The National Club Tournament featured 26 teams from all over the North Island, in three divisions - U13 and 14 boys and U14 girls - with one Australian team making it an international event for the first time. The tournament, played in Whangarei last weekend, will expand to include U15 Boysnext year, so a "pilot" division was played as a trial this year, including local boys' teams, as well as two U17 girls' teams. The winners in the U15 division was FC Whangarei, who won the most games in the round-robin competition. North Force also made it through to the U14 girls' final but lost 0-2 to Eastern Suburbs. East Coast Bays beat Waitemata 2-0 to win the U13 division, while Birkenhead won the U14 boys final, beating Pukekohe 4-0. Although Katie Rood's under-17 North Force Girl's team were the best U17 girls team at the tournament, on Saturday her club team FC Whangarei, missed out on their chance to win the Northland women's knock-out cup. Kamo won their third consecutive title with a 3-1 win over their Whangarei rivals at Morningside Park. FC Whangarei started strongly, dominating the first 20 minutes, to lead through a breakaway goal, scored by Rood. Kamo started the second spell brightly and were soon level after Kayleigh Knight smashed in a 35m free kick. Both teams then had chances to grab the advantage but with 20 minutes to go, Ayla Whitehira fired Kamo in front and then Hannah Wilkinson goaled to make it 3-1.
