The return of the community football season for 2021 means that the Football Foundation Kate Sheppard Cup and Chatham Cup are also about to kick off.

With a record 57 teams, the Football Foundation Kate Sheppard Cup has seen an increase in entries of 40% on 2019, when the Cup was last contested. The 2021 Chatham Cup has 126 entries.

The 2020 editions of both the Football Foundation Kate Sheppard Cup and the Chatham Cup were cancelled due to the effects of the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown, as New Zealand Football focused on rebooting the community game.

The preliminary draw for both competitions will be held on Tuesday 13 April, with the preliminary rounds to be played out over the weekend of 24-26 April. Round 1 proper will be played over the weekend of 15-16 May.  

The current holders of the Football Foundation Kate Sheppard Cup and Chatham Cup are Eastern Suburbs AFC and Napier City Rovers AFC respectively.

The 2021 Kate Sheppard Cup entries are:

NRF

Auckland United FC; Beachlands Maraetai AFC; Birkenhead United AFC; Bucklands Beach AFC; Central United FC; Eastern Suburbs AFC (current holders); Ellerslie AFC; Franklin United FC; Hibiscus Coast AFC; Northern Rovers FC; Northland FC; Onehunga Mangere United AFC; Onehunga Sports FC; Papakura City FC; Puhoi; Takapuna AFC; Waiuku AFC; Waiuku AFC; West Auckland; West Coast Rangers FC; Western Springs AFC

WaiBOP

Claudelands Rovers SC; Hamilton Wanderers; Huntly Thistle AFC; Melville Utd AFC; Papamoa FC Inc; Rotorua Utd AFC Inc; Waikato Unicol AFC; West Hamilton Utd FC
 

Central

Massey University - Manawatu Campus; New Plymouth Rangers AFC; PN Marist FC

Capital

Brooklyn Northern Utd AFC; Kapiti Coast Utd; Petone FC; Seatoun AFC; Upper Hutt City Football; Victoria University; Wairarapa United; Waterside Karori; Wellington United

Mainland

Blenheim Valley Sports Inc; Cashmere Technical; Coastal Spirit; Ferrymead Bays FC; Halswell United AFC; Nelson Suburbs FC; Nomads United AFC; Richmond Athletic AFC; UCAFC; Waimakariri Utd

Football South

Dunedin Technical AFC; Green Island AFC; Mosgiel AFC; Otago University AFC; Queenstown AFC; Roslyn Wakari AFC; Southland United FC

First-time entries for the Kate Sheppard Cup are: New Plymouth Rangers, Southland United FC, Blenheim Valley Sports Club, Richmond Athletic FC, Beachlands Maraetai AFC, Franklin United FC, Northland FC, Puhoi, West Hamilton United.

Other new names (as the result of club mergers) include Northern Rovers FC (formerly Forrest Hill Milford AFC and Glenfield Rovers), Auckland United FC (formerly Three Kings United and Onehunga Sports FC), West Coast Rangers (formerly Waitakere City and Norwest United).

The 2021 Chatham Cup entries are:

NRF

AFC Bohemian Celtic 1; Albany United FC; Auckland City FC; Auckland United FC; Bay Olympic FC; Beachlands Maraetai AFC; Birkenhead United AFC; Bucklands Beach AFC; East Coast Bays AFC; Eastern Suburbs AFC; Ellerslie AFC; FC Whangarei; Fencibles United AFC; Franklin United FC; Greenhithe FC; Hibiscus Coast AFC; HNK Auckland; Kerikeri; Lynn-Avon United; Manukau United FC; Manurewa AFC; Metro FC; Mt Albert-Ponsonby AFC; North Shore United AFC; Northern Rovers FC; Onehunga Mangere United AFC; Oratia United FC; Otahuhu United AFC; Papakura City FC; Papatoetoe AFC; Puhoi; Ranui Swanson FC; Royal New Zealand Navy AFC; Takapuna AFC; Te Atatu AFC; Uni-Mount Bohemian AFC; University of Auckland FC; Waiheke Utd AFC; Waitemata FC; Waiuku AFC; West Auckland; West Coast Rangers FC; Western Springs AFC

WaiBOP

Cambridge FC; Claudelands Rovers SC; Hamilton Wanderers; Huntly Thistle AFC; Matamata Swifts AFC; Melville Utd AFC; Ngaruawahia Utd AFC Inc; Ngongotaha AFC; Northern United SC; Otorohanga AFC; Otumoetai FC; Papamoa Premiers; Taupo AFC; Tauranga City AFC; Waikato Unicol AFC; West Hamilton Utd FC; Whakatane Town FC; 

Central

FC Western Inc; Gisborne Thistle AFC; Havelock North Wanderers AFC; Napier City Rovers AFC (current holders); Palmerston North Marist Football Club; Whanganui Athletic

Capital

Brooklyn Northern Utd AFC; Douglas Villa FC; Greytown Football Club; Island Bay United AFC; Kapiti Coast Utd; Lower Hutt City AFC; Miramar Rangers AFC; Naenae Soccer Club; North Wellington FC; Petone FC; Seatoun AFC; Stokes Valley Football Club; Stop Out SC; Tawa AFC; Upper Hutt City Football; Victoria University; Waikanae AFC; Wainuiomata; Wairarapa United; Waterside Karori; Wellington Marist AFC; Wellington Olympic AFC; Wellington United; Western Suburbs FC

Mainland

Burwood AFC; Cashmere Technical; Christchurch Utd; Coastal Spirit; FC Nelson; FC Twenty 11; Ferrymead Bays FC; Halswell United AFC; Mapua Rangers Football Club; Mid Canterbury Utd FC; Nelson Suburbs FC; Nomads United AFC; Parklands United; Rangers AFC; Selwyn United FC; St Albans Shirley FC; Tahuna FC; Universities AFC; Waimakariri Utd; Western AFC

Football South

Geraldine FC; Gore Wanderers; Grants Braes AFC; Green Island AFC; Mosgiel AFC; Northern AFC; Northern Hearts AFC; Old Boys AFC; Otago University AFC; Queens Park AFC; Queenstown AFC; Roslyn Wakari AFC; South City Royals FC; Thistle AFC – Timaru; Thistle FC; Wanaka AFC; Western End AFC

New names to the competition include 2020/21 ISPS Handa Men’s Premiership runners up Auckland City FC; Auckland United FC (formerly Three Kings United and Onehunga Sports FC), Northern Rovers FC (formerly Forrest Hill Milford AFC and Glenfield Rovers), South City Royals (a combination of Caversham AFC, Dunedin Technical AFC, Melchester Rovers JFC and Hereweka JFC) and West Coast Rangers (formerly Waitakere City and Norwest United).

Article added: Friday 09 April 2021