Petone claimed the final place in this season's National Women's League on August 30, vanquishing Victoria University 5-0 at Petone Memorial Park to claim a third-placed finish in the Central Region Premier Women's League while condemning the beaten team to relegation. A brace of Phoebe Gray goals inside the first half-hour set up Petone's victory, with Jazz Shailer, Kate Marra and substitute Jessica Owens-Blackmore sealing the deal and that all-important National League spot, which offers a place as New Zealand's representatives at the 2026 Oceania Women's Champions League as its reward, and the potential to go further - competing in the FIFA Women's Champions Cup is the prize for the confederation champions. Wellington United also have their sights on that particularly tasty carrot, and will be a strong contender in the NWL if their regional form is anything to go by. Played eighteen, won eighteen is how their season has panned out, an 8-1 mauling of Miramar Rangers at Dave Farrington Park, where Liv Donovan-Grammer equalised for the locals halfway through the first half. Summer Laskey had given "The Diamonds" a first minute lead, and the champions took umbrage to being pegged back, as the final scoreline suggests. The American recruit doubled her tally before half-time, while Natalie Olson bagged a brace to finish with 35 goals for the season. The "Queen of Diamonds"' efforts on the day were surpassed by the "Ace of Diamonds", however, Hannah Pilley procuring a hat-trick on a day Farina Anchico also chimed in as United finished their league campaign having scored 97 goals in their eighteen matches. Second-placed Wellington Phoenix copped a 7-2 hiding from Waterside Karori at Karori Park, but it was all in vain for "The Magpies", who missed out on a top-three finish by a point, so won't be gracing the National Women's League Grand Final this season. They signed off their season in style, however, Renee Bacon's hat-trick backed up by goals from Sherize Concessio, Amelia Abbott, a Samantha Senior penalty and Isabella Ismail-Sanders on a day Matilda Smith and Maisy McDonald were on target for the club which will contest next Sunday's Delivereasy Kate Sheppard Cup Final at North Harbour Stadium. Marist Palmerston North claimed fifth place on the final table, despite copping a 3-0 beating from sixth-placed Taradale at Arena Manawatu, where late goals from substitute Ruby Gilbertson and Abby Winterburn gave "Dale" the points, the latter having broken the deadlock soon after half-time. The two teams who were hoping Victoria University wouldn't win - if the students did, one of these two would finish bottom of the table - met at Onuku Taipari Domain, and there was nothing to separate Moturoa and Palmerston North United come the final whistle. Former West Coast Rangers starlet Shania McIntosh gave United the lead six minutes before half-time, but they were still celebrating when Anna Hinton levelled the scores sixty seconds later - her sixth of the season, precisely half Moturoa's tally for the campaign. Parity prevailed throughout the second spell, meaning both survive for 2026 in the top league in the central region. Victoria will be replaced by either Seatoun, the Capital Premier Women's League winners in their Golden Jubilee season, or New Plymouth Rangers, who won the Central Federation Premier Women's League - their play-off is to come. Details: Marist Palmerston North 0, Taradale 3 (A. Winterburn (49, 89), R. Gilbertson (87))  HT 0-0 Miramar Rangers 1 (L. Donovan-Grammer (22)), Wellington United 8 (S. Laskey (1, 35), H. Pilley (25, 75, 90), F. Anchico (30), N. Olson (45, 56))  HT 1-5 Moturoa 1 (A. Hinton (40)), Palmerston North United 1 (S. McIntosh (39))  HT 1-1 Petone 5 (P. Gray (17, 30), J. Shailer (35), K. Marra (51), J. Owens-Blackmore (72)), Victoria University 0  HT 3-0 Waterside Karori 7 (S. Concessio (7), R. Bacon (16, 64 pen, 87), A. Abbott (23), S. Senior (60 pen), I. Ismail-Sanders (76)), Wellington Phoenix 2 (M. Smith (13), M. McDonald (71))  HT 3-1

The outgoing title-holders prevailed in the clash of the current and former champions in the South Island Women's League this week, with Cashmere Technical downing Dunedin City Royals 4-1 at Tahuna Park. Sara Mann gave the visitors a fourth minute lead, which Rebecca Lake doubled on the half-hour. Amy Hislop, the league's leading markswoman, halved the deficit before the break, but quickfire goals in the last ten minutes from Jemma Wilson and Anya Stephan earned Cashmere their second win of the week, and dashed "The Royals"' hopes of recording a perfect season - they had won all fourteen games played heading into this encounter. On Wednesday evening, the beaten Kate Sheppard Cup semi-finalists swept aside Canterbury Universities 7-2 at English Park, a dress rehearsal for this Sunday's Morrison Mitsubishi Reta Fitzpatrick Cup Final at the same venue. Ruby Luxton was the star turn for the victors on this occasion, her hat-trick supplemented by a brace from Stephan, and further goals to Mann and Kate Loye on a night captain Erin Roxburgh and substitute Kelsey Barrett were on target for the students. Three days later, again at English Park, they unleashed their frustrations on Halswell United, who copped a 5-0 hiding which condemned "The Hawks" to a last-placed finish. Liv Deane was very much to the four - as well as to the fore - in this match, with Tessa Burns adding variety to the goalscorers' records. Coastal Spirit went one better against Nomads-Waimakariri United at Tane Norton Field, where Margi Dias scored a first half brace before Frankie Morrow found the net after "Queen B", the prolific Britney-Lee Nicholson, scored the first goal of her second half hat-trick to wrap up a 6-0 win. Otago University clinched a second-placed finish by winning 2-0 at Nelson Suburbs thanks to goals either side of the half-time whistle from Sofia Zame and Rosie Hayman at Saxton Fields, where the home team will host Spirit on Sunday, twenty-four hours after "The Hawks" and "The Royals" lock horns at Timaru's Aorangi Park. Those fixtures will wrap up the league, and also determine the Golden Boot winner. Hislop has 17 goals to her name, with Nicholson (16) and Dias (15) also with their sights set on the individual honour. Selwyn United and Green Island are looking like the contenders to replace Halswell in next season's South Island Women's League. While the former won the Mainland Premiership, the latter's Football South Premier Women's League campaign isn't over - confusion over playing dates with "The Royals" saw their title decider postponed on the weekend. Details: Cashmere Technical 7 (K. Loye (16), S. Mann (24), A. Stephan (30, 67), R. Luxton (45, 48, 61)), Canterbury Universities 2 (E. Roxburgh (50), K. Barrett (90))  HT 4-0 Canterbury Universities 5 (L. Deane (27, 45, 66, 75), T. Burns (33)), Halswell United 0  HT 3-0 Coastal Spirit 6 (M. Dias (25, 45), B. Nicholson (52, 87, 90), F. Morrow (58)), Nomads-Waimakariri United 0  HT 2-0 Dunedin City Royals 1 (A. Hislop (42), Cashmere Technical 4 (S. Mann (4), R. Lake (31), J. Wilson (84), A. Stephan (85))  HT 1-2 Nelson Suburbs 0, Otago University 2 (S. Zame (42), R. Hayman (52))  HT 0-1