The 2026 New Zealand Men's National League (known as the Dettol Men's National League for sponsorship reasons) is the sixth 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.
The qualifying league fixtures were announced on 24 February 2026. The Northern League and Southern League started on 21 March 2026 and the Central League started on 28 March. The Northern and Central leagues will conclude on 29 August 2026 with the Southern League concluding on 30 August 2026. The fixtures for the championship phase were announced on 9 September 2026.
Qualifying leagues 2026 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 Manukau United and Melville United. Manukau United return after a two-year absence, while Melville United return after one. They replaced Manurewa and West Coast Rangers (both relegated after a three-year Northern League spell).
TeamHome groundLocation2025 season Auckland City Kiwitea Street Sandringham, Auckland 4th Auckland FC Reserves Fred Taylor Park Whenuapai, Auckland 9th 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 East Coast Bays Bay City Park Northcross, Auckland 6th Eastern Suburbs Madills Farm Kohimarama, Auckland 5thFencibles UnitedRiverhills DomainPakuranga, Auckland 10th Manukau United Centre Park Māngere East, Auckland 1st in Championship (promoted) Melville United Gower Park Melville, Hamilton 2nd in Championship (promoted) Tauranga City Links Avenue Reserve Mount Maunganui 7th Western Springs Seddon Fields Westmere, Auckland 1st
Northern League personnel Team Manager Captain Auckland City Rudy Mozr Mario Ilich Auckland FC Reserves Rory Fallon James Mitchell Auckland United Ben Sippola Ross Haviland Bay Olympic Chris Milicich (interim) 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 Manukau United Mohammed Asif Khan Melville United Aaron Scott Harry TrethowanTauranga City Barry Gardiner Campbell Higgins Western Springs Scott Hales Niko Steinmetz
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in the tableIncoming managerDate of appointmentMelville United Jarrod YoungStepped down30 August 2025Preseason Aaron Scott Harry Trethowan24 November 2025Auckland FC Reserves Luke CasserlyPromoted to OFC Pro League team1 December 2025 Rory Fallon29 January 2026Auckland United José FigueiraStepped down12 December 2025 Ben Sippola21 December 2025Auckland City Paul PosaStepped down15 December 2025 Rudy Mozr16 December 2025Bay Olympic Peter SmithStepped down21 June 202611th Chris Milicich (interim)21 June 2026
Northern League table
Northern League results table
Northern League scoring
Northern League top scorers Rank Player Club Goals1 Monty PattersonBirkenhead United122 Héctor EchagüeEastern Suburbs11 Ben WallaceWestern Springs / Auckland United Marius ZabarauskasEast Coast Bays5 Luke FlowerdewAuckland United / East Coast Bays10 Harley HillAuckland FC Reserves Angus KilkollyAuckland City Josh RedfearnBirkenhead United9 Charlie HaleAuckland FC Reserves9 Ronaldo MuñozFencibles United
Northern League hat-tricks Round Player For Against Home/Away Result Date 3 Ryan Clarke Fencibles United Melville United Home 7–1 7 Dylan Manickum Auckland City Fencibles United Home 4–1 7 Harley Hill Auckland FC Reserves Bay Olympic Home 4–1 16 Pavel Osmančík Auckland City Manukau United Away 0–5 19 Ryan de Vries Auckland City Bay Olympic Home 5–1 20 Charlie Hale Auckland FC Reserves Melville United Away 1–5
Clean sheets
RankPlayerClubCleansheets1 Ngereine MaroAuckland United122 Jack de GrootEastern Suburbs113 Oli PocockEastern Suburbs / Birkenhead United74 Louie CaunterEast Coast Bays65 Nathan GarrowAuckland City5 Keegan SmithBirkenhead United Max TommyMelville United8 Sota YuasaFencibles United49 Emmett ConnollyWestern Springs3 Matthew FoordAuckland City
2026 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 2025 Central League 2. The promoted team is FC Western. This is their first season in the Central League, since New Zealand football's restructuring in 2021. They replaced North Wellington (relegated after a five-year Central League spell).
TeamHome groundLocation2025 season FC Western Lynmouth Park Lynmouth, New Plymouth 1st in Central League 2 (promoted) Island Bay United Wakefield Park Island Bay, Wellington 6th Miramar Rangers David Farrington Park Miramar, Wellington 2nd Napier City Rovers Bluewater Stadium Napier 5th Petone Memorial Park Petone, Lower Hutt 9th Upper Hutt City Maidstone Park Maidstone, Upper Hutt 8th Waterside Karori Karori Park Karori, Wellington 7th Wellington Olympic Wakefield Park Island Bay, Wellington 1st Wellington Phoenix Reserves Fraser Park Taitā, Lower Hutt 4th Western Suburbs Endeavour Park Porirua 3rd
Central League personnel Team Manager Captain FC Western Josh Dobson Benjamin Furze Island Bay United Callum Holmes Leonardo Villa Miramar Rangers Jamie O’Connor Andy Bevin Napier City Rovers Bill Robertson Jim Hoyle Petone Sam Pickering Oliver Pickering Upper Hutt City Toby Wilton Donal Gahan Waterside Karori Tomás Godoy Fouquet Tomás Alvarado Wellington Olympic Ekow Quainoo Ben Mata Wellington Phoenix Reserves Joshua Neff Dylan Gardiner Western Suburbs Matthew Calvert Alifeleti Peini
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in the tableIncoming managerDate of appointmentIsland Bay United Martín Pereyra-GarcíaEnd of contract30 August 2025Pre-season Callum Holmes21 October 2025Petone Jamie O’ConnorStepped down21 October 2025 Sam Pickering28 October 2025Miramar Rangers Kale HerbertStepped down6 December 2025 Jamie O’Connor14 December 2025Wellington Olympic Paul IfillStepped down13 December 2025 Ekow Quainoo24 December 2025Upper Hutt City Rory FallonStepped down19 December 2025 Toby Wilton6 February 2026Wellington Phoenix Reserves Chris GreenacrePromoted to senior Wellington Phoenix team22 February 2026 Joshua NeffFebruary 2026 (interim)2 June 2026 (fulltime)
Central League table
Central League results table
Central League scoring
Central League top scorers Rank Player Club Goals1 Martín BuenoMiramar Rangers11 Kyle CarrWestern Suburbs3 Lucas HansenUpper Hutt City104 Benjamin StanleyNapier City Rovers95 Connor GaulMiramar Rangers8 Rio WinkworthUpper Hutt City7 Luke StoupeWellington Olympic78 Timothy O'FarrellIsland Bay United6 Tsar Mitchener Callum CookeNapier City Rovers Jacob Fenton Donal GahanUpper Hutt City Sebastian Barton-GingerWellington Olympic Gianni Bouzoukis
2026 Southern League
The 2026 Southern League is the 5th season of a full 10 team league, 6th season since the restructure of the leagues, of a South Island wide football league. The League starts in March and finishes in 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 Northern. This is their first season in the Southern League. They replaced University of Canterbury (relegated after two seasons in the Southern League).
On 12 February, Selwyn United announced that "we have been offered, and have accepted, a place in the Southern League for the upcoming season following a vacancy in the competition". On 24 February 2026, this was confirmed as New Zealand Football released the fixtures.
TeamHome groundLocation2025 season Cashmere Technical Garrick Memorial Park Woolston, Christchurch 3rd Christchurch United United Sports Centre Spreydon, Christchurch 2nd Coastal Spirit Tāne Norton Park Linwood, Christchurch 1st Dunedin City Royals Tahuna Park Tainui, Dunedin 7th Ferrymead Bays Ferrymead Park Ferrymead, Christchurch 6th Nelson Suburbs Saxton Field Stoke, Nelson 4th Nomads United Tulett Park Casebrook, Christchurch 5th Northern Caledonian Ground Dunedin North, Dunedin 1st in Southern Premiership League(promoted via play-offs) Selwyn United Foster Park Rolleston 10th Wānaka Wānaka Recreation Centre Wānaka 8th
Southern League personnel Team Manager Captain Cashmere Technical Daniel Schwarz Tom Schwarz Christchurch United Daniel Godden Ben Stroud Coastal Spirit Robert Stanton Weston Bell Dunedin City Royals Blair Scoullar Max Davidson Ferrymead Bays Alan Walker Luke Pritchard Nelson Suburbs Ryan Stewart Lennon Whewell Nomads United Matthew Jansen Jacob Anderson Northern Arran Wilkinson Luka Mandich Selwyn United John Morgan (interim) Liam Coleman Wānaka Max Uhr Danny Heemskerk
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in the tableIncoming managerDate of appointmentChristchurch United Ryan EdwardsNew job with South Island United29 November 2025Pre-season Albert Riera13 November 2025Wānaka Ben SippolaSigned by Auckland United21 December 2025 Thomas van Hees24 March 2026 Thomas van HeesStepped downUnknownUnknown Max UhrUnknownSelwyn United Christopher BrownSigned by Wellington Phoenix18 July 20269th John Morgan (interim)20 July 2026Christchurch United Albert RieraResigned9 August 20267th Daniel Godden9 August 2026
Southern League table
Southern League results table
Southern League scoring
Southern League top scorers Rank Player Club Goals1 Garbhan CoughlanCashmere Technical322 Rory Hibbert153 Omar CameronFerrymead Bays144 Zander EdwardsCashmere Technical133 John ReynoldsNelson Suburbs11 Lennon Whewell7 Ben Polak98 Flynn HoldemNomads United8 Max ChrétienCoastal Spirit10 Lyle MatthysenCashmere Technical7
2027 National League play-offs The 2027 New Zealand National League play-offs will take place in September 2026. The play-offs will confirm the final team to be promoted into the new look National League.
Matches
Qualified clubs There are 11 men's National League Championship qualifying spots (4 plus Auckland FC Reserves for the Northern League, 3 plus Wellington Phoenix Reserves for the Central League and 2 for the Southern League).
AssociationTeamPosition in Regional LeagueApp Previous best Northern League Birkenhead United1st4th 1st Eastern Suburbs2nd3rd 4th Auckland City3rd5th 2nd Auckland United4th4th 3rd Central League Napier City Rovers1st4th 4th Wellington Olympic2nd5th 1st Miramar Rangers3rd3rd 3rd Southern League Cashmere Technical1st4th 5th Ferrymead Bays2nd1stDebutAuckland FC Auckland FC ReservesAutomatic qualification2nd 4th Wellington Phoenix Wellington Phoenix ReservesAutomatic qualification5th 5th
Location