National Youth League (New Zealand)

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National Youth League (NYL)
Founded2003; 21 years ago (2003)
Rebranded 2022; 2 years ago (2022)
CountryNew Zealand New Zealand
ConfederationOFC (Oceania)
Number of teams8
Current championsWellington Phoenix Academy (1st title)
(2023)
Most championshipsAuckland City (7 titles)
WebsiteOfficial web page

The 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 edition.[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;

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 City, Region Stadium First season Head Coach
Auckland United Auckland, Auckland Keith Hay Park 2022
Birkenhead United Auckland, Auckland Shepherds Park 2022
Fencibles United Auckland, Auckland William Green Domain 2023 Michael Poulopoulos
Nomads United
Canterbury
 English Park
Tulett Park 		2022
Onslow/North Wellington Wellington, Wellington Alex Moore Park
Massey University 		2022
Selwyn United
Canterbury
 Foster Park 2023
Wellington Phoenix Academy Wellington, Wellington Fraser Park 2014 Luke Tongue
Western Suburbs Wellington, Wellington Olé Academy 2022

Former teams

Southern United
Team City, Region Stadium Joined Head Coach
Auckland City Auckland, Auckland Croatian Cultural Society/
Kiwitea Street 		2007 Uruguay Camilo Speranza[20]
Canterbury United
Canterbury
 English Park 2007 New Zealand Alan Walker[21]
Eastern Suburbs Auckland, Auckland Ngahue Reserve 2016 New Zealand Hoani Edwards[22]
Hamilton Wanderers Hamilton, Waikato John Kerkhof Park 2016 Spain Juan Román
Hawke's Bay United
Hawke's Bay
Bluewater Stadium
 2007 Peru Carlos Paulette[23]
Southern United Dunedin, Otago Tahuna Park 2007 New Zealand Terry Boylan[24]
Tasman United Nelson, Nelson Saxton Field 2016 New Zealand Ben Wright[25]
Team Wellington
 Wellington, Wellington Memorial Park 2007 England Natalie Lawrence[26]
Waitakere United Whenuapai, Auckland Seddon Fields 2007 New Zealand Martin Rodwell
Wellington Phoenix Wellington, Wellington Fraser Park 2014 New Zealand Steve Coleman

Champions

Season Champion[27]
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
2022 Auckland United
2023 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. 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. ^ "ACFC TV - Camilo Speranza". Auckland City FC.
  21. ^ "NYL // Walker reappointed Dragons Youth coach". www.mainlandfootball.co.nz.
  22. ^ "Mixing youth and experience key – NRFL".
  23. ^ "Youth league squads showcase emerging talent". www.nzfootball.co.nz.
  24. ^ Cheshire, Jeff (8 November 2018). "Coach happy as Southern Utd Youth achieves first win". Otago Daily Times Online News.
  25. ^ "2018 - Youth Team". Tasman United Football Club.
  26. ^ "Natalie Lawrence paving a path for female football coaches with NYL appointment". Stuff.
  27. ^ "NYL – Auckland City favourites for title". www.nzfootball.co.nz.
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