NRFL Conference

The Northern Regional Football League Conference, currently known as Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Conference for sponsorship reasons, is a New Zealand Semi-Professional football league. The league is run by the Auckland Football Federation and includes football clubs located in the northern part of the North Island, New Zealand. It is open to clubs from the Northland, Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty provinces. Up until 2022, the competition was known as NRFL Division 2, and was not split into Northern and Southern competitions.[1][2][3]

NRFL Conference
Founded1965
CountryNew Zealand New Zealand
ConfederationOFC (Oceania)
Number of teams17
Level on pyramid4
Promotion toNRFL Championship
Relegation toNRF League One
WaiBOP League One
Current championsNorthern: Franklin United (1st title)
Southern: Waikato Unicol (1st title)
(2023)
Most championshipsTauranga City[lower-alpha 1], Western Springs (3 titles)
WebsiteNorthern Region Football
Current: 2023 NRFL Conference

The fixtures are played generally from April to September. Clubs are able to win promotion to NRFL Championship.

The current champions as of the 2022 season are Hibiscus Coast. They were promoted alongside Ngaruawahia United for the 2023 NRFL Championship season.[4]

Current Northern League structure

Current clubs

Northern Conference
NRFL Conference is located in New Zealand
Auckland
Auckland
CAM
CLR
NGO
Northland
OTU
OTU
PAP
PAP
TPO
TEW
TEW
WKU
Location of clubs in New Zealand for the 2023 NRFL Conference season
NRFL Northern Conference
NRFL Southern Conference
Location of clubs in Auckland Region for the 2023 NRFL Northern Conference season

As of the 2023 season.

Team Location Stadium 2022 season
Albany United Albany, Auckland Rosedale Park 11th in Division 1 (relegated)
Beachlands Maraetai Beachlands, Auckland Te Puru Park 7th
Bucklands Beach Bucklands Beach Lloyd Elsmore Park 4th
Central United Sandringham Kiwitea Street 1st in NRF Championship (promoted)[lower-alpha 2]
Franklin United Drury Drury Sports Grounds 5th
Northland Morningside, Whangarei Morningside Park 6th
Oratia United Oratia, Auckland Parrs Park 10th[lower-alpha 2]
Waitemata Te Atatū South, Auckland McLeod Park 12th in Division 1 (relegated)
West Auckland Kelston, Auckland Brains Park 3rd
  1. Second and third titles under the name Tauranga City United.
  2. Oratia United were reprieved from relegation as Central United were originally unable to gain promotion due to their MoU with Auckland City.[5][6] After appeal to the Sports Tribunal of New Zealand, Central United were re-entered into the competition.[7]

Southern Conference

As of the 2023 season.

Team Location Stadium 2022 season
Cambridge Cambridge John Kerkhof Park 8th
Claudelands Rovers Claudelands, Hamilton Galloway Park 9th
Ngongotahā Lakes Ngongotahā, Rotorua Tamarahi Reserve 6th in WaiBOP Premiership (promoted)[upper-alpha 1]
Otumoetai Matua, Tauranga Fergusson Park 2nd in WaiBOP Premiership (promoted)
Papamoa Papamoa Beach, Papamoa Gordon Spratt Reserve 4th in WaiBOP Premiership (promoted)
Taupo Tauhara, Taupō Crown Park 3rd in WaiBOP Premiership (promoted)
Te Awamutu Te Awamutu The Stadium 5th in WaiBOP Premiership (promoted)
Waikato Unicol Silverdale, Hamilton Jansen Park 1st in WaiBOP Premiership (promoted)
  1. Ngongotaha AFC finished 6th last season. They signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Lakes FC at the end of the 2022 season to have a combined team for the 2023 season onwards.[8]

Past champions

Source:[9]

Northern Conference
Southern Conference

Notes

    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. "Day of drama as late goals earn promotion for Coast and Ngaruawahia". friendsoffootballnz.com. 3 September 2022. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
    5. "Update - LOTTO NRFL Championship and NRF League One draws released". Northern Region Football. 16 March 2023.
    6. "Relegated Oratia United get reprieve as Central United miss Conference spot". friendsoffootballnz.com. 16 March 2023.
    7. "Tribunal rules Central United can take its place in Lotto NRFL Northern Conference". friendsoffootballnz.com. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
    8. "Clubs form partnership to compete in new Lotto NRFL Southern Conference". friendsoffootballnz.com. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
    9. "Honours Board". ultimatenzsoccer.com. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
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