Northern NSW Football will expand its women's and girls' premier competitions in 2027, enhancing access to the highest level of football for talented female players within northern NSW.
The NNSWF Board of Directors have endorsed a number of successful applications to grow its premier competitions, unlocking new geographical regions throughout, making sure this level of football is accessible to more regions.
The changes include the expansion of the Cardiff Motor Group National Premier Leagues Women's competition to eight clubs, the addition of an under-14s age group to the Premier Youth League Girls competition and the admission of three additional clubs into the Junior Development League Girls and PYL Girls programs.
NNSWF Technical Director Ryan Doidge said the changes reflected NNSWF’s commitment to building a stronger female football pathway and responding to continued growth in the women's and girls' game.
"This is part of our strategy to improve the quality and quantity of clubs participating in our top tier women and girls competitions,” Doidge said.
“The women's and girls' game continues to experience significant growth across northern NSW and it's important our competitions evolve to meet the needs and expectations of players and clubs.
"Introducing an under-14 age group fills a gap that has existed within the female competition pathway and creates greater continuity between the junior and youth age groups.
"That means more players can remain in a structured, high-performance environment during an important stage of their development, while clubs can provide a clearer progression for aspiring female footballers."
CARDIFF MOTOR GROUP NPL WOMEN’S NNSW
The Cardiff Motor Group NPL Women's competition will expand in 2027, with Kahibah FC admitted as the competition's eighth club.
Kahibah FC’s introduction will see the league return to an eight-team competition, with an CMGNPLW team also completing Kahibah FC’s club development pathway.
PYL GIRLS STRUCTURAL CHANGE
From the start of the 2027 season, the PYL Girls competition will feature four age groups, with the addition of the under-14s age group to complement the existing under-13s, 15s and 17s competitions.
The addition of an under-14s competition addresses an identified gap in the pathway and provides more players with the opportunity to continue their development within the region’s premier youth competition.
The expansion of the PYL Girls structure has been a consistent point of feedback for a significant period of time. NNSWF has listened to this feedback from players, parents, coaches and clubs and is confident that now is the right time to introduce a new age group to expand the competition.
The addition of an under-16s PYL Girls competition will be considered in due course following consultation with clubs.
As well as providing greater access to the competition, the structural change will also address the issue of more than 50 players every year having to leave the PYL Girls structure to find a new competition pathway.
ADDITIONAL JDL AND PYL CLUBS
NNSWF has also expanded its female development competitions at JDL and PYL level.
South Maitland FC have been admitted to the JDL Girls and PYL Girls competitions.
Maitland Junior FC have also been admitted to the JDL Girls competition.
Valentine FC have also been admitted to the PYL Girls competition.
The expanded competition structure strengthens opportunities for female players and coaches across northern NSW and reinforces NNSWF's commitment to providing a clear, connected pathway from junior football through to the member federation’s highest levels of the women's game.
NNSWF General Manager Participation and Women's Football Allana Neeve said the changes reflected the continued growth of women's and girls' football and would strengthen the game's long-term future.
"The growth of women's and girls' football continues to create new opportunities and it's important our premier competitions evolve alongside that growth," Neeve said.
"By providing more girls with access to high-quality, challenging and supportive environments, we're strengthening the foundations of our premier competitions and the pathways that lead into senior football.
"We know girls want opportunities to challenge themselves, improve their game and compete in environments that help them reach their potential. Just as importantly, those environments foster friendships, confidence and a sense of belonging that keeps players engaged in the game.
"These changes will give more players the opportunity to flourish while ensuring our premier competitions continue to grow stronger for years to come."
NNSWF Premier Competitions Lead Thom Kane said the expansion highlighted the strength and depth of women's football across northern NSW.
"These changes are an important step in the continued growth of our premier women's competitions and were the result of several months of consultation and development with standing committees, clubs and various other stakeholders," Kane said.
"Adding another club to the CMG NPLW competition creates more balanced competition, while expanding our JDL and PYL programs gives more players access to high-quality development opportunities.
"We've seen significant investment from clubs in their female football programs over recent years and these changes recognise that work while strengthening the pathway for future generations of players."
