Central League 2 (MCL2) is an amateur status league run by Capital Football and Central Football for association football clubs located in the southern and central parts of the North Island.
Central League 2 is a New Zealand tier three competition during the New Zealand winter season. It sits below the Central League and above the Eastern Premiership, Western Premiership and Capital Premier.
League history The league started for the 2025 season after being officially announced in 2023.
Clubs of both federations showed support of reintroducing the competition with 85% of Central clubs and 79% of Capital clubs voting in favour of the league.
League format The league currently comprises 10 teams, who play each other twice in the season on a home-and-away basis and at the conclusion of the season the winner are crowned champions. The bottom side is relegated automatically to their regional league (either Capital Premier or Western and Eastern Premierships), with the top side automatically promoted to the Central League.
Current clubs
As of the 2026 season. TeamHome groundLocation2025 season Douglas Villa Park Sports Ground Masterton 3rd Lower Hutt City Fraser Park Taitā, Lower Hutt 4th North Wellington Alex Moore Park Johnsonville, Wellington 10th in Central League(relegated) Palmerston North Marist Central Energy Trust Arena Turf Palmerston North Central, Palmerston North 7th Palmerston North United Memorial Park Terrace End, Palmerston North 2nd Seatoun Seatoun Park Seatoun, Wellington 9th Stop Out Hutt Park Moera, Lower Hutt 6th Taradale Taradale Park Taradale, Napier 8th Tawa Redwood Park Tawa, Wellington 5th Wainuiomata Richard Prouse Park Wainuiomata, Lower Hutt 3rd in Capital Premier(promoted via play-offs)
Past winners The following lists are from the 2025 season onwards. New Zealand Football reinstated the Central League second division after disbanding the initial competition at the end of the 1999 season.
From 2025, Central League 2 has again acted as the qualifier league to the Central League.
Numbers in parentheses indicate wins up to that date. SeasonWinnerPromoted to Central LeaguePromoted to Central League 22025FC WesternFC WesternWainuiomata2026TaradaleTaradaleNorth WellingtonPalmerston North UnitedTawaWhanganui AthleticGreytownWellington Phoenix 4thsNapier City Rovers Reserves
Top scorers SeasonTop scorer(s)Club(s)Goals2025 Anthony JonesPalmerston North United212026 Samuel StauntonTawa23
Past clubs Club Last Season Position Record Replaced by Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts FC Western 2025 1st of 10 1811344120+2136 North Wellington Te Kotahitanga 2025 10th of 10 1803151773-563 Wainuiomata AFC
Play-offs 2024 Central League 2 (2025) Play-off Series
Taradale, Te Kotahitanga, Seatoun and Douglas Villa qualified for the 2025 – Central League 2.
Following the collapse of the Central Federation League, Havelock North Wanderers and Gisborne Thistle joined the 2025 Eastern Premiership. New Plymouth Rangers joined the 2025 Western Premiership. While Victoria University returned to the 2025 Capital Premier.
2025 Central League 2 (2026) Promotion Play-off Series.
Whanganui Athletic defeated Havelock North Wanderers in a two match series between the winners of the Eastern Premiership and Western Premiership to earn their playoff spot, while Wainuiomata qualified as the top first-team in Capital Premier League, having finished 3rd.
Wainuiomata won 5 – 4 on aggregate and gained promotion to the 2026 Central League 2 competition. They replaced Te Kotahitanga who were relegated to the Capital Premier.
2026 Central League 2 (2027) Promotion Play-off Series.
Whanganui Athletic won the two-match series 6-2 on aggregate.
Records The following records are from the 2025 season onwards after the re–formation of Central League 2.
Most wins in a season: 11 – FC Western (2025) Fewest defeats in a season: 4 – Taradale (2026), FC Western (2025) Most goals scored in a season: 51 – Palmerston North United (2nd) & Stop Out (6th) – both 2025 Fewest goals conceded in a season: 19 – Taradale (2026) Most goals conceded in a season: 73 – Te Kotahitanga (2025) Most points in a season: 36 – FC Western (2025) Fewest points in a season: 3 – Te Kotahitanga (2025) Highest goal difference: +24 (51 for, 27 against) – Stop Out (2025) Lowest goal difference: -56 (17 for, 73 against) – Te Kotahitanga (2025) Biggest home win: 12 goals – Palmerston North United 12 – 0 Te Kotahitanga (2 August 2025) Biggest away win: 10 goals – Te Kotahitanga 0 – 10 Stop Out (20 July 2025) Highest scoring match: 12 goals – Palmerston North United 12 – 0 Te Kotahitanga (2 August 2025) Highest scoring draw: 4 goals – Seatoun 4 – 4 Lower Hutt City (29 March 2025) & Tawa 4 – 4 Stop Out (15 August 2026) Biggest title-winning margin: 5 points – 2025, FC Western (36 points) over Palmerston North United (31 points) Smallest title-winning margin: 1 point – 2026, Tawa (32 points) over North Wellington (31 points) Most goals in a single match: 4 goals – Anthony Jones, Palmerston North United, against Te Kotahitanga (2 August 2025)
Past Champions 2026 — Taradale Association Football Club
2025 — FC Western
References
External links Capital/Central Region official website