The 2021 New Zealand National League was the first scheduled season of the National League since its restructuring in 2021. 30 clubs competed in the competition, with four having been planned to qualify from the Northern League, three qualifying from the Central League and two qualifying from the Southern League for the National Championship phase along with the automatically qualified Wellington Phoenix Reserves. Each team was allowed to field a maximum of four foreign players as well as one additional foreign player who has Oceania Football Confederation nationality. Each team had to also have at least two players aged 20 or under in the starting eleven.
Because the Wellington Phoenix Reserves need to hold a partnership with an affiliated club through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to be in the league and have a place in the Championship phase, their current MoU was with Lower Hutt City. This meant Lower Hutt could not qualify for the Championship even if they finish in the top three of the Central League.
New Zealand Football announced on the 14 September that they had decided to terminate the remainder of the Northern League season and cancel any yet to be played fixtures due to COVID-19 and Auckland being in Level 4. The decision was made because they couldn't complete all the games before the Championship phase was due to begin, so places in the next phase where awarded off the standing before Auckland went into lockdown.
On the 8 October, New Zealand Football announced a change in plans to the Championship phase of the 2021 competition due to COVID-19 alert levels. The Championship phase was to be split up into two 'Hubs', the Auckland Hub and the South Hub, where teams play every other team in their hub in a single round robin. The top two clubs from each hub would have then qualified for a finals phase consisting of semis and a Grand Final.
On the 2 November, after confirmation that the alert levels would not change to allow the Auckland and Waikato teams to play any further part in the National Competition, New Zealand Football announced that they were cancelling the remainder of the National League. In its place, they instead decided on a one-off interregional competition, the National League: South Central Series.
Qualifying leagues 2021 Northern League
Northern League teams TeamHome groundLocationNotes Auckland City Kiwitea Street Sandringham, Auckland Replaces sister club Central United F.C. for 2021 season Auckland United Keith Hay Park Mount Roskill, Auckland Bay Olympic Olympic Park New Lynn, Auckland 2nd in 2019 NRFL Division 1; promoted Birkenhead United Shepherds Park Beach Haven, Auckland Eastern Suburbs Madills Farm Kohimarama, Auckland Hamilton Wanderers Porritt Stadium Chartwell, Hamilton Manukau United Centre Park Māngere East, Auckland Melville United Gower Park Melville, Hamilton North Shore United Allen Hill Stadium Devonport, Auckland Northern Rovers McFetridge Park Glenfield, Auckland Merger between Glenfield Rovers AFC and Forrest Hill Milford United AFC West Coast Rangers Fred Taylor Park Whenuapai, Auckland Merger between Waitakere City FC and Norwest United ahead of 2021 season Western Springs Seddon Fields Westmere, Auckland Source:
Northern League table
Melville won 1–0, but West Coast fielded an ineligible player. Result upgraded to a 3–0 win for Melville. North Shore won 2–0, but West Coast fielded an ineligible player. Result upgraded to a 3–0 win for North Shore. League completed early with games still in hand due to COVID-19 and Auckland being in Level 4.
Northern League results table
Northern League scoring
Northern League top scorers Rank Player Club Goals 1 Alex Greive Birkenhead United 19 2 Angus Kilkolly Auckland City 18 3 Monty Patterson Auckland United 15 4 Jake Mechell Eastern Suburbs 12 5 Horace James North Shore United 10 Joseph Lee North Shore United Kayne Vincent Western Springs 8 Sam Margetts Western Springs 9 9 Maro Bonsu-Maro Manukau United 8 Adam Dickinson Northern Rovers Sanni Issa Birkenhead United / Manukau United Emiliano Tade Auckland City
Northern League hat-tricks Round Player For Against Home/Away Result Date 1 Jama Boss Melville United Manukau United Home 5–3 3 Alex Greive Birkenhead United West Coast Rangers Away 4–0 5 Alex Greive Birkenhead United North Shore United Away 3–2 6 Michael Built Eastern Suburbs Birkenhead United Home 4–2 7 Alex Greive Birkenhead United Melville United Home 9–0 Alex Connor-McClean 10 Emiliano Tade Auckland City Eastern Suburbs Away 5–0 15 Jake Mechell Eastern Suburbs North Shore United Away 4-3 16 Monty Patterson Auckland United Hamilton Wanderers Home 7-0
2021 Central League
Central League teams TeamHome groundLocation Lower Hutt City Fraser Park Lower Hutt Miramar Rangers David Farrington Park Miramar, Wellington Napier City Rovers Bluewater Stadium Napier North Wellington Alex Moore Park Johnsonville, Wellington Petone Memorial Park Petone, Lower Hutt Wainuiomata Richard Prouse Park Wainuiomata, Lower Hutt Wairarapa United Memorial Park Turf Masterton Waterside Karori Karori Park Karori, Wellington Wellington Olympic Wakefield Park Wellington Western Suburbs Endeavour Park Porirua
Central League table
Central League results table
Central League scoring
Central League top scorers Rank Player Club Goals 1 George Ott Lower Hutt City 21 2 Riley Bidois Lower Hutt City 16 3 Jared Cunniff Wellington Olympic 15 4 Gianni Bouzoukis Wellington Olympic 14 Sam Mason-Smith Miramar Rangers 6 Kailan Gould Napier City Rovers / Wellington Olympic 11 Jack-Henry Sinclair Wellington Olympic Luis Toomey Lower Hutt City 9 Ihaia Delaney North Wellington / Western Suburbs 10 João Moreira Miramar Rangers
Central League hat-tricks Round Player For Against Home/Away Result Date 2 Riley Bidois Lower Hutt City Petone Away 1–5 2 Kailan Gould Napier City Rovers Petone Home 7–0 6 Sam Mason-Smith Miramar Rangers Wairarapa United Home 8–1 7 Petone Away 0–4 7 Jared Cunniff Wairarapa United Wainuiomata Home 7–0 8 George Ott Lower Hutt City Wairarapa United Away 1–4 8 Max Batchelor North Wellington Petone Away 3–5 8 João Moreira Miramar Rangers Napier City Rovers Away 1–4 9 Jaga Scott-Greenfield Petone Wainuiomata Away 2–4 10 Gianni Bouzoukis Wellington Olympic Wairarapa United Away 1–6 12 Luis Toomey Lower Hutt City Wainuiomata Home 12–1 George Ott 15 Gianni Bouzoukis Wellington Olympic Petone Home 7–1 15 Ihaia Delaney Western Suburbs Wainuiomata Home 7–0 16 Ollie Whyte Miramar Rangers Petone Home 7–1 17 Stefan Cordwell Waterside Karori Lower Hutt City Home 4–4 17 Isaac Snell Petone FC Wainuiomata Home 4–2
2021 Southern League
Southern League teams Unlike the Northern and Central Leagues, the Southern League is the culmination of two regional tournaments, each of which provide teams to the Southern League in much the same way as the Northern, Central, and Southern Leagues provide teams for the National League. The top five teams in the Mainland Premier League and top three teams from the FootballSouth Premier League qualify for entry into the Southern League.
TeamHome groundLocationCompetition Cashmere Technical Garrick Memorial Park Woolston, Christchurch Mainland Premier League champions Christchurch United United Sports Centre Yaldhurst, Christchurch Mainland Premier League, 3rd Coastal Spirit Linfield Park Linwood, Christchurch Mainland Premier League, 2nd Green Island Sunnyvale Park Green Island, Dunedin FootballSouth Premier League, 2nd Nelson Suburbs Saxton Field Nelson Mainland Premier League, 4th Otago University Football Turf Dunedin North FootballSouth Premier League, 3rd Selwyn United Foster Park Rolleston Mainland Premier League, 5th South City Royals Football Turf Dunedin North FootballSouth Premier League champions
Southern League personnel Team Manager Captain Cashmere Technical Dan Schwarz Tom Schwarz Christchurch United Danny Halligan Daniel McCay Coastal Spirit Ekow Quainoo Michael Hogan Green Island Shane Carvell Tom Milton Nelson Suburbs Neil Connell Sam Ayers Otago University Darren Hart Timothy O'Farrell Selwyn United Chris Brown Jayden Booth South City Royals Richard Murray Jared Grove
Southern League table
Southern League results table
Southern League scoring
Southern League top scorers Rank Player Club Goals 1 Garbhan Coughlan Cashmere Technical 7 Edward Wilkinson Christchurch United 3 Ryan Fleming South City Royals 6 4 Kenshin Hayashi Coastal Spirit 5 Daniel McClay Christchurch United 6 Cameron Anderson Green Island 4 Aidan Barbour-Ryan Otago University Oliver Colloty Christchurch United Adam Hewson Green Island Yuya Taguchi Cashmere Technical
Southern League hat-tricks Round Player For Against Home/Away Result Date 3 Garbhan Coughlan Cashmere Technical Otago University Away 0–4 6 Yuya Taguchi Cashmere Technical South City Royals Home 5-0
Own goals RoundPlayerClubAgainst 3 Timothy O'Farrell Otago University Cashmere Technical 7 Cameron Brewitt Green Island Coastal Spirit
Qualified clubs
AssociationTeamPosition in Regional LeagueApp Previous best Northern League Auckland City1st1stDebutAuckland United2nd1stDebutEastern Suburbs3rd1stDebutBirkenhead United4th1stDebutCentral League Wellington Olympic1st1stDebutMiramar Rangers2nd1stDebutWestern Suburbs4th1stDebutSouthern League Cashmere Technical1st1stDebutSelwyn United2nd1stDebutWellington Phoenix Wellington Phoenix ReservesAutomatic qualification1stDebut
Championship phase
South Central Series
With confirmation that the alert levels were not changing to a level that would allow Auckland and Waikato teams to play in the National Competition, New Zealand Football announced that they were cancelling the rest of the National League. In its place, they instead decided on a one-off interregional competition, the National League: South Central Series. New Zealand Football also confirmed that the National League: South Central Series did not have any bearing on OFC Champions League qualification, which is separately being discussed with the OFC.
South Central table
South Central results table
South Central positions by round The table lists the positions of teams after each week of matches. To preserve chronological evolvements, any postponed matches are not included in the round at which they were originally scheduled, but added to the full round they were played immediately afterwards. For example, if a match is scheduled for round 13, but then postponed and played between rounds 16 and 17, it is added to the standings for round 16.
Grand Final
Statistics
Top scorers RankPlayerClubGoals 1 Ollie Whyte Miramar Rangers 7 2 Kailan Gould Wellington Olympic 5 Luis Toomey Wellington Phoenix Reserves 4 Sam Mason-Smith Miramar Rangers 4 Ben Mata Wellington Olympic João Moreira Miramar Rangers Josh Rudland Wellington Phoenix Reserves Oskar van Hattum Wellington Phoenix Reserves9 Garbhan Coughlan Cashmere Technical310 Gianni Bouzoukis Wellington Olympic2 Harry Chote Wellington Olympic Ihaia Delaney Western Suburbs Hugo Delhommelle Miramar Rangers Wan Gatkek Western Suburbs Kaelin Nguyen Wellington Phoenix Reserves Yuya Taguchi Cashmere Technical
Hat-tricks Round Player For Against Home/Away Result Date 2 Kailan Gould Wellington Olympic Selwyn United Home 4–1 3 Ollie Whyte Miramar Rangers Wellington Olympic Home 4–4 4 Josh Rudland Wellington Phoenix Selwyn United Away 0–5 5 Luis Toomey Wellington Phoenix Western Suburbs Home 6–0
Records The records that follow are accurate as of the end of the 2021 South Central Series. Only games played in the South Central Series (including the final) are considered below. As the 2021 National League season was cancelled, this series is not officially part of the National League records. Biggest home win: – Wellington Phoenix Reserves 6–0 Western Suburbs (4 December 2021) Biggest away win: – Selwyn United 0–5 Wellington Phoenix Reserves (27 November 2021)