By Joan Grey
Three teams are vying for the lead in the Lotto NRFL Premier Girls’ U-16 league as the season goes past the halfway mark.
Just three points separate the three leading teams; Northern Rovers and the two teams representing Auckland United.
The build-up to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup has shone a spotlight on girls’ football within New Zealand.
More girls are playing football and taking their game to the next level, as reflected in the growing calibre of female players coming through the U-16 premier competition.
To compete at this level, the eight clubs participating in the NRFL Premier Girls U-16 league have attained or are working towards attaining NZF Talent Development Programme.
Teams must have at least 12 home-grown players who have been registered with the club for two or more seasons and their coach must have a C-Licence qualification.
Standings
Photographs of Ellerslie v Northern Rovers. Credit: Joan Grey.
Joan Grey
Friends of Football writer Joan Grey loves playing and writing about football. She captains the Strathallan College Girls First XI and represents Franklin United in the NRF Women’s Championship.