The National Premier Leagues Capital Football (also known as NPL ACT 1 or simply NPL1) is a soccer competition contested by clubs affiliated to Capital Football. The league is the highest level competition in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) region. It is a subdivision of the National Premier Leagues and sits in Level 2 in the overall Australian league system.
History
After the 2006 season, the tournament was reorganised based on criteria mandating a development pathway within clubs, where each club is required to field a squad in the reserves and Under-18 divisions. Nine teams contested in the Premier League in 2007, cutting Gungahlin Juventus, White Eagles and reigning premier Cooma Tigers from the top tier.
The same nine teams remained in the Premier League for 2008 and 2009. The pathway system was expanded to include a Premier U16 competition, with all nine clubs required to field a team from their club or an affiliated club. Capital Football initially revoked the licence of Queanbeyan City for the 2009 season, citing a non-compliance with the developmental and administrative standards expected for the league. However, Queanbeyan were reinstated on appeal and following the presentation of further evidence demonstrating these standards could be met.
At the close of the 2009 season, the licences of all participating clubs were reviewed and expressions of interest sought for new additional entrants to the competition for 2010–2012.
In November 2014 Woden Weston FC was incorporated with the intention to merge the elite levels of Woden Valley FC and Weston Molonglo FC into one club, to compete in the National Premier Leagues in 2015 and beyond. The new merged club was officially launched on 20 February 2015, with colours for their new strip sourced from both clubs (black from Weston Creek and red from Woden Valley).Gaskin, Lee (08 March 2015)
In 2016 the league was expanded to 10 teams with the addition of the Canberra United Academy (CUA) team. The decision by Capital Football to include the CUA in the top division of ACT soccer was met with opposition by other clubs in the league, citing concern with the prospect of losing their best young players to the Academy. Along with the addition of the CUA, other clubs were concerned with lack of action taken on making the Presidents of the NPL clubs voting members of the Capital Football board. A possible rebel league was mooted, and it was believed there had already been contact made with the Referees' Association and potential sponsorship lined up by the NPL clubs.
2016 also saw the establishment of the Capital Football Charity Shield to be played between the Federation Cup winners and NPL league champions before the start of the regular NPL season, as a charity fund-raiser. The inaugural Capital Football Charity Shield match was contested on 18 March 2016 between Canberra FC (2015 League premiers) and Gungahlin United (2015 Federation Cup winners) at Gungahlin Enclosed Oval.
7 November 2016, Capital Football announced the introduction of Riverina Rhinos for the men's and boy's National Premier Leagues Capital Football for 2017. Riverina has replaced the controversial Canberra United Academy, who have been amalgamated with the FFA Centre of Excellence, maintaining a ten team league.
18 March 2017, Canberra Olympic won the first piece of ACT soccer silverware for the 2017 season with an emphatic 5–2 victory over Tigers FC at Gungahlin Enclosed oval to claim the second edition of the ACT Charity Shield. The match raised $1500 for charity CanTeen Australia with both clubs and Capital Football each contributing $500. Joshua Gulevski and Stephen Domenici both scored braces for Olympic while a long range goal from Robbie Cattanach clinched the high scoring victory for last season's league and final double winners.
Competition format
NPL1 Teams play a league season, followed by a finals series for the top 4 clubs. Clubs are required to field teams in all age groups (1st Grade and Under-20s).
A cup competition is contested by Premier League teams and other teams from the region, known as the Westfield FFA Cup Qualifiers, for which the winner is awarded the Federation Cup. The winners of the Federation Cup gain entry into the national FFA Cup competition.
Promotion and relegation
In 2019, the NPL ACT 2 competition was formed. The bottom team from NPL 1 competition was relegated for the 2020 season.
Clubs Current season The following clubs competed in the 2026 season.
2026 NPL 1 Club Location State Home grounds Founded Joined league 2025 Position Belconnen United FC McKellarACT McKellar Park197020261st *Promoted from CPL 2025 Brindabella Blues FC CalwellACT Everlast Enclosed19902026 5th *Promoted from CPL 2025 Canberra Croatia FC DeakinACT Deakin Stadium195820131st *Premiers Canberra Juventus FC GungahlinACT Gungahlin Enclosed195320264th *Promoted from CPL 2025 Canberra Olympic FC O'ConnorACT O'Connor Enclosed195520262nd *Promoted from CPL 2025 Canberra White Eagles FC PhillipACT Woden Park19922026 6th *Promoted from CPL 2025 Tigers FC BruceACT AIS Field195220132nd *Champions HNK O'Connor Knights FC O'ConnorACT O'Connor Enclosed199720228th Monaro Panthers FC QueanbeyanNSW Riverside Stadium196720133rd Queanbeyan City FC QueanbeyanNSW High Street196620256th Tuggeranong United FC GreenwayACT Greenway Enclosed197620134th
Former Premier League or NPL clubs
Club Location State Home ground Founded ANU FC ActonACT ANU Willows Oval19622010 Burns FC KambahACT Kambah19251967 Canberra City FC HackettACT Hackett 219772014 Canberra United Academy FC McKellarACT McKellar Park20152016 BruceACT Australian Institute of Sport19812017 Goulburn Strikers FC GoulburnNSW Strikers Park20012011 Gungahlin United FC GungahlinACT Gungahlin Enclosed Oval19972025 Narrabundah FC NarrabundahACT Narrabundah 219761987 Riverina Rhinos FC GriffithNSW SolarMad Stadium20142019 West Canberra Wanderers FC PearceACT Melrose High School (Canberra)20142023 Weston Creek FC WaramangaACT Waramanga Playing Fields19712002 Yoogali FC GriffithNSW SolarMad Stadium20142025
Honours NPL seasons (2013–present)
A snapshot of each NPL Capital Football 1 season since the formation of the NPL in 2013.
Season CompetitionRegular seasonACT FinalsNPL finals series representation League Premiers League Runners-Up Champions Score Finalists 2013 NPL CF Canberra FC Belconnen United Canberra Olympic 2–0 Canberra FC Canberra FC – Quarter-finals 2014 NPL CF Cooma Tigers Belconnen United Belconnen United 3–3 (3–2 ) Canberra FC Cooma Tigers – Quarter-finals 2015 NPL CF Canberra FC Tigers FC Canberra Olympic 3–1 Canberra FC Canberra FC – Quarter-finals 2016 NPL CF Canberra Olympic Tigers FC Canberra Olympic 3–1 Canberra FC Canberra Olympic – Quarter-finals 2017 NPL CF Canberra Olympic FFA COE Belconnen United 2–1 Canberra Olympic Canberra Olympic – Quarter-finals 2018 NPL CF Canberra FC Canberra Olympic Canberra FC 2–1 Canberra Olympic Canberra FC – Quarter-finals 2019 NPL CF 1 Canberra Olympic Tigers FC Gungahlin United 5–0 Tigers FC Canberra Olympic – Quarter-finals 2020 NPL CF 1No Premier declared.1 Canberra Croatia 3–1 Gungahlin United Not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia 2021 NPL CF 1 Tigers FC Canberra CroatiaNot held. 2022 NPL CF 1 Canberra Croatia Gungahlin United Monaro Panthers 2–1 Canberra CroatiaNot held 2023 NPL CF 1 HNK O'Connor Knights Gungahlin United Canberra Croatia 1–1 (6–5 ) HNK O'Connor Knights 2024 NPL CF 1 Gungahlin United Canberra Croatia Canberra Croatia 4–3 Canberra Tigers Season Competition League Premiers League Runners-Up Champions Score Finalists Australian Championship representation 2025 NPL CF 1 Canberra Croatia Tigers FC Tigers FC 3–0 Monaro Panthers Canberra Croatia – Group stage 2026 NPL CF 1 Canberra Croatia Monaro Panthers Canberra Croatia – Group stage
NPL/Pre-NPL (1952–2012) all-time record
National Premier Leagues Capital Football honours since introduction in 2013.
Honours Club Premierships Wins Premiership Years Championships Wins Championship years Shields Wins Shield Years Total Canberra Croatia 2013, 2015, 2018, 2022, 2025, 2026 2018, 2020, 2023 2016, 2019, 2021, 2023 Canberra Olympic 2016, 2017, 2019 2013, 2015, 2016 2017, 2018 Belconnen United 2014, 2017 Tigers FC 2014, 2021 Gungahlin United 2019 Monaro Panthers 2022 2022 HNK O'Connor Knights 2023
A snapshot of each ACT top division season between 1952 and 2012 before the NPL started in 2013.