GYNL Default
Unfortunately, we have had to notify New Zealand Football today that we will be defaulting this weekend’s Girls Youth National League (GYNL) game vs Melville. We appreciate that this may come as a surprise, as many assumed the game had already been postponed, so we wanted to provide some background and context.
This fixture was mutually agreed by both clubs to be postponed shortly after the GYNL draw was released. Based on that agreement, we entered a team into the U19 Tournament — an opportunity we would not have taken had the fixture remained scheduled.
However, there was an assumption made that the postponed game could be rescheduled to the end of the competition, which was also set to be the first official match on the new turf at Links Ave. Unfortunately, due to competition integrity requirements, NZ Football advised us last week that this was not possible.
NZ Football have made a decision based on Clause 15.4 of the National League Regulations (see below), which states that if an alternative date or time cannot be mutually agreed upon, the match must proceed as originally scheduled. Despite our best efforts — including offering to reverse the fixture to Hamilton and showing full flexibility when it's played over the next three weeks — Melville have confirmed that they are unable to make any alternative arrangements.
At this late stage, cancelling our U19 Tournament entry is not an option, as it would result in a financial loss of approximately $15,000 of non-refundable costs. Therefore, our only viable option is to default this weekend’s GYNL game.
Our sincere apologies to the players and staff, who are the ones most affected by this situation. We fully share your disappointment and frustration that we were given no choice.
Thank you for your understanding and continued support.
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Clause 15.4 - NZF girls Youth National League Regulations 2025
If any Participant wishes to change any match date or kick-off time, they must advise both the opposing Participant and NZF in writing at least four weeks prior to the scheduled match, setting out in full their reasons for requiring the change. In the event of both Participants agreeing to the change of time, NZF shall take that into account when giving its decision. Any additional cost incurred in changing a previously agreed match date or kick-off time shall be borne by the Participant making the request.