The creation of Force Three saw Waikato and Bay of Plenty football brought under one umbrella for the first time. The new structure introduced boards for each federation, giving them greater day-to-day decision-making power instead of decisions being dictated by the national “head office.”

The change didn’t come out of nowhere. Other sports were also being pushed to streamline by the government and funding organisations. Many clubs were frustrated with the finances of (then named) New Zealand Soccer. Budget blowouts in previous years had led to unpopular levies on all players to cover shortfalls.

Nationally, the women’s game also changed. The New Zealand Women’s Football Association was absorbed into New Zealand Soccer, and the long-running National Regional Women’s Tournament was played for the last time. It would be replaced the following year by the new National Women’s League.

On the men’s side, the top competition was the New Zealand National Club Championship, in its second season. Tauranga City carried the flag for our region. Waikato’s Bruce Holloway (writer for the Waikato Times from 1989) was awarded NZ Soccer Media Writer of the Year.

Tauranga City United made the final of the Chatham Cup but were beaten 2–0 by Napier City Rovers. 2002 marked the introduction of the National Women’s League, comprising federation representative teams as well as the national U-17 team, with one round of matches.

Force Three, who played their home games at Porritt Stadium, finished seventh of eight teams, with their only win being a 2–0 away victory over Southern Federation. In the local competitions, Greerton Rovers were Bay of Plenty Division 1 champions and Cambridge were Waikato Premier Division champions.

In 2002 the Centre Circle Waikato organisation ran a Waikato football awards evening with the following awards made: Player of the Year: Jeremy Field (Tauranga City United); Young player: Steven Holloway (Melville United); Women’s player: Donna Moxon (Claudelands Rovers); Young women’s player: Robyna Hokai (Fraser High); Referee: Neil Rutherford; Team of the Year: Cambridge Reserves (winners of the Simmo Trophy, Waikato Premier League); Coach of the Year: Paul Nixon (Melville Youth team); Supporter: Hans Raekels (Cambridge); Service to football: Ron White (administration), John Cameron (refereeing), Steve Williams (coaching), Dave Maisey (Special Olympics), Brian Webb.

Behind the scenes, 2002 was another tough year for Force Three. The federation ran a deficit of nearly $100,000 and tried to close the gap by introducing new levies on players. Critics complained of poor communication, lack of transparency and no clear plan. An off-the-books meeting in Taupō saw clubs from across the country questioning whether the federation model was working at all. The Waikato Junior Soccer Association refused to amalgamate into Force Three, resisting fee increases of 75%. Blue and White were selected as the Federation colours, which met with criticism from some. By the end of the year, a new board had been appointed, bringing in Patsi Davies, Craig Purcell, Ken Gibb and John Gray to join Chris Jessop, David Parry and Peter Martens. They inherited an organisation still struggling to win the trust of its community.

On the national stage, the New Zealand National Soccer League (the top men’s competition) completed its fourth and final season. Tauranga City United was the only team from our region.

In the women’s game, Force Three took part in the National Women’s Soccer League, coached by Grant Hastings and managed by Terry Budge. They finished seventh. Melville United reached the Chatham Cup final, claiming the Bob Smith Memorial Cup as runners-up. They were also named Sport Waikato’s Club Team of the Year – the first time this award was given to a football club. The Force Three youth team finished third in the boys’ National Youth League, coached by Paul Nixon. Anees Khan (Tauranga City United) and Cole Tinkler (Melville United) made appearances for New Zealand at the Oceania U-17 tournament.

West Hamilton were men’s Waikato Premier League champions and Greerton Rovers were Bay of Plenty Division 1 champions. Cambridge were Waikato women’s Division A champions, and Melville United and Claudelands Rovers Women competed in the Women’s Northern Premier League. Centre Circle Waikato’s awards recognised Steven Holloway, LJ Pijnenburg, Tarena O’Neill and others.

Boys’ Youth Squad: LJ Pijnenburg, Aaron Scott, Andrew Scaife, Colin Gardyne, Steven Holloway, Matthew Kennedy, Daniel Storie, Jonathan Keenan, David Samson, Scott Gallagher, Andrew McCullough, Paul Stewart, Michael Frischknecht, Sam Butler, Joel Wakelin, Simon Mead, Giuseppe Vassalini, Anees Khan, Jeremy Prasad, Cole Tinkler, Sam Wilkinson, James Leong.

For the first two seasons Waikato FC was headed by manager James Pamment and coach Declan Edge, playing most home games at Waikato Stadium – with appearances in Rotorua and Mt Maunganui. The 2004 squad included Michael Utting, Che Bunce, LJ Pijnenburg, Michael Mayne, Aaron Scott, and Sam Wilkinson, among others.

Force Three continued to operate with five staff and returned another financial surplus. Porritt Stadium hosted a New Zealand U-20 match against Australia. The Force Three national youth league team was coached by Paul Nixon. New Zealand’s only professional club, the Football Kingz, were restructured into the New Zealand Knights for the new A-League.

Claudelands Rovers striker Anne Ormrod made two Football Ferns appearances in the USA. LJ Pijnenburg captained the NZ Secondary Schoolboys. Anne Ormrod, Maggie Lankshear and Emma Butler represented NZ Secondary Schoolgirls; Katie Hoyle and Susi Petersen joined for a home series with Australia.

Taupō won the Force Three League; Claudelands Rovers won the Waikato men’s Premier League; Whakatāne Town won Bay of Plenty Division 1. Force Three Women finished seventh in the National Women’s League under Grant Hastings. The youth team, coached by Paul Nixon and assistant Marc Thomas, finished fifth.

Nationally, New Zealand Soccer reported a heavy deficit, fuelling criticism of the overall governance model. Waikato FC’s 2005-06 season still had inaugural manager James Pamment and coach Declan Edge in charge. Three Waikato FC players - Cole Tinkler, Michael Mayne and LJ Pijnenburg - were selected for the New Zealand U-20 squad to contest the Oceania qualifiers in the Solomon Islands. Locally, Tauranga City United are the only team from the region in the Northern Premier League.

Printed matchday programmes were popular for games, providing off pitch entertainment, like this Cordwainer Bull column in the 2005-06 NZFC Waikato Matchday programme (find this, and more, at https://waikatofootballprogrammes.weebly.com/).

Force Three Chair Ken Gibb resigned, and Patsi Davies was appointed – the first woman to chair a federation board.

The Force Three moved offices to the Gallaghers Building in Hamilton, and financially recorded a deficit of $140k.

Waikato FC appointed coach Dave Edmondson for the 2006/07 season but after six winless matches Edmondson resigned, replaced by Roger Wilkinson.

On the international stage, Australia transferred to the Asian Confederation, from Oceania.

New Zealand Football was close to insolvency, surviving with financial support from SPARC and three of the federations, and taking out a bank loan. Affiliation fees from New Zealand Football were introduced for juniors. A federation-wide men’s competition was launched.

At Waikato FC, Kevin Fallon was appointed coach for the 2008–09 season, but financial problems meant he never took charge of a competitive match. Dave Edmondson stepped back in to do the job for free, with the team shifting its base to Centennial Park in Ngāruawāhia.

The New Zealand Knights were stripped of their A-League License by Football Australia, and the Wellington Phoenix was selected as their successor.

The women's national team changed its name from "SWANZ" to "Football Ferns". They qualified for the finals of the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time since 1991, following Australia’s move to the Asian Confederation. They lost all three group matches.

Cambridge lad and Hamilton Wanderers player Chris Wood signed a scholarship contract with English club West Bromwich Albion.

2007 Waikato BOP Women's National League v Capital Football
Duncan Baird's squad: Charlotte Wood, Kelly Aitken, Elizabeth Bosson, Kylie Jens, Natalie Gaskell, Chelsea Wood, Alex Shadbolt, Jackie Pretswell, Kelly Stanton, Sarah McLaughlin, Katherine Robinson, Nicole Stratford, Kate Loye, Anna Fullerton, Vanessa Lambert, Brogan Mathieson.

WaiBOP introduced a federation-wide women’s competition, strengthened coach education, and built new high-performance programmes. A referee management group was established to support officials. The representative programme (“Reps”) was refined, enhanced and upgraded.

Player of the Year was introduced in Federation and Waikato Leagues, with voting by the opposition coach, and the golden boot concept reintroduced in Bay wide Competitions.

WaiBOP and New Zealand Football ran a pilot programme with Sporting Pulse using new draw software as the testing board for the rest of the country. Federations and NZF committed to working together more closely.

Three Football Development Officers (FDOs) were employed in Hamilton, Tauranga and Rotorua. This team was tasked with implementing New Zealand Football’s revamped age-appropriate coach education scheme.

Skill Centres, after-school clubs and holiday programmes across the region gave 8–12 year olds their first structured steps on the player pathway.

The federation-wide representative programme expanded, offering 8–15 year olds the chance to represent their region. New Regional Talent Centres were introduced for selected 12–16 year olds, creating an environment to develop potential elite players.

Mangaiti Park was selected as the preferred location for Hamilton’s Home of Football.

Melville United were crowned Northern League champions. The Federation U16 Girls came away winners at the National Tournament. The Federation Boys team won the U12 Weir Rose Bowl.

Local referee Peter O’Leary was named New Zealand Football 2009 Referee of the Year and appointed to the FIFA World Cup panel.

Nationally, Rory Fallon scored a goal in Wellington against Bahrain, qualifying the All Whites for the 2010 FIFA World Cup for the first time since 1982. The Wellington Phoenix made the A-League playoffs and drew a capacity crowd in Wellington.

GoalNet — a web-based solution allowing clubs to manage membership information, registrations and payments — was introduced and rolled out to senior players across the country.

The Whole of Football plan was announced by New Zealand Football. Regional Sports Trust funding, Whole of Football funding and central government support via Kiwisport were secured for several years.

The Junior Associations in Rotorua, Western Bay of Plenty and Waikato were dissolved and joined the federation. Girls-only summer leagues and subsidised coach education expanded opportunities for players and coaches.

Online registration system GoalNet was implemented for juniors and youth. Advisory groups were established in competitions and player development.

A WaiBOP team attended the U12 Nations Cup in South Africa. Peter O'Leary officiated at the 2010 FIFA World Cup and was named Sport Waikato Referee of the Year. Assistant referee Nick Van Der Salm was appointed to the FIFA panel.

The WaiBOP ASB National Youth League team, coached by Peter Smith, qualified for the semi-finals — the team's highest finish since the league began in 2004.

The National Women’s Soccer League was replaced by the ASB Women’s Youth League, an under-20 competition with five over-age players per squad.

The New Zealand team at the U17 Women’s World Cup in Barbados featured five WaiBOP players: Grace Parkinson, Holly Patterson, Kate Carlton, Kate Loye and Olivia Chance.

In 2010, New Zealand Football announced a five-year sponsorship agreement with ASB Bank, and the New Zealand Football Championship was rebranded to the ASB Premiership.

Claudelands Rovers won the Women's Knockout Cup (later renamed the Kate Sheppard Cup), with Olivia Chance named Most Valuable Player. They were coached by Dave Edmondson, who was also coaching the New Zealand U-17 women’s team.

Source: Oceania Football archive

The Whole of Football Plan was a major change to junior and youth football, designed to standardise formats across the country and ensure age-appropriate training and clear development pathways. (Read more)

Federation Talent Centres (FTCs) replaced Regional Talent Centres, and a Youth Referee Academy was established in Hamilton. More than 600 coaches completed coaching courses across the region, and futsal was introduced across WaiBOP.

Player registrations grew 3.4%. WaiBOP continued to have the lowest affiliation fees in New Zealand, with only 15% of income coming from fees and the rest from grants and sponsorship.

Holiday programmes and Fun Football Centres were run in Whakatāne, Tauranga, Rotorua, Te Kūiti and Hamilton. A federation-wide U-15 competition was introduced, along with a Federation Pre-Season Cup for senior men — an eight-team tournament won by Melville United against Rotorua United.

WaiBOP hosted two Women’s World Cup festivals with 38 girls-only teams, timed with the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Germany.

At Waikato FC, Declan Edge became head coach, bringing a strong youth development focus and some tension with the board. Nationally, New Zealand won the rights to host the 2015 FIFA U-20 Men’s World Cup, though Hamilton City Council initially declined to bid as a host city.

WaiBOP ran football-in-schools programmes across 414 schools, training 2,019 teachers and reaching 8,379 children. More than 600 coaches completed courses, and a WaiBOP Coaches Conference was held in Tauranga.

Two youth referees and the Referee Development Officer participated in the Referee Academy at the Kanga Cup in Canberra, Australia. Futsal had a four-team secondary school league, and three WaiBOP teams attended Youth Boys’ Futsal Nationals.

Girls’ and women’s football grew through the third Girls’ Summer League and Female Football Week festivals. The first Women’s Development Officer was appointed.

WaiBOP hosted the Weir Rose Bowl at St Peter’s School, Cambridge — an U12 competition with Federation Talent Centre (FTC) teams from WaiBOP, Northern Football and Auckland Football.

An MOU was established with Waikato Secondary Schools, giving WaiBOP responsibility for operational functions. Two new federation-wide leagues were introduced: U-13 Boys and U-14 Girls.

The Quality Club Mark (QCM) was introduced by New Zealand Football and piloted with two clubs in the WaiBOP region. Financially, WaiBOP recorded another profit, and over two years staff numbers increased from five to fifteen.

A collaborative group of football fans and businesspeople formed to raise funds and persuade Hamilton City Council to submit a late bid to host the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

WaiBOP was awarded the licence for the ASB Premiership 2013–15, resulting in the formation of WaiBOP United in 2013.

Claudelands Rovers won the Lotto NRFL Women’s Premier League, with Helen Collins scoring 45 goals to claim the Golden Boot. Ryan Thomas from Melville United was Men’s Premier Player of the Year.

Claudelands Rovers Men’s Federation team gained promotion to the Lotto NRFL Men’s Division 2 League for 2013 after a successful playoff series.

Nationally, New Zealand Football added a focus on women and girls to the Whole of Football Plan. The Football Ferns recorded their first Olympic win, beating Cameroon 3–1 before exiting in the quarter-finals against the USA.

All clubs adopted the junior framework, and Break Through scholarships were introduced to help young players stay in the game. AFC Fury won the Federation Men’s League, and two WaiBOP female referees officiated at the Dallas Cup in the USA.

The Federation Talent Centre (FTC) and representative programmes expanded, with 59 squads run across the region. Holiday Fun Football programmes drew almost 1,000 children, while Fun Football Centres engaged 226 players in towns from Whakatāne to Taupō. Festivals attracted more than 6,500 participants.

WaiBOP returned a surplus in 2013. At the Valais Cup in Switzerland, the Football Ferns defeated Brazil 1–0 — a first for any New Zealand team — before beating China 4–0 in the final.

Futsal spread across all six regions, girls’ festivals grew, and referee academies accelerated the development of young officials.

WaiBOP Women’s National League squad Coach Simon Mead, assistant Ian Heath: Em Hanrahan (Claudelands Rovers), Amanda Wilshier (Rotorua United), Megan Anderson (Papamoa), Kylie Jens (Claudelands Rovers), Kate Carlton (Claudelands Rovers), Eilesh Hayes (Claudelands Rovers), Alex Shadbolt (Claudelands Rovers), Emma Cawte (Papamoa), Emma Baker (Papamoa), Susi Peterson (Whakatāne Town), Chelsea Elliott (BOP unattached), Jackie Pretswell (unattached), Roberta Wigelsworth (Claudelands Rovers), Alice Bennett (Rotorua United), Shania Heath (Papamoa), Katherine Robinson (Claudelands Rovers), Libby Williams (Claudelands Rovers), Helen Collins (Claudelands Rovers), Tessa Leong (Claudelands Rovers).

WaiBOP United: Andrew McNeil, Liam Higgins, Aaron Scott (C), Takahiro Yokota, Tyler Lissette, Masaki Nomoto, Mark Jones, Mikhail Bredeveldt, George Slefendorfas, Milos Nikolic, Marcel Corbera, Jack McNab, Ben Latham, Maksim Manko, Jacob Hall, Shaydon Young, Raymond How, Alexis Varela, Nick Robson, Danyon Drake, Scott Hilliar, Wade Molony. Coach: Peter Smith.

Thirty-nine clubs used the GoalNet online registration system. The Federation employed 14 staff, including one Football Development Officer in each sub-region: Waikato, Western Bay of Plenty, Eastern Bay of Plenty, Central Bay of Plenty, Thames/Coromandel, and North King Country.

Girls’ and Women’s Week in September drew more than 900 participants. The Girls’ Summer League completed its fifth season with over 600 players, and discussions began about introducing girls-only winter football for 2015.

WaiBOP United’s matchday magazine The Range won the NZ Football Media Association’s Programme of the Year. Football in Schools reached 110 schools, training 256 teachers and engaging more than 15,000 children. 459 new coaches gained NZF qualifications.

Mangaiti Park remained under consideration for a Home of Football, but the proposal was shelved following public opposition. A regional facilities plan was initiated to identify long-term needs across the Waikato and Bay of Plenty.

Federation Talent Centres and Skill Centres operated across the region, with 39 male and 22 female players selected for the NZF National Talent Centre. WaiBOP’s U-15 Girls won their age group at the National Age Group Tournament, while the U-15 Boys finished fourth and the U-16 Boys fifth.

WaiBOP hosted the 52nd Weir Rose Bowl at St Peter’s School, Cambridge, featuring 14 boys’ and 11 girls’ teams from WaiBOP, Auckland and Northern Football. All matches were officiated by participants from the Referee Youth Academy.

Futsal continued to grow, becoming the fourth-largest indoor sport in New Zealand. Eight youth teams represented WaiBOP at the National Championships, with the U-19 Boys winning their division.

Referees Sarah Walker and Nadia Browning were selected for international appointments — Walker as assistant referee at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Canada, and Browning at the Youth Olympics in China.

Preparations continued for Hamilton to host matches at the FIFA U-20 Men’s World Cup 2015.

Nationally, the 2014–15 season saw the Premiership expand to nine teams. The Wellington Phoenix Reserves were added to the competition to provide game time for squad members not regularly featuring in the A-League. Restrictions were also introduced requiring that at least 50% of matchday squad players be eligible to represent the All Whites.

WaiBOP played a key role on the Regional Control Group, focusing on community legacy and volunteer engagement. Two hundred volunteers helped deliver the event.

WaiBOP Football recorded an operating deficit of $203,088 for the 2015 financial year, mainly due to reduced grant income and the costs of operating national league teams. The federation had 14,115 registered players, 105 clubs and schools, 100 qualified referees, 1,800 coaches and 3,000 volunteers.

WaiBOP employed its first Women’s Development Officer within the Football Development team. The year saw significant growth in futsal, particularly among youth. WaiBOP managed teams in all NZF national competitions — Men’s, Women’s and Youth Leagues, Futsal Leagues, and Age Group Championships.

Operating the WaiBOP United men’s and youth franchise placed a heavy strain on federation finances, and the licence was transferred to Hamilton Wanderers for the 2016/17 season. The Women’s team remained under federation control.

713 coaches earned NZF coaching qualifications. NZ Football released its 2016–2025 Strategic Plan, proposing shifts in delivery responsibility from federations to clubs to support continued growth across the country.

A new WaiBOP logo was introduced.

Nationally, the NZ U23 team was disqualified from Olympic qualifying after fielding an ineligible player, South African-born defender Deklan Wynne.

The WaiBOP Board continued to highlight ongoing challenges: over-reliance on grant funding, lack of futsal courts, and the absence of an artificial turf in the region.

Sport Waikato and the Waikato Sunshine Rotary Club jointly promoted a Fair Play initiative, supplying sandwich boards to ten Waikato junior clubs.

The federation employed fourteen staff in a mix of part-time and full-time roles. Financial performance improved, with the operating deficit reduced to $53,925.

Nationally, New Zealand Football launched the Youth Framework — the second stage of the Whole of Football Plan — along with the ACC-supported FIFA 11+ injury-prevention programme and the National Curriculum. NZF also celebrated its 125th anniversary in Auckland.

Futsal continued rapid growth, with more than 2,500 registered players and over 1,100 teams entered across 225 competitions. NZF rolled out a National Registration System (NRS) for online player registration, and WaiBOP launched a new website.

The Junior 5-Aside Festival in September drew 230 teams and about 2,000 players from grades 7–13, including girls-only divisions, supported by McDonald’s Hamilton. Ngongotahā AFC won the men’s premiership, and Rotorua United AFC won the women’s Premier title.

The National Women’s League team, managed by WaiBOP and based at John Kerkhof Park in Cambridge, ran girls-only festivals before home matches, with around 100 youngsters acting as mascots and ball girls. Each home fixture drew about 300 spectators.

The annual Girls and Women’s Week campaign was rebranded as FIFA Live Your Goals, aimed at inspiring more females to play and stay in football.

WaiBOP sent five squads to the NZF National Age Group Tournament in Wellington, and 38 players were selected for National Talent Centre camps. The men’s futsal team completed its fifth league season with 14 players under 20. Player-coach Brayden Lissington was named New Zealand Futsal Player of the Year.

WaiBOP appointed a Goalkeeper Development Officer to strengthen specialist coaching across the region. Long-serving board member Patsi Davies retired after 12 years of service. She joined the board in 2004, became Chair in 2007, and held that role until 2015 — the federation’s longest-serving board chair.

WaiBOP Men’s Futsal Team: Subesh Naidu, Alex Walters, Dominic O’Sullivan, David Paulussen, Patrick Steele, Kiegan Surgison, Liam Steffert, Sam Masterson, Harry Porritt, Shaun Morgan, Mahmood Alfarragi, Logan Wallace, Hamish Utteridge, Dennis Esendam, Jake Bayliss, Jacob Robb, Jordan Ditfort, Casey Sharplin, Ehsan Aslani, Jonathan Tobias, Bahram Ahmadi, Avi Kumar, Logan Wisnewski, Brayden Lissington (Player-Coach), Anthoni Hall (Manager), Elly Tobias (Physio).

There were 144 match officials, and the year saw a 14% reduction in dissent-related cards across competitions. Most clubs remained small: 81% had fewer than 200 members, 12% between 201 and 400, and only 7% above 400.

The federation’s focus remained on supporting clubs, schools and volunteers. With volunteer numbers declining nationally, WaiBOP encouraged clubs to build partnerships and alliances to sustain player, coach and referee development.

WaiBOP Football recorded a loss of $34,273 for the year.

Futsal continued its rise, with 2,632 registered players — 1,456 juniors, 966 youth and 210 seniors. The game’s growth continued to place pressure on facilities and club administration.

Cambridge won the Loaded WaiBOP Premiership with a game to spare and also clinched the Loaded WaiBOP Championship, the 2017 Waikato Women’s League, and retained the WaiBOP Challenge Shield.

WaiBOP fielded a team in the National Women’s League. New Zealand Football secured a three-year sponsorship deal with ISPS Handa, renaming the top men’s league the ISPS Handa Premiership. Hamilton Wanderers held the franchise rights, and Ricki Herbert was head coach for the 2017/18 season.

For the first time, a Futsal Ferns team was formed to represent New Zealand internationally in futsal.

The All Whites won the OFC Men’s Nations Cup against the Solomon Islands, earning a place in the intercontinental play-off for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. They held Peru to a 0–0 draw in Wellington before losing 2–0 in the return leg in Lima.

The impact was felt throughout the game, with reduced confidence from funders and sponsors. WaiBOP Football recorded an operating deficit of $157,099, reflecting national funding shortfalls and rising delivery costs.

There were 14,366 registered players across the region. Futsal’s growth continued strongly, with 476 teams, and for the first time, WaiBOP entered two teams into the Men’s Futsal National League.

Five clubs achieved Quality Club Mark Level 1 status. The Weir Rose Bowl ran over three days during the spring school holidays — the final edition featuring federation representative teams.

Karyn Walters was confirmed as Chief Executive — the first woman to hold the role in WaiBOP’s history and only the second female federation CEO in New Zealand. She joined WaiBOP in 2011, serving as Finance and Office Manager and Competitions Manager, and has since become WaiBOP’s longest-serving CE.

Comet, a new national player registration system, was introduced but widely criticised for being slow and difficult to use. WaiBOP and all other federations launched new websites on the Sporty platform.

Taupo AFC won the Loaded Men’s Premiership, and Tauranga City AFC won the WaiBOP Women’s Premier League. Melville United were finalists for Sport Waikato’s Provincial Club Team of the Year.

New Zealand finished third at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup — the best-ever result by a New Zealand national team at a global FIFA or Olympic tournament.

New Zealand Football announced that the Football Ferns would receive equal pay, travel conditions, and commercial benefits as the All Whites when on international duty.

The Women’s Futsal SuperLeague was launched in 2019. On the regional stage, Papamoa FC claimed the Soccer Shop WaiBOP Premiership title, while Tauranga City Relics won the Miller Cup, Bay of Plenty’s men’s knockout competition, beating Whakatāne Town 2–1 in the final. Claudelands Rovers won the WaiBOP Women’s Premier Cup.

Hamilton Wanderers continued to represent the region in the ISPS Handa Premiership. Coach Ricki Herbert resigned at the end of the year, with his son Kale Herbert taking over as head coach.

Johanna Wood was elected President of New Zealand Football — the first woman to hold the position — and was also elected to the FIFA Council for a four-year term. Australia and New Zealand announced a joint bid to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.

WaiBOP recorded a financial surplus and football participation continued to rise. The Weir Rose Bowl evolved from a federation-representative competition to a club-based format, open to clubs with NZF-accredited Skills Centre programmes.

WaiBOP sent five teams to the National Age Group Tournament (NAGT) in December — 14th Boys, 14th Girls, 15th Boys, 16th Boys and 16th Girls. Twelve teams represented the region at the 2019 Youth Futsal Championship in Wellington.

The Waikato U14 Girls returned as champions, winning all six games and scoring 49 goals. All three Waikato boys’ teams — U14, U16 and U19 — finished runners-up in their age groups.

Tarena Ranui (Northern United, Melville, Horotiu School) was named McDonald’s Junior Football Coach of the Year. Melville United reached the Chatham Cup final, losing 3–2 to Napier City Rovers.

The year was marked by tragedy when Futsal Whites goalkeeper Atta Elayyan was killed in the Christchurch mosque terrorist attacks, in which fifty people lost their lives.

NZ Football news - Junior coach humbled by award
WaiBOP news - Youth Futsal Championships 2019 - Wrap-up
WaiBOP news - The new names in Futsal

Nationally, both the ISPS Handa Premiership and the National Women’s League were played under strict health measures. It was the final year WaiBOP operated a women’s national league team. The 2020 National Age Group Tournament in Christchurch and the Futsal Oceania Champions League were both cancelled, preventing 2019 winners Waikato Rapids from competing internationally.

Football across Waikato and Bay of Plenty was heavily affected by COVID-19 but fared better than many regions. Competitions were suspended from March to June during the national lockdown, then again under Level 3 restrictions. When play resumed, draws were restructured for shorter seasons, and Safe Football Guidelines were implemented. Clubs used QR codes and the COVID app for contact tracing.

The Weir Rose Bowl was cancelled. Registered player numbers fell to 12,670 — 62% juniors, 22% youth, and 16% seniors. Despite this, WaiBOP recorded a financial surplus due to wage subsidies, reduced travel, and event cancellations offsetting lost competition income.

NZ Football, WaiBOP and clubs began introducing digital systems. Meetings moved to Zoom, and coach and referee development shifted online. More than 200 coaches completed NZF qualifications through webinars and digital resources.

Australia and New Zealand were announced as co-hosts of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. WaiBOP launched a refreshed logo.

There was a marked increase in sideline incidents, which negatively affected referee retention. NZ Football launched the Delivery and Sustainability Project to address structural challenges in the game.

Several major events were cancelled — including the AIMS Games, National Age Group Tournament, Weir Rose Bowl, Futsal SuperLeague, Futsal Youth Nationals, and both football and futsal secondary school nationals.

New Zealand Football scrapped the franchise-based summer Men’s Premiership, replacing it with the National League Championship — a two-stage competition with qualification through regional winter leagues (Northern, Central, and Southern Leagues) followed by a Championship phase in spring. The 2021 Championship was abandoned mid-season due to Covid.

WaiBOP registered 13,689 players. Across the federation there were 2,632 teams playing in 212 leagues, totalling more than 11,800 matches. Ngāruawāhia United were crowned WaiBOP Premiership champions, and Tauranga City AFC won the WaiBOP W-League.

NZ Football launched the Women & Girls Development Framework, setting national goals to increase participation, visibility, and leadership.

Internationally, the All Whites returned to play after two years, winning all their World Cup qualifying matches in Qatar before losing the intercontinental play-off to Costa Rica.

The Football Ferns competed at the delayed Tokyo Olympics, where Jitka Klimková became their first female head coach. The Wellington Phoenix Women joined the A-League Women, becoming the first New Zealand club in the competition.

Across 85 leagues, 1,106 teams played 8,663 organised matches, supported by 129 match officials, 410 accredited coaches, and 439 community referees.

New Zealand Football launched a new brand identity and aligned logos across all six regional federations, including WaiBOP.

NZ Football replaced the long-running National Age Group Tournament (NAGT) with the National Youth Development League (NYDL), an end-of-season competition featuring U17 boys and U18 girls.

The delayed 2021 Kate Sheppard Cup final was played in March 2022, with Hamilton Wanderers’ Premier Women reaching the final, losing 1–0 to Wellington United.

Ngāruawāhia United won a delayed promotion play-off to move into NRFL Division 2, while Tauranga City’s women — winners of the WaiBOP W-League — earned promotion to the NRFL Women’s Premier League.

The Federation Talent Centre (FTC) transitioned into the club-based Talent Development Programme (TDP), reflecting a shift to localised, club-led youth development.

Futsal continued its growth, with 460 registered teams across junior and school competitions. The National Youth Futsal Championships moved from July to December, aligning with the futsal season, and introduced U15 as the youngest age group.

The Wahine Toa programme was piloted — a two-day, female-only football experience for young kōhine.

Preparations ramped up for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, with Hamilton confirmed as a host city.

Training bases across the region — Gower Park, Korikori Park, Porritt Stadium, and Bay Oval in Tauranga — received major investment in facilities. A Fan Festival at Globox Arena drew large local crowds.

The Football Ferns made history with their first-ever FIFA Women’s World Cup win, beating Norway 1–0 in front of a New Zealand record football crowd of 42,137 at Eden Park.

WaiBOP Football, alongside the other five federations, delivered Aotearoa United: Legacy Starts Now — a legacy programme including four initiatives: MILO Fantails, Kickin’ It, Kōtuitui, and the Regional Women in Leadership programme.

WaiBOP registered 15,685 players — up 8% from 2022 and the highest on record. Juniors made up 64%, youth 20%, and seniors 16%. The gender split remained steady at 26% female, with players evenly divided between Waikato and Bay of Plenty.

The NRFL men’s leagues were restructured along with the WaiBOP Premiership and Championship. NRFL Division 2 became the NRFL Conference, split into Northern and Southern sections. The Southern Conference featured WaiBOP teams, and the top league run by WaiBOP was renamed WaiBOP League One.

Tauranga City won the NRFL Men’s Championship. Across the federation there were 129 active referees and two youth referee academies.

A total of 646 participants attended 53 coach education courses. Eighteen women took part in the first Regional Women in Leadership Programme, aimed at growing female participation in the game.

Nationally, a 10-team Women’s National League Championship was launched, moving toward a fully club-based model.

In the Chatham Cup, Melville United reached the final, losing on penalties to Christchurch United. Max Tommy was awarded the Jack Batty Memorial Cup for his performance.

Futsal continued to thrive, with 621 teams and 4,967 registered players. The Waikato Rapids men’s futsal team won the 2024 Men’s Futsal SuperLeague, with Ethan Martin named league MVP.

Cambridge FC achieved a remarkable double, winning both the LOTTO NRFL Southern Conference and the W-League. Both teams earned promotion — the men to the NRFL Championship and the women to the Lotto NRFL Women’s Championship.

Melville United and Hamilton Wanderers finished 11th and 12th in the Northern League, resulting in relegation to the NRFL Championship. FC Tauranga Moana won the Lotto NRFL Women’s Championship and earned promotion to the NRFL Women’s Premiership for 2025.

After recent financial losses, WaiBOP returned to a surplus in 2024. Growth in competitions and prudent cost management contributed to restoring financial stability.

In governance, clubs began re-registering under the new Incorporated Societies Act. The Positive Vibes Only campaign ran across the junior season, promoting positive sideline behaviour.

The Wahine Toa programme for youth girls ran in July and October. Two junior festivals were held — a 5-aside Festival in Hamilton and a Junior Festival in Rotorua — with more than 2,000 players participating across both days. The Weir Rose Bowl drew 54 teams to St Peter’s School, Cambridge.

450 girls took part in the MILO Fantails programme across 10 club hubs, while 150 participated in Kickin’ It. The Women in Leadership Programme saw 23 women complete the course.

Youth Referee Academies in Hamilton and Tauranga continued to grow, strengthening the pathway for young officials.

On the national stage, Hamilton hosted its first ever All Whites match at FMG Stadium Waikato — a historic moment for the city and region.