For women and girls in regional NSW, finding a pathway into high level football can mean travelling away from home or leaving their local team behind.
In 2026, the introduction of Women’s Zone League has added another level of competition to the women’s football landscape.
The inaugural competition provides a competitive step between community football and higher levels of the game, giving players the opportunity to develop their skills, test themselves against new opposition and continue progressing within the sport.
Among the inaugural clubs is Southern United FC, a Forster-based club from Football Mid North Coast that has traditionally built its presence through the men’s Zone League structures.
For Southern United, entering a women’s team into the new competition marked an important step in the club’s development and provided players with the opportunity to continue playing at a high level.
Women’s Zone League coach Jane Lynch said the new competition had given the team an important pathway to continue playing together.
“Many players last year were advised there was no option for them to continue playing together in 2026. The new ZPL has given Southern players a new pathway to continue playing at a higher level, while still studying and living locally,” Lynch said.
The competition has also given Southern United players the chance to compete against clubs from Newcastle, Maitland and the Hunter, allowing players from the Mid North Coast to test themselves against teams from across the region.
For captain Zali Elford, having a competition of this standard available to women is an important opportunity for individual players and the team.
“It’s really good to have something here [in Newcastle] that’s at a level we need to be at. It’s really helps for our individual talent and our team talent,” Elford said.
Player Zarah Hillenberg said being part of the competition had also provided Southern United players with greater exposure and opportunities to build connections within the game.
“Having the Zone League now be a competition for us women and having Southern United be a part of that gives the girls in the Mid Coast great exposure to play football at a higher level,” Hillenberg said.
For the Southern United squad, the inaugural season has been about adjusting to a new competition, facing different opposition and continuing to develop together as a team.
That experience is likely to shape how the club approaches the competition in seasons to come, as Women’s Zone League continues to establish itself.
For Southern United, being part of the inaugural Women’s Zone League represents another step in the growth of women’s football at the club.
“The ZPL and Southern United have given players an option to continue training and playing at a higher level, which may assist them into senior NPLW sides in later years,” Lynch said.
As Women’s Zone League continues to establish itself, its inaugural season provides an early look at the role the competition can play in the broader women’s football landscape, while giving clubs and players the chance to experience a new level of competition.
For Southern United, its first season in the competition has been another chapter in the club’s development and its contribution to the growth of women’s football across the region.