Mainland Premier League
Founded1998
CountryNew Zealand
ConfederationOFC (Oceania)
Number of teams8
Level on pyramid3
Promotion toSouthern League
Relegation toCanterbury Championship
Nelson Bays Division One
Domestic cup(s)Chatham Cup
League cup(s)English Cup
Current championsUniversities AFC (1st title)
(2023)
Most championshipsCashmere Technical (10 titles)
WebsiteMainland Football
Current: 2023 Mainland Premier League

The Mainland Premier League is a league competition run by Mainland Football for association football clubs located in the northern half of the South Island, New Zealand. It is currently regarded by the New Zealand footballing community as the strongest football league in the South Island of New Zealand and features current and former New Zealand Football Championship players.

The competition currently runs between March and August each year, and consists of seven teams based in Christchurch, and one team in Nelson. There are 21 rounds where teams play each other three times. The winner of the league qualifies for the South Island Championship, a one-off game against the winner of the FootballSouth Premier League, which is hosted by the two federations in alternate years.

By statute, the winners of the Canterbury Championship League and Nelson Bays Division One play in a home and away play-off, with the winner of the tie receiving promotion to the Premier League. However, due to potential extra travel costs, the winner of the Nelson Bays Division One title usually forgoes the right to a play-off. This effectively means that the winner of the Canterbury Championship League title is normally promoted to the Premier League.

In 2012, Woolston Technical and Cashmere Wanderers merged to become Cashmere Technical; they replaced the Woolston side that had finished sixth in the 2011 competition. Recently merged teams Coastal Spirit (Established between New Brighton AFC and Rangers AFC in 2008), and FC Twenty 11 (Established between Avon United and Burnside AFC in 2011) entered the Premier League through promotion from the Division One competition.

Mainland Premier League clubs

As of 2024 season.[1]

Club Location Home Ground(s) 2023 season
Burwood Marshland Clare Park 6th
Cashmere Technical (2) Woolston, Christchurch Garrick Memorial Park 2nd
FC Twenty 11 Avonhead Park Avonhead, Christchurch 10th in Southern League (relegated)
Halswell United Halswell Halswell Domain 4th
Nomads United (2) Casebrook, Christchurch Tulett Park 3rd
Parklands United Parklands Parklands Reserve 7th
Waimakariri United Kaiapoi Kendall Park 5th
Western Mairehau Westminster Park 8th
(2) — Denotes club's Under 20 reserve team

Winners

Mainland Premier League:

Club Number of Titles Year(s) Won
Christchurch United 1 1998
Halswell United 3 1999, 2000, 2001
Ferrymead Bays 5 2002, 2006, 2011, 2012, 2017
Nomads United 2 2003, 2007
Nelson Suburbs 3 2004, 2005, 2008
Cashmere Technical 10 2009*, 2010*, 2013, 2014, 2015,
2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
  • Cashmere Technical's MPL titles in 2009 and 2010 were won by Woolston Technical, which was later merged in 2012.

Canterbury Premiership League:

Club Number of Titles Year(s) Won
FC Twenty 11 1 2022
Universities AFC 1 2023

References

  1. ↑ "New World Premiership".
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