The Central Federation League was an amateur status league competition run by Central Football for association football clubs located in the central region of the North Island, New Zealand. It was ranked in the third level of the New Zealand football league system, below the Central League administered by Capital Football and was entered by clubs from the Taranaki, Manawatū-Whanganui, Hawke's Bay and Gisborne districts.
In 2025, the league was replaced by two parallel leagues, the Eastern Premiership and the Western Premiership.
History The league was launched in 2000 and began within the second tier of the New Zealand football league system as a replacement for the disbanded triple-division Central League, which had run in various forms since 1966.
Final season clubs
As of the 2024 season. Club Location Home Ground(s) 2023 season FC Western New Plymouth Lynmouth Park 2nd in Taranaki Premiership (new entry) Gisborne Thistle Gisborne Childers Road Reserve 4th Havelock North Wanderers Havelock North Guthrie Park 2nd in Pacific Premiership (new entry) New Plymouth Rangers New Plymouth Merrilands Domain 3rd in Taranaki Premiership (new entry) Palmerston North Marist Palmerston North Central Energy Trust Arena Turf 1st Palmerston North United Palmerston North Memorial Park 2nd Peringa United New Plymouth Peringa Park 1st in Taranaki Premiership (new entry) Taradale Napier Taradale Park 5th Whanganui Athletic Wembley Park Whanganui 10th in Central League (relegated)
Records Past Champions
2000 – Manawatu 2001 – Napier City Rovers 2002 – Napier City Rovers 2003 – Manawatu 2004 – Napier City Rovers 2005 – Gisborne Thistle 2006 – Team Taranaki 2007–09 – not contested 2010 – Maycenvale United 2011–12 – not contested 2013 – Palmerston North Marist 2014 – Wanganui Athletic 2015 – Team Taranaki 2016 – Team Taranaki 2017 – Havelock North Wanderers 2018 – Palmerston North Marist 2019 – Havelock North Wanderers 2020 – New Plymouth Rangers 2021 – Havelock North Wanderers 2022 – Whanganui Athletic 2023 – Palmerston North Marist 2024 - Palmerston North United
2024 Federation League Table ClubPalmerston North United 16 11 3 2 4036Palmerston North Marist 16 11 0 5 2933FC Western 16 10 1 5 3 31Taradale 16 9 1 6 428Havelock North Wanderers 16 8 1 7 125Gisborne Thistle 16 7 1 8 -2022New Plymouth Rangers 16 6 1 9 -619Whanganui Athletic 16 3 1 12 -1810Peringa United 16 2 1 13 -337 The 2024 season saw the league increase the number of clubs from five to nine. Whanganui Athletic, relegated from the 2023 Central League, joined a trio of clubs from New Plymouth including; 2023 Taranaki Premiership champions Peringa United, FC Western (both new entrants to the league), and the returning New Plymouth Rangers. Havelock North Wanderers rejoined the league from the Pacific Premiership while Napier City Rovers reserves withdrew before the 2024 season commenced.
2024 Central League Premier Division place play-off
Upper Hutt City win 4 - 2 on aggregate and promotion to the 2025 Central League Premier Division.
2024 Central League 2 play-offs
2023 Federation League Table ClubPalmerston North Marist 16 10 1 5 Palmerston North United 16 9 0 7 Napier City Rovers Reserves 16 6 3 7 Gisborne Thistle 16 5 3 8 Taradale 16 4 5 7 Prior to the commencement of the 2023 season, a merger of three Palmerston North clubs; Massey University FC, North End and Red Sox Manawatu created new entity, Palmerston North United. Palmerston North United replaced North End and Massey University in the league.
Napier Marist FC and Levin AFC withdrew from the league before the 2023 competition began reducing the number of clubs participating to five.
2023 Central League place play-off
Island Bay United win 7 - 0 on aggregate and promotion to the 2024 Central League.
2022 Federation League Table ClubWhanganui Athletic 14 12 2 0 48 7 +41 38 Palmerston North Marist 14 10 2 2 39 12 +27 32 North End 14 9 2 3 37 14 +23 29 Massey University 14 7 1 6 27 30 -3 22Napier Marist 14 6 1 7 25 41 -16 19 Napier City Rovers 14 5 0 9 27 36 -9 15Levin 14 1 1 12 12 43 -31 4 Gisborne Thistle 14 1 1 12 12 44 -32 4
2022 Central League place play-off
Aggregate score 5–4. Stop Out promoted to the 2022 Central League. In late 2022 Whanganui Athletic were also promoted to the 2023 Central League after the withdrawal of Wellington United from the competition.
2021 Federation League Table ClubHavelock North Wanderers 16 13 2 1 55 16 +39 40 Palmerston North Marist 16 11 1 4 62 26 +36 34 Whanganui Athletic 16 9 3 4 38 23 +15 30 Gisborne Thistle 16 10 0 6 43 32 11 30Massey University 16 8 4 4 40 31 9 28 North End 16 7 1 8 35 36 -1 22Napier Marist 16 3 1 12 25 57 -32 10 Levin 16 2 2 12 15 45 -30 8 New Plymouth Rangers 16 2 1 13 15 62 -47 7
2021 Central League place play-off
Aggregate score 6–6. Havelock North Wanderers win tie on away goal rule and are promoted to the 2022 Central League.
Note - Wairarapa United withdrew from the 2022 Central League prior to the start of the season and were subsequently replaced by Wellington United.
2020 Federation League Table
2020 Central League place play-off
Aggregate score 12 - 6. Wainuiomata are promoted to the 2021 Central League.
2019 Federation League Table 2019 Central League place play-off
Petone won 6 - 5 on aggregate and promotion to the 2020 Central League.
2018 Federation League Table 2018 Central League place play-off
North Wellington won 12 - 0 on aggregate and promotion to the 2019 Central League.
2017 Federation League Table 2017 Central League place play-off
Waterside Karori won promotion on away goal rule to 2018 Central League.
2016 Central League place play-off
Team Taranaki won on away goals rule and promotion to the 2017 Central League.
Past Clubs ClubLocationHome Ground(s)Last seasonGisborne CityGisborneChilders Road Reserve2003 - merged as Gisborne City MaristMoturoa AFCNew PlymouthOnuku Taipari Domain2003 - league position given to Team TaranakiGisborne City MaristGisborneChilders Road Reserve2004 - withdrewManawatu AFC Palmerston North2004 (amalgamated)Red Sox RiversidePalmerston North2004 (amalgamated)Linton Area Defence FCPalmerston NorthLinton Military Camp2005 - withdrewNapier City RoversNapierBluewater Stadium2010 - withdrew to Pacific PremiershipFeilding UnitedManawatuTimona Park2015 - withdrewTeam TaranakiNew PlymouthYarrow Stadium2016 - promoted to 2017 Central LeaguePort Hill UnitedNapierMarewa Park2016 - withdrewWanganui City FCWhanganuiWembley Park2019 - withdrewPalmerston North Boys' High SchoolPalmerston NorthHigh School Ground2019 - relegatedHokowhitu FCPalmerston NorthHokowhitu Park2019 - withdrewRed Sox ManawatuPalmerston North2020 - withdrewLevinLevinDonnelly Park2022 - withdrew to Horizons PremiershipNapier MaristNapierBluewater Stadium2022 - withdrew to Pacific PremiershipNorth EndPalmerston NorthMemorial Park2022 - merged as Palmerston North UnitedMassey UniversityPalmerston NorthMassey University2022 - merged as Palmerston North UnitedNapier City Rovers ReservesNapierBluewater Stadium2023 - withdrew to Pacific Premiership
Central Federation Cup The Lotto Central Federation Cup is the premier men's knock-out trophy of the Central Football Federation and is contested annually by clubs affiliated to the Central Football Federation. The cup competition in its current form began in 2009, with the exception of the COVID-19 affected 2020 season when the first round of matches was initially scheduled then subsequently cancelled.
Central Federation Cup Champions
2009 - Wanganui City AFC 2010 - Gisborne City AFC 2011 - Maycenvale United² 2012 - Napier City Rovers FC² 2013 - Havelock North Wanderers AFC 2014 - Gisborne United AFC 2015 - Hāwera FC 2016 - Napier City Rovers FC² 2017 - Massey University Football Club 2018 - Eltham AFC 2019 - Massey University Football Club 2020 - Not contested 2021 - Massey University Football Club 2022 - Gisborne United AFC 2023 - Whanganui Athletic² 2024 - Taradale AFC 2025 - Napier City Rovers FC² 2026 - Gisborne United AFC
*(2) denotes club's second team
References