Taupō AFC is getting ready to return to the ‘Northern Leagues’ for the first time in more than 25 years.

Their promotion to the NRFL Championship comes after winning the 2025 NRFL Southern Conference in dramatic style, scoring 23 goals in their final two 2 games, to take out the title on goal difference.

A playoff for promotion followed, with Taupō AFC taking on Northland FC, the winners of the Northern Conference Each team made a 870km and 11-hour round trip, with Taupo AFC winning both games 1-0.

The last time Taupō AFC played at this level was almost 25 years ago. In 2001, they played in Division 1 of the Northern League, then the second tier behind the Premier Northern League.

Newly elected Taupō AFC club president Greg Willars says that the club is looking forward to the challenge, although there are lots of details to work through.

The regulations for the Championship are more stringent, and Willars says the club is working through them to understand what changes might be required.

One example is that clubs must meet higher standard of grounds and facilities (inspection, parking, clubrooms) for the Championship, so the club needs to go through each regulation to ensure that they comply.

In addition, Championship regulations include specific quotas (e.g., max foreign players) that have not been a consideration playing in the NRFL Southern Conference. The number of over age players allowed in the U23s team is reduced to 5 (from 7 in the Southern Conference)

Claudelands Rovers vs Taupō AFC 6th September 2025

Stepping up into the next level of competition will require even more travel than the club currently do. With 9 of the 12 clubs in the league (TBC) from Auckland, away games are now at least a seven hour round trip. With the U23s and 1st team travelling together and usual kickoff times being 12.30pm and 3pm, it makes for a very long day, and a big commitment for the players and coaches.

The club will be welcoming new players into the club across all teams.

The club will start pre-season in early to mid-January, and invites any keen players to come along and join pre-season to express their interest in joining the team.

The club are interested in hearing from any coaches who would like to be involved in the club in 2026, especially those with a C-License (required for both the Championship and the Championship U23s)

Taupō AFC, based at Crown Park, is the only football club in Taupō, and has 662 members from First Kicks through to adults. In 2025, they fielded 5 senior teams: The 1st Team playing in the NRFL Southern Conference, plus the U23s/Reserve Team. The Lakers, a more social/O35s team, played in the Bay 3 league.

On the Women’s side, Taupō AFC fielded their 1st Team in the W-League, and a Social Team in the Waikato Div 2 league.

Predicted Line up for NRFL Championship 2026 (TBC)

Relegated from Northern League

• Manurewa AFC
• West Coast Rangers FC

From 2025 Championship

• Northern Rovers
• Cambridge
• Hamilton Wanderers
• Hibiscus Coast
• Onehunga-Mangere United
• North Shore United
• Ellerslie
• Takapuna
• Mt Albert Ponsonby

Promoted from Northern/Southern Conference via playoff

• Taupō AFC

Article added: Friday 28 November 2025