The wait is over and this Saturday the men’s Dettol National League Championship and the women’s Dettol National League Championship driven by Ford get underway, with both titles wide open.

Men’s Dettol National League Championship

The men’s competition welcomes a new face with AFC Reserves joining the league for the first time. With 11 teams involved, each club will have a bye week along the way. One of the early highlights is the first-ever reserves derby between Auckland FC Reserves and Wellington Phoenix Reserves, set for 4 October at Fred Taylor Park.

The participants this year are: Auckland FC Reserves, Auckland City FC, Auckland United, Birkenhead United, Christchurch United, Coastal Spirit, Miramar Rangers, Wellington Olympic, Wellington Phoenix Reserves, Western Springs and Western Suburbs.

Regional champions Coastal Spirit, Western Springs, and Wellington Olympic arrive with confidence, but plenty of other sides are in form. Birkenhead United pushed Springs all the way in the Dettol Northern League, finishing just a point behind. Other team having a good performance in 2025 is Auckland United, who reached the Delivereasy Chatham Cup final. Defending champions Auckland City FC only sealed their place in the last round, but their experience in big matches and the quality of players they have in the squad keeps them among the favourites.

In the Central League, Wellington Olympic won a fifth straight title, but both Miramar Rangers and Western Suburbs showed their quality too. Miramar even beat Olympic once in the league, while Suburbs pushed them to extra time in the Cup.

Down south, Coastal Spirit won the league for the first time, playing at a great level, and arrives to the championship phase full of confidence. However, they will be without Riku Ichimura, their MVP ant top scorer with 16 goals this season.

Among the key players to watch: Martín Bueno (Miramar Rangers, 19 goals this season), Emiliano Tade (Auckland United), and Birkenhead’s duo of Michael Suski and Morgan Wellsbury, all top scorers in the north with 14 goals. Gavin Hoy and Isa Prins also had excellent seasons, shining in the Dettol Central League and Delivereasy Chatham Cup. Meanwhile, Sam Lack, MVP of the Dettol Central League, has signed with AFC Reserves, adding extra intrigue to their debut campaign.

Women’s Dettol National League Championship driven by Ford

Ten teams are set to battle for the women’s national crown: Auckland United, CF Petone, CF Wellington United, Canterbury United Pride, Central Football, Eastern Suburbs, Southern United, Wellington Phoenix Reserves, West Coast Rangers, and Western Springs.

Auckland United arrive as one of the frontrunners again. Ahead of the tournament, Ben Bates’ team signed quality players with experience in competitive tournaments like Kiara Bercelli, Kristen Molloy or Siobhan Edwards, adding quality to an already talented squad with plenty of winning experience.

West Coast Rangers, champions of the NRFL Women’s Premiership, also look like serious contenders heading into the Championship Phase. They bring plenty of attacking firepower - 65 goals in the regional phase - and the confidence of having taken the title off Auckland United.

Eastern Suburbs are another strong side from the Northern region. Adam Thurston’s team can trouble anyone and they proved it in the NRFL Women’s Premiership with wins over West Coast Rangers, who went on to claim the title, and Delivereasy Kate Sheppard Cup champions Auckland United.

In the Central region, Wellington United Diamonds are clear title challengers, coming in as back-to-back champions with a perfect season. They finished the tournament unbeaten, all wins, and an astonishing 97 goals scored.

The South Island clubs will also be competitive. Canterbury United Pride are boosted by several Cashmere Technical players who reached the Delivereasy Kate Sheppard Cup semi-finals, while Southern United bring a strong base from Dunedin City Royals, winners of the South Island League.

Players to watch include Natalie Olson, who scored an incredible 33 goals in the regional phase, Auckland United’s young, fast and skilful Zoe Benson; and Shannon Henson from West Coast Rangers, top scorer of the NRFL Women’s Premiership with 19 goals. Britney-Lee Nicholson and Amy Hislop are proven scorers in the south as well.

All games will be available live and free on FIFA+.

Article added: Thursday 25 September 2025