Expect more floodlit and Friday night games in 2024 — that’s the message from Northern Region Football with their release of new season fixtures for the region’s top women’s and men’s competitions.
“Clubs are taking the opportunity to try something new, from men’s and women’s double headers, to Friday and Saturday night matches, which is really exciting,” says NRF competitions manager Mike Corbett.
“With many clubs benefitting from new facilities thanks to FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023, and using them to innovate and bring more of their community into their clubs, it’s a special part of the World Cup legacy,” he says.
Winter football for the top regional leagues starts in late March.
Here’s how and when they get underway …
Lotto NRFL Women’s Premiership
Competition starts Friday March 22, 2024
Newcomers Fencible United will host Ellerslie under Friday night lights at an upgraded Riverhills Park in the opening round.
West Coast Rangers host Western Springs on the Friday night, while Hamilton Wanderers get their season underway with a Sunday match at Porritt Stadium against Eastern Suburbs.
Auckland United’s first round game against Hibiscus Coast is postponed because United will be playing in the OFC Women’s Champions League.
Lotto NRFL Women’s Championship
Competition starts Sunday April 7, 2024
The women’s championship has a new look about it in 2024 with three fresh names to follow in the fixtures.
New entity FC Tauranga Moana (a team representing Bay of Plenty clubs Tauranga City, Papamoa and Otumoetai) host another newbie in Melville United, promoted from the WaiBOP W-League, in the season opener on Sunday April 7.
Birkenhead United also join the competition, from the NRF Women’s Conference, and they host Onehunga Sports in their first game.
Other first-round fixtures see Manukau United play Central United and Franklin United head to Northern Rovers’ McFetridge Park.
Lotto NRFL Men’s Championship
Competition starts Saturday March 23, 2024
The first round sees home games for Takapuna (against Onehunga Mangere United), North Shore United (against Metro), Mt Albert Ponsonby (against Manukau United), Northern Rovers (against Ellerslie, Franklin United (against Hibiscus Coast) and Fencibles United (against Ngaruawahia United).
Fencibles will play their game under lights at their upgraded Riverhills Park.
Takapuna and Manukau United have been relegated from the Northern League while Franklin United have earned promotion to the competition, having won last season’s Lotto NRFL Northern Conference followed by a play-off with Southern Conference winners Waikato Unicol.
Lotto NRFL Men’s Northern Conference
Competition starts Friday March 29, 2024
A west Auckland derby gets the Northern Conference underway when Oratia United host Waitemata under Friday night lights at Parrs Park on Friday March 29.
The rest of the first round goes ahead at 3pm on Saturday with promoted Te Atatu hosting Beachlands Maraetai, while Albany United travel to Whangarei’s Trigg Arena to play Northland, and Bucklands Beach catch the ferry to play Waiheke United.
Check out the 2024 fixtures schedule
Lotto NRFL Men’s Southern Conference
The Southern Conference fixtures were released by WaiBOP Football.
READ MORE: New season fixtures released for Lotto NRFL Southern Conference >>>>
WaiBOP Men’s League One
READ MORE: WaiBOP League One newcomers land home games in opening round >>>>
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