The 2025 New Zealand Men's National League (known as the Dettol Men's National League for sponsorship reasons) was the fifth scheduled season of the National League since its restructuring in 2021; the 2021 National League was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in northern regions. 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. Auckland FC Reserves and Wellington Phoenix Reserves qualify automatically for the 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 28 February 2025. The Northern League started on 15 March 2025 with the Central and Southern leagues starting on the 29 March. The Northern and Central leagues concluded on 30 August 2025 with the Southern League concluding on 31 August 2025.
Qualifying leagues 2025 Northern League
The 2025 Northern League is the 60th season, 5th season since the restructure of the leagues, of premiership football in the Upper North Island. The League started on 15 March and finishes on 30 August, with the top four side qualifying for the National League Championship along with the already qualified Auckland FC Reserves. Northern League teams Twelve teams are competing in the league – the top ten teams from the previous season, one team promoted from the NRFL Championship and Auckland FC Reserves. The promoted team is Fencibles United. It is both Auckland FC Reserves's and Fencibles United's first season in the National League. They replaced Melville United and Hamilton Wanderers (both relegated after a four-year Northern League spell).
TeamHome groundLocation2024 season Auckland City Kiwitea Street Sandringham, Auckland 1st Auckland FC Reserves Fred Taylor Park Whenuapai, Auckland New entry Auckland United Keith Hay Park Mount Roskill, Auckland 5th Bay Olympic Olympic Park New Lynn, Auckland 6th Birkenhead United Shepherds Park Beach Haven, Auckland 4th East Coast Bays Bay City Park Northcross, Auckland 9th Eastern Suburbs Madills Farm Kohimarama, Auckland 3rd Fencibles United Riverhills Domain Pakuranga, Auckland 1st in Championship (promoted) Manurewa War Memorial Park Manurewa, Auckland 10th Tauranga City Links Avenue Reserve Mount Maunganui 7th West Coast Rangers Fred Taylor Park Whenuapai, Auckland 8th Western Springs Seddon Fields Westmere, Auckland 2nd
Northern League personnel Team Manager Captain Auckland City Paul Posa Mario Ilich Auckland FC Reserves Luke Casserly Codey Phoenix Auckland United José Figueira Ross Haviland Bay Olympic Peter Smith Callum McNeill Birkenhead United Paul Hobson Dino Botica East Coast Bays Joe Hall Louie Caunter Eastern Suburbs Michael Built Jake Mechell Fencibles United Rhys Ruka Jake Moosbally Manurewa Tashreeq Davids Ryan DoughertyTauranga City Barry Gardiner Campbell Higgins West Coast Rangers Chad Coombes Robert Dymond Western Springs Scott Hales Reid Drake
Northern League managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in the tableIncoming managerDate of appointmentEastern Suburbs Brian Shelley (interim)End of interim spell27 November 2024 Pre-season Michael Built27 November 2024Manurewa Dylan BurnsEnd of contract21 December 2024 Tashreeq Davids21 December 2024Auckland City Albert RieraStepped down21 January 2025 Paul Posa21 January 2025Auckland FC ReservesInaugural Luke Casserly12 February 2025
Northern League table
Northern League results table
Northern League scoring Northern League top scorers Rank Player Club Goals1 Michael SuskiBirkenhead United14 Emiliano TadeAuckland United Morgan WellsburyTauranga City4 Colby BrennanTauranga City11 Guy-Frank Essome PendaEast Coast Bays6 Dylan Laing-McConnellManurewa / Fencibles United107 Derek TiekuBay Olympic98 Myer BevanAuckland City8 Reid DrakeWestern Springs Samuel PhilipBirkenhead United Ralph RutherfordAuckland FC Reserves
Northern League hat-tricks Round Player For Against Home/Away Result Date 8 Deandre Vollenhoven Auckland United Manurewa Away 4–5 9 Samuel Philip Birkenhead United Fencibles United Away 3–5 10 Alec Death West Coast Rangers Manurewa Away 2–3 13 Matthew Ellis Auckland City Manurewa Home 5–2 11 Morgan Wellsbury Tauranga City Manurewa Home 7–0 19 Kian Donkers Birkenhead United Bay Olympic Away 1–5 20 Guy-Frank Essome Penda East Coast Bays Manurewa Away 0–6
2025 Central League
The 2025 Central League is the 29th season, 5th season since the restructure of the leagues, of premiership football in the Lower North Island. The League starts on 29 March and finishes on 30 August, with the top three side qualifying for the National League Championship along with the already qualified Wellington Phoenix Reserves. 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 2024 play-off between the winners of the Central Federation League and the Capital Premier. The winner of the play-off was Upper Hutt City. This is their first season in the Central League, since New Zealand football's restructuring in 2021. They replaced Stop Out (relegated to the Central Federation League after two seasons in the Central League).
TeamHome groundLocation2024 season Island Bay United Wakefield Park Island Bay, Wellington 8th Miramar Rangers David Farrington Park Miramar, Wellington 4th Napier City Rovers Bluewater Stadium Napier 3rd North Wellington Alex Moore Park Johnsonville, Wellington 9th Petone Memorial Park Petone, Lower Hutt 7th Upper Hutt City Maidstone Park Maidstone, Upper Hutt 1st in Capital Premier (promoted via play-offs) Waterside Karori Karori Park Karori, Wellington 6th Wellington Olympic Wakefield Park Island Bay, Wellington 1st Wellington Phoenix Reserves Fraser Park Taitā, Lower Hutt 5th Western Suburbs Endeavour Park Whitby, Porirua 2nd
Central League personnel Team Manager Captain Island Bay United Martín Pereyra-García Miramar Rangers Kale Herbert Sam Mason-Smith Napier City Rovers Bill Robertson Jim Hoyle North Wellington Stu Pyne Gavin Hoy Petone Jamie O'Connor Hami Paranihi-Nuku Upper Hutt City Rory Fallon Waterside Karori Sam Morrissey Harry Fautley Wellington Olympic Paul Ifill Ben Mata Wellington Phoenix Reserves Chris Greenacre Dylan Gardiner Western Suburbs Matthew Calvert Harry Fautley
Central League managerial Changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in the tableIncoming managerDate of appointment Island Bay United Stu Jacobs Sacked 1 July 2025 8th Martín Pereyra-García 8 July 2025
Central League table
Central League results table
Central League scoring Central League top scorers Rank Player Club Goals1 Martín BuenoMiramar Rangers192 Kieran McMinnPetone183 Sebastian Barton-GingerWestern Suburbs12 Hamish WatsonWellington Olympic5 Sam LackNapier City Rovers11 Isa PrinsWellington Olympic7 Kaelin NguyenWestern Suburbs108 Jack-Henry SinclairWellington Olympic99 Stephen HoyleNapier City Rovers810 Nicolás BobadillaMiramar Rangers7 Ihaia DelaneyWaterside Karori Tyler FreemanWestern Suburbs Sam GatesMiramar Rangers Charlie HaleIsland Bay United
Central League hat-tricks Round Player For Against Home/Away Result Date 3 Martín Bueno Miramar Rangers North Wellington Away 0–8 4 Kieran McMinn Petone North Wellington Home 7–3 5 Joshua Rudland Wellington Olympic North Wellington Away 0–8 6 Kaelin Nguyen Western Suburbs North Wellington Home 6–2 6 Martín Bueno Miramar Rangers Island Bay United Home 6–1 10 Kieran McMinn Petone Waterside Karori Away 1–4 12 Isa Prins Wellington Olympic Waterside Karori Away 1–9 Hamish Watson 14 Tyler Freeman Western Suburbs Waterside Karori Away 0–6 15 Stephen Hoyle Napier City Rovers Waterside Karori Home 6–0 Kaelin Nguyen Western Suburbs North Wellington Away 1–8 16 Luke Stoupe Petone Island Bay United Home 5–0 18 Luke Supyk Wellington Phoenix Reserves Waterside Karori Away 0–7
2025 Southern League
The 2025 Southern League is the 4th season of a full 10 team league, 5th season since the restructure of the leagues, of a South Island wide football league. The League started on 29 March and finished on 13 September, with the top two side qualifying for the National League Championship.
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 Wānaka. This is their first season in the Southern League. They replaced FC Twenty 11 (relegated to the Canterbury Premiership League after their second season in the Southern League).
TeamHome groundLocation2024 season Cashmere Technical Garrick Memorial Park Woolston, Christchurch 1st Christchurch United United Sports Centre Spreydon, Christchurch 3rd Coastal Spirit Tāne Norton Park Linwood, Christchurch 2nd Dunedin City Royals Tahuna Park Tainui, Dunedin 7th Ferrymead Bays Ferrymead Park Ferrymead, Christchurch 5th Nelson Suburbs Saxton Field Stoke, Nelson 4th Nomads United Tulett Park Casebrook, Christchurch 6th Selwyn United Foster Park Rolleston 8th University of Canterbury English Park St Albans, Christchurch 9th Wānaka Recreation Centre Wānaka 2nd in Southern Premiership League(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 Joe Hoole Dunedin City Royals Blair Scoullar Jared Grove Ferrymead Bays Alan Walker James Deehan Nelson Suburbs Ryan Stewart Lennon Whewell Nomads United Matthew Jansen Caleb Cottom Selwyn United Chris Brown Jayden Booth University of Canterbury Ricardo Felitti Max McGuinness Wānaka Ben Sippola Jake Thompson
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 Ben EllisMutual Consent1 September 2024Pre-season Ricardo FelittiBefore 29 March 2025Wānaka Thomas van HeesStepped down6 October 2024 Ben SippolaBefore 29 March 2025Dunedin City Royals Richard MurrayStepped down29 October 2024 Blair Scoullar31 October 2024
Southern League table
Southern League results table
Southern League scoring Southern League top scorers Rank Player Club Goals1 Garbhan CoughlanCashmere Technical16 Riku IchimuraCoastal Spirit3 Lyle MatthysenCashmere Technical144 Flynn HoldemNomads United125 Shogo OsawaChristchurch United116 Joshua TollerveyChristchurch United11 Lennon WhewellNelson Suburbs8 Ben PolakNelson Suburbs109 Yuya TaguchiCashmere Technical910 Liam CotterCoastal Spirit8 Joel StevensChristchurch United
Southern League hat-tricks Round Player For Against Home/Away Result Date4 Riku Ichimura Coastal Spirit Wānaka Home 6–0 8 Pero Forman University of Canterbury Cashmere Technical Away 8–4 Lyle Matthysen Cashmere Technical University of Canterbury Home9 Shogo Osawa Christchurch United Wānaka Home 7–0 10 Yuya Taguchi Cashmere Technical Selwyn United Home 6–0 12 Flynn Holdem Nomads United Dunedin City Royals Away 3–4 Trevin Myers Nelson Suburbs University of Canterbury Away 1–614 Jackson Cole Christchurch United University of Canterbury Away 1–5 Anthony Sprowson Wānaka Selwyn United Away 1–616 Flynn Holdem Nomads United Selwyn United Away 2–6 18 Shogo Osawa Christchurch United Wānaka Away 0–7 Ben Polak Nelson Suburbs Selwyn United Away 2–5 Wānaka 1–5
Southern League own goals