WaiBOP Football

Girls only Youth Football in Waikato and Bay of Plenty

The WaiBOP U15 Girls League began in 2026. It’s a competitive, Federation-wide club league. It's for girls in their first years of high school, with the U15 category roughly aligning with years 9 and 10 of High School.

In its first year, six clubs entered teams from across the region and played a strong standard of football .

The U15 league will be offered again in 2027 - details below.

In 2028, a new U19 Girls League will be introduced, creating a competitive club pathway for girls from 14 through to 19. It’s a place to keep playing with girls their own age, close to home, before moving into senior women’s football.

Looking to the future - U19 Girls League

The U19 Girls League will be a federation wide club league for girls aged 16 to 19. It will provide another step after the U15s for girls that want to continue playing with their friends.

While we anticipate the majority of the girls may be 17 or 18, an U19 league means that girls who may have recently left school can continue to play with friends.

It will suit:

aren’t ready for senior women’s football yet
don’t want the travel involved in the NRFL leagues
want to keep playing with girls their own age

Girls coming through from the U15 league, girls who play for school, and girls new to the game can all play.

Leaving school is when most girls stop playing football. The U19 league gives them a place to keep playing, including after they leave school, until they’re ready for senior women’s football.

We’ve listened to the players.
Many girls have told us they don’t want to be forced to choose between club football and school football.

By scheduling the U15 Girls League on Sundays, we’re giving the option of playing either or both, not having to choose.

A natural progression.
The U15 Girls League is 11-a-side, played on Sundays, the same as the WaiBOP Senior Women's leagues (and the Federation Boys Leagues).

The U15 league is open to U14 and U15 girls, which roughly aligns to Years 9 & 10, the first two years of High School. In 2027, the age range will be extended to include those U16 as we lay a platform to launch the U19 league from the following year. In 2028, with the introduction of an U19 league, the U15 league will revert to being open only to U14 and U15 girls.

U13 Girls Leagues

2026 saw the addition of new U13 Girls Leagues. These combined 12th/13th Grade competitions roughly align with years 7 & 8 (intermediate school), better aligning with friend groups.

Why? This aligns with the Whole of Football 2.0 changes, which have shifted age bands and playing formats up by one year. In areas where dual age bands are used, this now means leagues will be U9, U11, U13 (instead of the old U8, U10 and U12).

Senior Women’s Age Criteria
The minimum age for Senior Women's Football is 16 years old raised from 15 in 2025 (players must have turned 16 before participating)
Dispensation can be requested for 15 year olds (parental consent required).

Having these leagues run on a Sunday aligns with our senior women's competitions. In some areas, it will allow games to be scheduled prior to women's games, giving clubs a showcase of female football.

However, we acknowledge Sunday scheduling also presents challenges. Some coaches already have Sunday football commitments, either coaching or playing themselves, which may affect their availability to coach female youth teams on Sundays.

We recognise the value of our Senior Women players as coaches. These players are passionate, capable individuals who contribute meaningfully to youth development, and we’re committed to preserving and expanding those connections.

Across several regional meetings, a number of suggestions were made, with diferent clubs having diferent structures.

2025 Coaching Analysis

Of the 33 U14 Girls teams competing in 2025, 30 were coached by male coaches. Some clubs will continue to have their U15 teams coached by male coaches.

Coach + Assistant for Game day

Some coaches who may be unavailable on Sundays will coach during the week, but have an assistant or parent lead the team on Sundays.

Female coaches can continue to lead U13 Girls teams on Saturdays.
The U13 Girls Leagues is played on Saturdays. Some female coaches involved in Senior Women’s football will coach U13 sides, and therefore still play a key role in developing younger players.

Supporting Female Coaches Through Smart Scheduling
Where possible, we’ll work with clubs to explore scheduling games to allow coaches to stay involved across multiple teams and competitions.

We’re planning ahead — together.
We’re giving clubs time to assess their coaching capacity and work on solutions that work for their unique situations.

With thoughtful planning and open communication, we believe we can support both youth and senior spaces without compromise.