Followers of the small-sided game can start pencilling some important dates into their diary after the release of the official draw for the men’s Futsal National League.

The league follows a similar format to the previous edition and brings the best futsal players in the country to many different regions with Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Napier, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin all set to host a series of matches.

There is a couple of changes to the teams taking part though with Hawke’s Bay and Manawatu – who previously competed as separate entities – joining forces to form one team representing the Central region while the opposite has taken place in the WaiBOP area with Waikato and Bay of Plenty branching out to compete separately.

The action is set to get going on October 13 and, in another significant change, will wrap up in Wellington for the first time when the finals are staged on December 9 at the ASB Sports Centre.

The release of the draw is the latest exciting development for futsal in this country, which has experienced rapid growth in recent years and now has clearly-defined pathways right to the top with senior and age-group national teams in place for both genders.

“This league is one of our premier domestic competitions and is a key driver for the development of futsal across the country. Many of the junior and youth players in New Zealand see the Futsal National League as a future step in their progression through the futsal pathway,” says Josh Margetts, New Zealand Football’s Futsal Development Manager.

“With the league being the main selection tool for the Futsal Whites, it goes without saying how important it is for the success of the national team. And the impressive following of the livestream audience proves that the wider futsal and football communities are engaged in the exciting nature of the league.”

For the full 2018 Futsal National League draw please click here

Article added: Thursday 23 August 2018