Archived from the original on 28 October 2017. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
  19. "Award winners end NRFL year | Auckland Football Federation". www.aucklandfootball.org.nz. Archived from the original on 28 October 2017. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
  20. "Ladder for NRFL Division 1". SportsTG. Archived from the original on 28 October 2017. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
  21. "Ladder for 2012 NRFL Division 1". SportsTG. Archived from the original on 28 October 2017. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
  22. "Ladder for 2013 Northern Region Football Division 1". SportsTG. Archived from the original on 28 October 2017. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
  23. "Ladder for 2014 Northern Region Football Division 1". SportsTG. Archived from the original on 28 October 2017. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
  24. "Ladder for NRFL 2015 Division 1". SportsTG. Archived from the original on 28 October 2017. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
  25. "Ladder for 2016 NRFL Division 1". SportsTG. Archived from the original on 28 October 2017. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
  26. "Ladder for NRFL Division 1". SportsTG. Archived from the original on 27 October 2017. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  27. NRFL, LOTTO (10 August 2018). "CONGRATULATIONS! @MelvilleUnited have been crowned champions of the 2018 #LottoNRFL Men's Division One!pic.twitter.com/ADeSyMczOY". @LOTTONRFL. Archived from the original on 19 April 2020. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
  28. "Auckland Football Federation - LOTTO NRFL 2019". www.aucklandfootball.org.nz. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
  29. Milford, Forrest Hill (30 August 2019). "pic.twitter.com/vfk2ICm7AJ". @ForrestHillFC. Archived from the original on 19 April 2020. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
  30. "Northern League 2021". The Ultimate New Zealand Soccer Website. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  31. "Northern League and LOTTO NRFL results confirmed". Northern Region Football. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  32. "Remainder of Auckland football season cancelled". Northern Region Football. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  33. "West Coast Rangers survive early scare to secure Lotto NRFL first division title". friendsoffootballnz.com. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  34. "Tauranga City finish season in style to win Lotto NRFL Men's Championship". friendsoffootballnz.com. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
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