The 2023 New Zealand Men's National League was the third season of the National League since its restructuring in 2021. 32 clubs compete in the competition, with four qualifying from the Northern League, three qualifying from the Central League and two qualifying from the Southern League for the National Championship phase. Each team can field a maximum of four foreign players as well as one additional foreign player who has Oceania Football Confederation nationality. Over the course of the season, each team must also ensure players aged 20 or under account for 10% of available playing minutes.
Qualifying leagues 2023 Northern League
Auckland City won the title for the third consecutive season on the final day beating Manukau United 6–1. This was Auckland City's third season in the Northern League, winning the title each of those seasons. Both Auckland City and Eastern Suburbs completed the Northern League season undefeated. This was the first season two clubs had gone undefeated in the Northern League. It was only the second time a team had gone undefeated since Eastern Suburbs did so in 1965, the first season of the NRFL Premier League.
Heading into the final day of the season, no team had been mathematically relegated. The matchday started with Bay Olympic and Manukau United in the relegation zone with Takapuna three points ahead in the last safe spot. Bay Olympic bettered Takapuna's goal difference by three and Manukau's by ten.
Manukau lost 6–1 away to Auckland City and were subsequently relegated. Takapuna, the only side to have their fate completely in their own hands, lost 3–2 at West Coast Rangers. Bay Olympic, hosting Manurewa equalized from the spot in the 84th minute and were looking like going down until, they found a winner in the first minute of stoppage time. This meant they relegated Takapuna on goal difference after finishing level on points.
Northern League teams Twelve teams are competing in the league – the top ten teams from the previous season and the two teams promoted from the 2022 NRFL Division 1. The promoted teams are West Coast Rangers and Manurewa. It is Manurewa's first and West Coast Rangers second season (after relegation in 2021) in the National League. They replaced Waiheke United (relegated after their debut season on the Northern League) and North Shore United (relegated after a two-year Northern League spell).
TeamHome groundLocation2022 season Auckland City Kiwitea Street Sandringham, Auckland 1st Auckland United Keith Hay Park Mount Roskill, Auckland 3rd Bay Olympic Olympic Park New Lynn, Auckland 8th Birkenhead United Shepherds Park Beach Haven, Auckland 2nd Eastern Suburbs Madills Farm Kohimarama, Auckland 10th Hamilton Wanderers Porritt Stadium Chartwell, Hamilton 5th Manukau United Centre Park Māngere East, Auckland 7th Manurewa Jellicoe Park Manurewa, Auckland 2nd in Division 1 (promoted) Melville United Gower Park Melville, Hamilton 4th Takapuna Taharoto Park Takapuna, Auckland 9th West Coast Rangers Fred Taylor Park Whenuapai, Auckland 1st in Division 1 (promoted) Western Springs Seddon Fields Westmere, Auckland 6th
Northern League personnel Team Manager Captain Auckland City Albert Riera Cam Howieson Auckland United José Figueira Ross Haviland Bay Olympic Rudy Mozr Callum McNeill Birkenhead United Paul Hobson Luke Jorgensen Eastern Suburbs Kane Wintersgill Adam Thomas Hamilton Wanderers Joseph Hinds Derek Tieku Manukau United Tashreeq Davids Hayden Johns Manurewa Paul Marshall Melville United Jarrod Young Aaron Scott Takapuna Chris Milicich Connor Cahil-Fahey West Coast Rangers Chad Coombes Dev Pokhrel Western Springs Scott Hales Oscar Ramsay
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in the tableIncoming managerDate of appointmentEastern Suburbs Hoani EdwardsEnd of contractPre-season Kane WintersgillWestern Springs Chris ZoricichMutual consent1 October 2022 Scott Hales5 January 2023Bay Olympic Liam MulrooneyStepped down26 October 2022 Rudy Mozr10 November 2022Manukau United Rudy MozrSigned by Bay Olympic10 November 2022 Juan Roman14 December 2022Manurewa Rhys RukaResigned19 March 2023 Paul Marshall20 March 2023Manukau United Juan RomanNo reason givenMay 202311th Thabiso TleaneMay 2023Manukau United Thabiso TleaneNo reason given26 June 202312th Tashreeq Davids26 June 2023
Northern League table
Northern League results table
Northern League scoring Northern League top scorers Rank Player Club Goals 1 Derek Tieku Hamilton Wanderers 19 Ryan de Vries Auckland City 3 Monty Patterson Manurewa 13 4 Joshua Redfearn Auckland United 12 5 Allan Pearce West Coast Rangers 11 6 Nicolas Bobadilla Manurewa 10 Martín Bueno Eastern Suburbs Ibrahim Nadir Bay Olympic 9 Luke Jorgensen Birkenhead United 9 10 Reid Drake Western Springs 8 Liam Gillion Auckland City Jacob Mechell Eastern Suburbs
Northern League hat-tricks Round Player For Against Home/Away Result Date 7 Nicolas Bobadilla Manurewa Hamilton Wanderers Away 3–3 7 Derek Tieku Hamilton Wanderers Manurewa Home 3–3 12 Joshua Redfearn Auckland United Takapuna Away 3–4 13 Monty Patterson Manurewa West Coast Rangers Away 0–4 11 Ryan de Vries Auckland City Manukau United Away 0–5 14 Allan Pearce West Coast Rangers Manukau United Away 3–4 10 Ryan de Vries Auckland City Manurewa Home 7–0 15 Martín Bueno Eastern Suburbs Hamilton Wanderers Home 6–1 22 Ryan de Vries Auckland City Manukau United Home 6–1
2023 Central League
Central League teams Ten teams are competing in the league – the top nine teams from the previous season and the one team promoted from the 2022 play-off between the winners of the Central Federation League and the Capital Premier. The winner of the play-off was Stop Out. This is their first season in the Central League, since New Zealand football’s restructuring in 2021. They replaced Havelock North Wanderers (relegated to the Capital Premier League after one season in the Central League). Wellington United was entered as one of the originally 10 teams to play the 2023 season but withdrew in 2022. They were replaced by Whanganui Athletic who had originally missed out on promotion to Stop Out.
TeamHome groundLocation2022 season Miramar Rangers David Farrington Park Miramar, Wellington 2nd Napier City Rovers Bluewater Stadium Napier 4th North Wellington Alex Moore Park Johnsonville, Wellington 7th Petone Memorial Park Petone, Lower Hutt 6th Stop Out Hutt Park Lower Hutt 1st in Capital Premier (promoted via play-offs) Waterside Karori Karori Park Karori, Wellington 5th Wellington Olympic Wakefield Park Wellington 1st Wellington Phoenix Reserves Fraser Park Lower Hutt 3rd Western Suburbs Endeavour Park Porirua 9th Whanganui Athletic Wembley Park Whanganui East, Whanganui Replaced Wellington United after they withdrew
Central League personnel Team Manager Captain Miramar Rangers Kale Herbert Sam Mason-Smith Napier City Rovers Bill Robertson Jim Hoyle North Wellington Davor Tavich Gavin Hoy Petone Ryan Edwards Hami Paranihi-Nuku Stop Out Aston Hughes Maxim Johnson Waterside Karori Sam Morrissey Harry Fautley Wellington Olympic Rupert Kemeys Ben Mata Wellington Phoenix Reserves Chris Greenacre Isaac Hughes Western Suburbs Alan Koch Malik Smith Whanganui Athletic Matty Calvert Ryan Holden
Central League table
Central League results table
Central League scoring Central League top scorers Rank Player Club Goals 1 Matthew Brazier Petone 18 2 Deri Corfe Napier City Rovers 15 3 Jack-Henry Sinclair Wellington Olympic 14 4 Joshua Tollervey Wellington Phoenix Reserves 13 Hamish Watson Wellington Olympic 6 Tomas Alvarado Waterside Karori 11 Kailan Gould Wellington Olympic Benjamin Mata Wellington Olympic 9 Kairo Coore Western Suburbs 10 Ryan Feutz Western Suburbs Jonathan McNamara Napier City Rovers
Central League hat-tricks Round Player For Against Home/Away Result Date 2 Joshua Tollervey Wellington Phoenix Reserves Whanganui Athletic Away 3–4 4 Merlin Luke-Miny Wellington Olympic Whanganui Athletic Home 6–1 5 Josh Rudland Wellington Phoenix Reserves North Wellington Away 0–4 5 Jack-Henry Sinclair Wellington Olympic Petone Home 4–2 6 Hamish Watson Wellington Olympic North Wellington Home 7–0 7 Matthew Brazier Petone North Wellington Away 0–5 8 Hamish Watson Wellington Olympic Napier City Rovers Home 6–3 10 Gianni Bouzoukis Wellington Olympic Miramar Rangers Away 0–7 Hamish Watson 11 Nathan Simes Miramar Rangers North Wellington Away 2–5 12 Jared Cunniff Stop Out Miramar Rangers Home 4–2 14 Jack O'Connor Petone Wellington Olympic Home 4–0 18 Joshua Tollervey Wellington Phoenix Reserves Miramar Rangers Away 0–4 18 Gavin Hoy Wellington Olympic Western Suburbs Home 8–3 18 Muse Abrahaberhe Western Suburbs Wellington Olympic Away 8–3
2023 Southern League
Southern League teams Ten teams are competing in the league – the top nine teams from the previous season and the winner of the Southern League play-offs. The promoted team is FC Twenty 11. This is their first season in the Southern League. They replaced Mosgiel (relegated after their debut season in the Southern League).
TeamHome groundLocation2022 season Cashmere Technical Garrick Memorial Park Woolston, Christchurch 2nd Christchurch United United Sports Centre Yaldhurst, Christchurch 1st Coastal Spirit Linfield Park Linwood, Christchurch 6th Dunedin City Royals Football Turf Dunedin North 4th FC Twenty 11 Avonhead Park Avonhead, Christchurch 1st in Mainland Premier League (promoted via play-offs) Ferrymead Bays Ferrymead Park Ferrymead, Christchurch 5th Green Island Sunnyvale Park Green Island, Dunedin 8th Nelson Suburbs Saxton Field Nelson 3rd Nomads United Tulett Park Casebrook, Christchurch 7th Selwyn United Foster Park Rolleston 9th
Southern League personnel Team Manager Captain Cashmere Technical Dan Schwarz Andrew Storer Christchurch United Paul Ifill Matt Tod-Smith Coastal Spirit Robbie Stanton Dominic McGarr Dunedin City Royals Richard Murray Jared Grove FC Twenty 11 Cvetan Ivanov Harrison Rowe Ferrymead Bays Alan Walker James Deehan Green Island Jamie Whitmarsh Thomas Milton Nelson Suburbs Ryan Stewart Alex Ridsdale Nomads United Matthew Jansen Jacob Anderson Selwyn United Lee Padmore Jack Allatt
Southern League table
Southern League results table
Southern League scoring
Southern League top scorers Rank Player Club Goals 1 Sam Philip Christchurch United 29 2 Garbhan Coughlan Cashmere Technical 28 3 Eoghan Stokes Christchurch United 15 4 Connor Neil Dunedin City Royals 12 5 Benjamin Stanley Dunedin City Royals 11 6 Stefan Milidrag Green Island 9 7 Aidan Barbour-Ryan Cashmere Technical 8 Omar Cameron Coastal Spirit Liam Cotter Daniel MacLennan Christchurch United Ben Polak Nelson Suburbs Alex Ridsdale
Southern League hat-tricks Round Player For Against Home/Away Result Date 1 Garbhan Coughlan Cashmere Technical FC Twenty 11 Away 0–6 2 Sam Philip Christchurch United Coastal Spirit Away 0–4 3 Garbhan Coughlan Cashmere Technical Nomads United Home 7–3 6 Sam Philip Christchurch United Ferrymead Bays Away 0–6 Eoghan Stokes 9 Connor Gillespie Nelson Suburbs FC Twenty 11 Away 0-6 10 Aidan Barbour-Ryan Cashmere Technical FC Twenty 11 Home 6-1 Connor Gillespie Nelson Suburbs Selwyn United Home 7-1 11 Garbhan Coughlan Cashmere Technical Nelson Suburbs Home 5–4 12 Green Island Away 0–7 13 Stefan Milidrag Green Island Nelson Suburbs Away 4–5 15 Daniel MacLennan Christchurch United Ferrymead Bays Home 3–0 16 Sam Philip Nelson Suburbs Away 1–6 Eoghan Stokes 17 Sam Philip Green Island 3–15 Eoghan Stokes
Own goals RoundPlayerClubAgainst 2 Jacob Anderson Nomads United Ferrymead Bays 15 Green Island 16 Cameron Brewitt Green Island Selwyn United 17 Alex Ridsdale Nelson Suburbs Nomads United 18 Jack Allatt Selwyn United Nomads United
Qualified clubs There are 10 men’s National League Championship qualifying spots (4 for the Northern League, 3 plus Wellington Phoenix Reserves for the Central League and 2 for the Southern League).