National Youth League (New Zealand)

The National Youth League (NYL) was the premier competition for youth football players in New Zealand. Founded in 2003, it was a league competition consisting of the youth teams of each of the ten clubs that played in the New Zealand Football Championship. It was held each season between October and December, and consists of each team playing each other once; the fixture list mirrors that of the senior league.[1]

National Youth League (NYL)
Founded2003
Folded2019
Country New Zealand
ConfederationOFC (Oceania)
Number of teams10
Last championsAuckland City (7th title)
Most championshipsAuckland City (7 titles)
WebsiteOfficial web page

The last team to be champions and the most successful team of the competition was the youth team of Auckland City, finishing champions seven times in the sixteen years the competition ran.[2][3]

History

The first National Youth League was founded in 2003, with eight teams representing different regional football federations in New Zealand, playing each other once; the inaugural champions were Capital Soccer.[4]

In 2007, the competition changed from teams representing federations to teams representing each club in the New Zealand Football Championship.[5] The youth squad of Auckland City won the first season of this new format, and have since become the most successful team in the competition, winning six titles.[2]

In 2008, the competition used a ten-team, two-group format, with the top two teams from each group heading into a playoff system; Waitakere United won in the final against Canterbury United.[6] However, in 2009, only four teams participated due to funding issues (Auckland City, Waitakere United, Auckland-Manukau and Hawke's Bay United);[7][8] the league moved to nine teams in late 2010 following the league's rebrand to the ASB Premiership, still following the two-group format.[9][10]

The 2013 season introduced two more teams to make a twelve-team, two-group league, but in 2014 the format was amended to mirror the New Zealand Football Championship; each league team fielded a youth team in the National Youth league, with the competitions returning to its one-group format.[11]

In the 2016 season, mirroring the club movements of the New Zealand Football Championship, Hamilton Wanderers replaced the outgoing WaiBOP United and both newly founded teams Tasman United and Eastern Suburbs fielded sides in the competition.[12] Surprisingly, Hamilton Wanderers won the title at their first attempt under the leadership of first-team players Michael Built and Adam Luque.[13][14]

After a review by New Zealand Football of all their national competitions,[15] it was decided to end the national youth competition.[15][16] Instead each club from the New Zealand Football Championship will have to register 40 players, of which 17 of them have to be aged 21 or under. They will also work with the local federations the clubs are assigned with, to run a development team in the regional leagues.[15][16]

In the last season of the competition, Auckland City won its seventh title as well as winning three in a row from 2017 to 2019 to finish as Champions of the competition.[3]

Former teams
Team City, Region Stadium Joined Head Coach
Auckland City Auckland, Auckland Croatian Cultural Society/
Kiwitea Street		 2007 Camilo Speranza[17]
Canterbury United Christchurch, Canterbury English Park 2007 Alan Walker[18]
Eastern Suburbs Auckland, Auckland Ngahue Reserve 2016 Hoani Edwards[19]
Hamilton Wanderers Hamilton, Waikato John Kerkhof Park 2016 Juan Román
Hawke's Bay United Napier, Hawke's Bay Bluewater Stadium 2007 Carlos Paulette[20]
Southern United Dunedin, Otago Tahuna Park 2007 Terry Boylan[21]
Tasman United Nelson, Nelson Saxton Field 2016 Ben Wright[22]
Team Wellington Wellington, Wellington Memorial Park 2007 Natalie Lawrence[23]
Waitakere United Whenuapai, Auckland Seddon Fields 2007 Martin Rodwell
Wellington Phoenix Wellington, Wellington Fraser Park 2014 Steve Coleman

Champions
Season Champion[24]
2003Capital Soccer
2004United Soccer 1
2005Capital Soccer
2006Capital Soccer
2007Auckland City
2008Waitakere United
2009Auckland City
2010Waitakere United
2011Canterbury United
2012Auckland City
2013Auckland City
2014Nelson Falcons
2015Team Wellington
2016Hamilton Wanderers
2017Auckland City
2018Auckland City
2019Auckland City

References

  1. "National Youth League Draw confirmed for 2018". New Zealand Football. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
  2. "Junior Navy Blues nab sixth title". Auckland City FC.
  3. "Vollenhoven seals three-in-a-row". Auckland City FC. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  4. "New Zealand National Youth League 2003 (Soccerbot)". www.soccerbot.com.
  5. "NZ National Youth League - 2007 (Soccerbot)". www.soccerbot.com.
  6. "NZ National Youth League - 2008 (Soccerbot)". www.soccerbot.com.
  7. "Youth football money, grounds in short supply". Stuff.
  8. Maddaford, Terry (13 February 2009). "Soccer: Waitakere United win will open questions" – via www.nzherald.co.nz.
  9. "Lion Foundation National Men's Youth League Poised For Kick-Off". Auckland City FC. Retrieved 4 January 2010.
  10. "NZF signs its biggest sponsorship deal". Stuff.
  11. "Football: Expanded ASB Premiership confirmed". 22 August 2014 – via www.nzherald.co.nz.
  12. "Young talent set for centre stage". Team Wellington FC.
  13. "Battle for youth supremacy begins". New Zealand Football. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  14. "Stalwart rookie Michael Built buzzing ahead of national league football debut". Stuff.co.nz. 6 October 2017. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  15. "National competitions review - The way forward". New Zealand Football. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
  16. Hepburn, Steve (2 November 2019). "Southern Utd's future looks assured under new league setup". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
  17. "ACFC TV - Camilo Speranza". Auckland City FC.
  18. "NYL // Walker reappointed Dragons Youth coach". www.mainlandfootball.co.nz.
  19. "Mixing youth and experience key – NRFL".
  20. "Youth league squads showcase emerging talent". www.nzfootball.co.nz.
  21. Cheshire, Jeff (8 November 2018). "Coach happy as Southern Utd Youth achieves first win". Otago Daily Times Online News.
  22. "2018 - Youth Team". Tasman United Football Club.
  23. "Natalie Lawrence paving a path for female football coaches with NYL appointment". Stuff.
  24. "NYL – Auckland City favourites for title". www.nzfootball.co.nz.
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