The NZRL Men's National Competition (previously called the National Zonal Competition) is the top-level

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competition run by the

New Zealand Rugby League The New Zealand Rugby League (NZRL) is the governing body for the sport of rugby league, rugby league football in New Zealand.#SPARC-2009, SPARC, 2009: 13 The NZRL was founded on 25 April 1910 in preparation for a 1910 Great Britain Lions tour o ...

. In 2010 the competition replaced the

Bartercard Premiership The NZRL Bartercard Premiership was a six-team rugby league competition that ran in 2008 in sports, 2008 and 2009 in sports, 2009. It replaced the now-defunct Bartercard Cup competition as the highest level of rugby league in New Zealand. Matches h ...

following a Sparc funded review and restructure of the

. Since 2019, the competition has consisted of a four-team national premiership and an eight-team national championship (split into North and South Island Conferences) with a promotion and relegation between the two divisions.

Trophies and awards

Senior teams compete for the Albert Baskerville Trophy, which is named after

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, the organiser of the 1907-1908 All Golds tour. Under-17s compete for the Mark Graham Cup, which is named after Mark Graham, the New Zealand Rugby League player of the century. Under-15s compete for the Nathan Cayless Cup, which is named after Nathan Cayless, the only captain to win the

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for New Zealand.

Structure

The competition was reformatted for the 2016 season, with Akarana, Counties Manukau, Canterbury and Wellington competing in a national championship. The Upper Central and Mid-Central zones reverted to district teams with these teams, alongside Northland and the South Island districts, competing in four regional championships. The four regional winners then compete in a National Premiership competition, which play a promotion-relegation match against the last placed national championship side. From 2019, this changed again, with a 4-team Premiership and 8-team, two conference (North and South Island) Championship contested.

NZRL Premiership Teams

NZRL Championship Teams

Season winners

Note: *In 2014 Counties Manukau were disqualified from the final for fielding an ineligible player.

References

External links

* * {{Rugby League in New Zealand Rugby league competitions in New Zealand 2010 establishments in New Zealand Sports leagues established in 2010