The 2024 New Zealand Men's National League was the fourth 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.
The qualifying league fixtures were announced on 1 March 2024. The Northern League started on 22 March 2024 with the Central and Southern leagues starting the following weekend on 29 and 28 March respectively. The Northern and Central leagues concluded on 31 August 2024 with the Southern League concluding on 1 September 2024.
The week the Northern League started, NRF announced changes to the competition structure for the 2024 season to accommodate Auckland FC. Auckland FC will have a reserves team playing in the qualifying and championship phases from next season to fulfil their A-League Men requirements. To allow space for Auckland FC, the Northern League will now have a relegation play-off between the 10th place team and the runners up of the 2024 NRFL Championship for this season only.
The championship phase fixtures were announced on 17 September 2024, with the opening games to be played on 28 September 2024.
Qualifying leagues 2024 Northern League
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 NRFL Championship. The promoted teams are Tauranga City and East Coast Bays. It is both Tauranga City's and East Coast Bay's first season in the National League. They replaced Takapuna (relegated after a two-year Northern League spell) and Manukau United (relegated after a three-year Northern League spell).
TeamHome groundLocation2023 season Auckland City Kiwitea Street Sandringham, Auckland 1st Auckland United Keith Hay Park Mount Roskill, Auckland 3rd Bay Olympic Olympic Park New Lynn, Auckland 10th Birkenhead United Shepherds Park Beach Haven, Auckland 8th East Coast Bays Bay City Park Northcross, Auckland 2nd in Championship (promoted) Eastern Suburbs Madills Farm Kohimarama, Auckland 2nd Hamilton Wanderers Porritt Stadium Chartwell, Hamilton 6th Manurewa War Memorial Park Manurewa, Auckland 4th Melville United Gower Park Melville, Hamilton 9th Tauranga City Links Avenue Reserve Mount Maunganui 1st in Championship (promoted) West Coast Rangers Fred Taylor Park Whenuapai, Auckland 7th Western Springs Seddon Fields Westmere, Auckland 5th
Northern League personnel Team Manager Captain Auckland City Albert Riera Mario Ilich Auckland United José Figueira Ross Haviland Bay Olympic Peter Smith Callum McNeill Birkenhead United Paul Hobson Luke Jorgensen East Coast Bays Joe Hall Louie Caunter Eastern Suburbs Kane Wintersgill Adam Thomas Hamilton Wanderers Joseph Hinds Manurewa Dylan Burns Melville United Jarrod Young Erik PanzerTauranga City Barry Gardiner Campbell Higgins West Coast Rangers Chad Coombes Dev Pokhrel Western Springs Scott Hales Oscar Ramsay
Northern League managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in the tableIncoming managerDate of appointmentManurewa Paul MarshallStepped down1 December 2023Pre-season Brett McMurdoch22 December 2023Manurewa Brett McMurdochNo reason given13 May 20247th Dylan Burns13 May 2024Bay Olympic Rudy MozrStepped down25 May 20247th Peter Smith25 May 2024
Northern League table
Northern League results table
Relegation play-offs The relegation play-offs took place on 14 and 21 September 2024.
Overview
Matches
4–4 on aggregate. Manurewa won 4–2 on penalties, and therefore both clubs remained in their respective leagues.
Northern League scoring Northern League top scorers Rank Player Club Goals1 Jacob MechellEastern Suburbs192 Monty PattersonBirkenhead United14 Emiliano TadeWestern Springs4 Eber RamírezManurewa135 Jonty BidoisTauranga City126 Dawson StraffonWest Coast Rangers / Western Springs117 Liam GillionAuckland City10 Ronaldo MunozBay Olympic / Hamilton Wanderers Allan PearceWest Coast Rangers Samuel PhilipBirkenhead United Malcolm YoungEast Coast Bays
Northern League hat-tricks Round Player For Against Home/Away Result Date 1 Jonty Bidois Tauranga City Melville United Home 4–0 3 Jacob Mechell Eastern Suburbs East Coast Bays Away 1–3 4 Eber Ramírez Manurewa Melville United Home 7–1 Jacob Mechell Eastern Suburbs Tauranga City Home 4–3 7 Ibrahim Nadir Bay Olympic Hamilton Wanderers Away 1–5 16 Sam Philip Birkenhead United Manurewa Away 1–4 21 Dawson Straffon Western Springs Tauranga City Away 1–4 19 Sean Leadley Melville United Manurewa Home 4–2 22 Michael Graham Bay Olympic Manurewa Home 7–2
2024 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 Island Bay United. This is their first season in the Central League, since New Zealand football's restructuring in 2021. They replaced Whanganui Athletic (relegated to the Central Federation League after one season in the Central League).
TeamHome groundLocation2023 season Island Bay United Wakefield Park Island Bay, Wellington 1st in Capital Premier (promoted via play-offs) Miramar Rangers David Farrington Park Miramar, Wellington 7th Napier City Rovers Bluewater Stadium Napier 3rd North Wellington Alex Moore Park Johnsonville, Wellington 9th Petone Memorial Park Petone, Lower Hutt 4th Stop Out Hutt Park Moera, Lower Hutt 8th Waterside Karori Karori Park Karori, Wellington 6th Wellington Olympic Wakefield Park Island Bay, Wellington 1st Wellington Phoenix Reserves Fraser Park Taitā, Lower Hutt 2nd Western Suburbs Endeavour Park Porirua 5th
Central League personnel Team Manager Captain Island Bay United Stu Jacobs Miramar Rangers Kale Herbert Sam Mason-Smith Napier City Rovers Bill Robertson Jim Hoyle North Wellington Ryan Faithfull Gavin Hoy Petone Sam Morrissey Hami Paranihi-Nuku Stop Out Aston Hughes Maxim Johnson Waterside Karori Tomás Godoy Fouquet Harry Fautley Wellington Olympic Ekow Quainoo Ben Mata Wellington Phoenix Reserves Chris Greenacre Isaac Hughes Western Suburbs Alan Koch Malik Smith
Central League managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in the tableIncoming managerDate of appointmentNorth Wellington James ProsserEnd of interim spell1 November 2023Pre-season Ryan Faithfull1 November 2023Petone Ryan EdwardsSigned by Christchurch United21 November 2023 Sam Morrissey21 November 2023Waterside Karori Sam MorrisseySigned by Petone21 November 2023 Rory Fallon4 December 2023Wellington Olympic Rupert KemeysMutual consent26 November 2023 Ekow Quainoo13 December 2023Island Bay United Tomás Godoy FouquetStepped down6 December 2023 Stu Jacobs14 January 2024Waterside Karori Rory FallonMutual consent18 January 2024 Tomás Godoy Fouquet18 January 2024
Central League table
Central League results table
Central League scoring Central League top scorers Rank Player Club Goals1 Oscar FauldsNapier City Rovers212 Lucas MeekWestern Suburbs153 Hamish WatsonWellington Olympic144 Sam Mason-SmithMiramar Rangers135 Martín BuenoMiramar Rangers11 Jack O'ConnorPetone7 Tomas AlvaradoWaterside Karori108 Nicolas BobadillaMiramar Rangers8 Connor GaulStop Out Ben MataWellington Olympic Connor WilsonWestern Suburbs
Central League hat-tricks Round Player For Against Home/Away Result Date 1 Lucas Meek Western Suburbs Island Bay United Away 1–7 Martín Bueno Miramar Rangers Wellington Phoenix Reserves Home 4–02 Oscar Faulds Napier City Rovers Waterside Karori Away 1–5 Lucas Meek Western Suburbs Wellington Olympic Away 3–5 3 Oscar Faulds Napier City Rovers Wellington Phoenix Reserves Away 1–6 5 Sam Mason-Smith Miramar Rangers North Wellington Away 0–6 Tomas Alvarado Waterside Karori Stop Out Home 4–1 7 Miles Green Western Suburbs North Wellington Away 1–5 8 Agustín Contratti Miramar Rangers Waterside Karori Home 4–3 10 Lucas Meek Western Suburbs Island Bay United Home 5–1 11 Oscar Faulds Napier City Rovers Waterside Karori Home 7–1 13 Joshua Tollervey Miramar Rangers Petone Away 0–9 14 Oscar Faulds Napier City Rovers Island Bay United Away 1–5 Sam Mason-Smith Miramar Rangers North Wellington Home 8–1 15 Isa Prins Wellington Olympic Island Bay United Home 8–0 17 Ben Mata Wellington Olympic Petone Home 6–0
2024 Southern League
Southern League teams Ten teams are competing in the league – nine teams from the previous season and the winner of the Southern League play-offs. The promoted team is the University of Canterbury. This is their first season in the Southern League. They replaced Green Island (relegated after three seasons in the Southern League). TeamHome groundLocation2023 season Cashmere Technical Garrick Memorial Park Woolston, Christchurch 2nd Christchurch United United Sports Centre Yaldhurst, Christchurch 1st Coastal Spirit Linfield Park Linwood, Christchurch 3rd Dunedin City Royals Football Turf Dunedin North, Dunedin 4th FC Twenty 11 Avonhead Park Avonhead, Christchurch 10th Ferrymead Bays Ferrymead Park Ferrymead, Christchurch 5th Nelson Suburbs Saxton Field Stoke, Nelson 6th Nomads United Tulett Park Casebrook, Christchurch 7th Selwyn United Foster Park Rolleston 9th University of Canterbury English Park St Albans, Christchurch 1st in Canterbury Premiership(promoted via play-offs)
Southern League personnel Team Manager Captain Cashmere Technical Dan Schwarz Tom Schwarz Christchurch United Ryan Edwards Joel Stevens Coastal Spirit Robbie Stanton Dominic McGarr Dunedin City Royals Richard Murray Jared Grove FC Twenty 11 Ricardo Felitti Harrison Rowe Ferrymead Bays Alan Walker James Deehan Nelson Suburbs Ryan Stewart Sam Ayers Nomads United Matthew Jansen Caleb Cottom Selwyn United Chris Brown Jayden Booth University of Canterbury Ben Ellis Liam Pledger
Southern League managerial changes Note: Some cases use first/last match coached TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in the tableIncoming managerDate of appointmentUniversity of Canterbury Anthony O'ConnorStepped down11 October 2023Pre-season Aldo Miramontes11 October 2023FC Twenty 11 Cvetan IvanovStepped down to TDP16 October 2023 Graham McMann16 October 2023Christchurch United Paul IfillSigned by Wellington Olympic to be Director of Football21 November 2023 Ryan Edwards21 November 2023Selwyn United Lee Padmore Signed by Wellington Phoenix Academy17 January 2024 Chris Brown 11 February 2024FC Twenty 11 Graham McMannResigned8 June 202410th Kevin Peters (Caretaker)23 June 2024 Kevin PetersEnd of Caretaker13 July 2024 Ricardo Felitti14 July 2024University of Canterbury Aldo MiramontesMutual consent17 July 20248th Ben Ellis21 July 2024
Southern League table
The final game between Dunedin City Royals and Nelson Suburbs was cancelled, with neither team being able to change league positions regardless of result. The game was originally postponed after Nelson's flight was unable to land in Dunedin due to strong winds.
Southern League results table
Southern League scoring Southern League top scorers RankPlayerClubGoals1 Garbhan CoughlanCashmere Technical 262 Alex SteinwascherCoastal Spirit19 Joel StevensChristchurch United4 Trevin MyersNelson Suburbs135 Lennon WhewellNelson Suburbs126 Gabriel GallawayCashmere Technical10 Jack Hallahan David YooChristchurch United9 Lyle MatthysenCashmere Technical9 Cameron ReanFerrymead Bays Yuya TaguchiCashmere Technical
Southern League hat-tricks