Let the Battles Begin: 2025 Chatham and Kate Sheppard Cups Draw Their Opening Acts

The curtain has officially lifted on the 2025 Chatham Cup and Kate Sheppard Cup, two of New Zealand’s most prestigious football competitions, with New Zealand Football announcing the results of the preliminary round draws earlier today. The opening matches are scheduled to be played over the weekend of 25–27 April, setting the stage for months of thrilling knockout action.

The draw, hosted at NZ Football’s Auckland headquarters, was conducted by Kevin Forde (Competitions and Events Manager) and Shannon Hewetson (National Competitions and Events Manager), and overseen by Stephanie Brown (Community Competitions Manager, Northern Region Football).

Kate Sheppard Cup: 52 Teams, Three Preliminary Round Clashes

The Kate Sheppard Cup – New Zealand’s premier women’s knockout tournament – will see 52 teams from across the Northern, Central, and Southern regions vying for silverware in 2025. This year’s edition features 25 teams from the Northern Region, 13 from Central, and 14 from Southern.

In accordance with competition regulations, 46 teams have received byes into Round 1, ensuring the appropriate number of clubs progress to Round 2. These byes are based on the teams’ standing in their respective winter competitions, with preference given to higher-ranked leagues such as the NRFL Premier Women’s and AFF Women Division One.

Just three preliminary fixtures will be played this month:

Kate Sheppard Cup – Preliminary Round Fixtures

Northern Region

• Hamilton Wanderers vs Te Awamutu AFC

• Whakatāne Town vs Ngunguru FC

Central Region

• Wairarapa United vs Seatoun AFC

Chatham Cup: 122 Clubs Begin the Journey to National Glory

The men’s Chatham Cup, steeped in tradition and prestige, welcomes 122 clubs for the 2025 edition. The Northern Region leads the way with 59 teams, followed by 32 from Central and 31 from Southern.

A total of 66 clubs received byes into Round 1, with 28 preliminary round matches drawn to determine who else will advance. As in the women’s competition, the byes were allocated according to teams’ current standings in regional winter leagues.

Chatham Cup – Preliminary Round Fixtures

Northern Region

• West Auckland vs Uni-Mount Bohemian

• Papatoetoe AFC vs Matamata Swifts

• Te Puke United vs Internationale FC

• AFC Bohemian Celtic vs Te Atatu AFC

• Bream Bay United AFC vs Colo Boys FC

• Papakura City FC vs Te Awamutu AFC

• Otorohanga AFC vs Franklin United

• South Auckland Rangers vs Albany United

• Oratia United vs Waiheke United

• Mangere United vs Waikato Unicol

• Plains Rangers vs Whakatāne Town

Central Region

• Taradale AFC vs Palmerston North United

• Whanganui Athletic vs Waitara SC

• Western Rangers vs FC Western

• Greytown FC vs Seatoun FC

• Carterton AFC vs Naenae

• Victoria University vs Lower Hutt City

• Stokes Valley vs Wellington Marist

• Wellington United vs Tawa AFC

• Kapiti Coast United vs Wainuiomata

• Stop Out vs Te Kotahitanga FC

Southern Region

• Motueka AFC vs Rangers AFC

• Richmond FC vs Wakefield FC

• Central SC vs FC Nelson

• Western AFC vs FC Twenty 11

• Parklands United vs Waimakariri United

• Burwood AFC vs Halswell United

• Grants Braes vs Green Island

As anticipation builds, these preliminary fixtures mark just the beginning of a journey filled with drama, upsets, and iconic cup moments. Whether chasing a historic title or carving out a Cinderella run, every team now has its eyes on the prize.

Stay tuned as #pitchside.hq brings you in-depth coverage of every stage of the 2025 Chatham Cup and Kate Sheppard Cup.