SOCCER IN NZ

Soccer is a game (called football in some climes) that is played between two teams of eleven players each, to propel a round ball into the opponent's goal by hitting it. Acclaimed as the most popular sports in world, no player is allowed to touch the ball with their hands except the goalkeeper (goalie).

The game of soccer is played at all levels worldwide, which include small kids' league, local, professional, and international teams. Of all the soccer tournaments held, the most-watched and famous is the World Cup, which is hosted every four years by random nations.

Brief Background

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Modern soccer originated in Britain as far back as the 19th century, but before then, 'folk football 'games have been played in small towns and villages in medieval times. The earliest form of soccer-playing was organised according to local customs and had a minimum or no rules. The game began changing gradually with the advent of industrialization and urbanization, which lessened the amount of space, time and leisure the game had.

Soccer History in New Zealand

New Zealand Soccer Association (NZFA), the first football association, was founded in 1891 and was officially confederated with FIFA in 1948. It was renamed New Zealand Football (NZF) in 2007 in a bid to replace the word ‘soccer with ‘football’ like the rest of the world. The first-ever hosted tournament was the Chatham Cup, which was played hosted in 1923, and it became New Zealand's longest-running club competition. In 1964, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) admitted New Zealand as their member, but the membership was short-lived. After leaving AFC, New Zealand and Australia came together in 1966 and formed the Oceania Football Federation (now Oceania Football Confederation).

There was a thorough re-branding of the New Zealand national female football team as it was renamed from ‘SWANZ’ to ‘Football Ferns.' The female under-17 squad was named the 'Young Football Ferns', while the under- 20 team were known as 'Junior Football Ferns.'

International Stage

New Zealand has enjoyed great success on the international stage in recent times. The Football Ferns beat Brazil in 2015 and attained the highest ranking (16) for the second time and made them qualified for the Rio Olympics. They also won Papua/New Guinea 4-2 in the OFC finals which earned them a good reputation in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia.

Soccer Leagues & Associations in New Zealand

  • New Zealand Football Championship – This is a professional men’s football league that sits on the top of the New Zealand League System. This league (founded in 2004) was a successor to the myriad of momentary soccer leagues in the country. Some of the previous associations included New Zealand Superclub League, National Soccer League, and National Summer Soccer League. The league uses a franchise system for the contest, and it's open for ten teams only.

  • New Zealand Soccer League – This was the name given to competitions where all top teams in New Zealand played against each, and it ran from 1970 till 2004. After each tournament, the best performing team is named the New Zealand Champions.
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  • Northern Football Federation
  • Football South
  • Waikato/Bay of Plenty Football
  • Central Football
  • Soccer Associations in New Zealand
  • Capital Football
  • Auckland Football Federation
  • Mainland Football

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