# Capital Premier League

The Capital Premier League (formerly known as NPL ACT 2 or simply NPL2) is an association football competition contested by clubs affiliated to Capital Football. The league is the second highest level (level 2) competition in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) region. It is a 2nd tier in ACT Capital Football and sits in Level 3 in the overall Australian league system. Prior to 2019, the league was known as the Capital League and was the top division of the ACT State League system and National Premier Leagues Capital Football 2.

## History

Established in 1967 as Division 2 the level 2 division in the ACT has been competed every year except a three-year gap between 1984 and 1986, The league has been renamed three times prior to 2019 with the original Division 2 title changed to State League One in 1992 before becoming the Capital League in 2013.
1 August 2018, Capital Football announced a major overhaul of the local football structure with the top two divisions (level 1 and 2) linked with the introduction of promotion and relegation between the top two men's divisions. The top two leagues were re-branded from NPL Capital Football and the Capital League to NPL1 and NPL2.
3 August 2018, a group of current NPL clubs in the ACT raised concerns regarding the structure changes and the introduction of promotion and relegation. In particular the concern around governances was raised by Woden-Weston president Steve Rohan-Jones. While Canberra Olympic coach, Frank Cachia, raised the issues around juniors and the sustainability of an inter-state team if it gets relegated.
31 August 2018, Capital Football opened the application process for interested teams to apply to join the NPL1 and NPL2 leagues.
28 September 2018, Capital Football announced the successful applications for teams for the 2019 NPL season. NPL1 would consist of nine teams with seven teams selected for NPL2. Out of the ten teams that competed in the 2018 Capital League season, seven teams were successful in gaining NPL2 status while three teams, Narrabundah FC, Monaro Panthers reserves, and Canberra Olympic reserves were all unsuccessful. The bottom team of NPL1 in 2019 would be relegated to NPL2 for the 2020 season but no team from NPL2 would be promoted to even the two leagues to eight teams each.
Narrabundah FC lodged an official appeal supported by a number of other Capital Football affiliated clubs. Narrabundah's appeal was successful, and on 8 November 2018 Capital Football released a new declaration of leagues for the 2019 NPL level that included Narrabundah FC as an NPL2 participant.
15 November 2018, NSW regional club, Wagga City Wanderers, announced it was transferring from NSW State League to Capital Football and would join the NPL2 and NPLW leagues. This move resulted in both NPL1 and NPL2 leagues having nine teams each for the 2019 season.

## Format

The regular season runs between April and September each year and consists of 16 rounds with four matches played each round and one team sitting out a bye. Each team plays each other twice (home and away) and sits out two byes over the course of the season. The top four teams qualify for the finals series (finals). The team that finishes first in the league standings is crowned league premiers and, from 2020, will be promoted to NPL1.
Finals is run over three weeks with the major (1 vs 2) and minor (3 vs 4) semi-finals held in the first week. The winner of the major semi-final progresses to the grand final in week 3 and the loser progresses to the preliminary final in week 2. The winner of the minor semi-final progresses to the preliminary final and the loser is eliminated.

## Clubs

The inaugural season of NPL Capital Football 2 was originally planned to only have seven clubs, as published by Capital Football on 1 August 2018. After a successful appeal by Narrabundah a revised declaration of clubs for NPL level was released by Capital football on 8 August 2018 that increased the number of clubs from seven to eight. In November 2018, Wagga City Wanderers announced the club was leaving Football NSW and switching affiliation to Capital Football so the club's first grade team was added to NPL2 to bring the overall number up to nine (equal numbers with NPL1).
Eight of the inaugural season clubs were members of the previous ACT level two league (Capital league) in the previous season (2018). All nine inaugural season clubs were making their first appearance in the National Premier Leagues system, having previously competed in NSW and ACT State League systems.

### Current clubs

As of the 2025 Capital Premier League season, there are 8 clubs competing in the CPL.
2024 CPL :
| Club | Location | State | Home grounds | Founded | Joined league | 2024 Position |
| ANU FC | Acton | ACT | ANU Willows Oval | 1962 | 2019 | 2nd |
| Belconnen United | McKellar | ACT | McKellar Park | 1970 | 2023 | 3rd |
| Brindabella Blues | Calwell | ACT | Everlast Enclosed | 1990 | 2019 | 4th |
| Canberra Juventus | Hawker | ACT | Hawker Football Centre | 1953 | 2023 | 6th |
| Canberra Olympic | O'Connor | ACT | O'Connor Enclosed | 1955 | 2025 | 8th *Relegated from NPL 2024 |
| Canberra White Eagles | Phillip | ACT | Woden Park | 1992 | 2019 | 7th |
| Wagga City Wanderers | Wagga Wagga | NSW | Gissing Oval | 2014 | 2019 | 5th |
| West Canberra Wanderers | Pearce | ACT | Melrose High School (Canberra) | 2014 | 2024 | 8th |

### Former Premier League or NPL 2 clubs

| Club | Location | State | Home ground | Founded | Last season |
| Narrabundah FC | Narrabundah | ACT | Narrabundah 2 | 1976 | 2021 |
| Queanbeyan City | Queanbeyan | NSW | High Street Oval | 1966 | 2024 |
| O'Connor Knights | O'Connor | ACT | O'Connor Enclosed | 1997 | 2021 |
| Riverina Rhinos | Griffith | NSW | SolarMad Stadium | 2014 | 2020 |
| Southern Tablelands United | Goulburn | NSW | Cookbundoon 2 | 2017 | 2019 |
| Tuggeranong United | Greenway | ACT | Greenway Enclosed | 1976 | 2022 |
| Weston-Molonglo FC | Waramanga | ACT | Waramanga Playing Fields | 1971 | 2022 |
| Yoogali SC | Griffith | NSW | SolarMad Stadium | 1954 | 2023 |

## Honours
### Capital Premier League seasons (2022–)

| Season | Regular season | Regular season | Finals | Finals | Finals | Team promoted to NPL1 |
| Season | League Premiers | League Runners-Up | Champions | Score | Finalists | Team promoted to NPL1 |
| 2022 | Tuggeranong United | Queanbeyan City | Tuggeranong United | 2–1 (AET) | Brindabella Blues | Tuggeranong United |
| 2023 | Yoogali SC | Queanbeyan City | Yoogali SC | 3–0 | Queanbeyan City | Yoogali SC |
| 2024 | Queanbeyan City | ANU FC | Queanbeyan City | 2–0 | Brindabella Blues | Queanbeyan City |

### NPL2 seasons (2019–2021)

A snapshot of the NPL Capital Football 2 seasons since its inauguration in 2019.
| Season | Regular season | Regular season | Finals | Finals | Finals | Team promoted to NPL1 |
| Season | League Premiers | League Runners-Up | Champions | Score | Finalists | Team promoted to NPL1 |
| 2019 | Canberra White Eagles | O'Connor Knights | ANU FC | 5–1 | O'Connor Knights | – |
| 2020 | No Premier declared. | No Premier declared. | Wagga City Wanderers | 2–2 (5-4 (p)) | Yoogali SC | – |
| 2021 | O'Connor Knights | ANU FC | not held.$^1$ | not held.$^1$ | not held.$^1$ | O'Connor Knights |
Notes:
    $^1$ ACT finals series cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.

### NPL2/Capital Premier League all-time record

Premierships :
| Club | Premierships | Years |
| Canberra White Eagles | 1 | 2019 |
| O'Connor Knights | 1 | 2021 |
| Tuggeranong United | 1 | 2022 |
| Yoogali SC | 1 | 2023 |
| Queanbeyan City | 1 | 2024 |
Championships :
| Club | Championships | Years |
| ANU FC | 1 | 2019 |
| Wagga City Wanderers | 1 | 2020 |
| Tuggeranong United | 1 | 2022 |
| Yoogali SC | 1 | 2023 |
| Queanbeyan City | 1 | 2024 |

## Pre-NPL Honours
### Pre-NPL seasons (1967–2018)

A snapshot of each ACT division two season between 1967 and 2018 before being aligned with the NPL in 2019.
Legend: BOLD = first league or finals title a club secures
| Season | Competition | Regular season | Regular season | Finals | Finals | Finals |
| Season | Competition | League Premiers | League Runners-Up | Champions | Score | Finalists |
| 1967 | Division Two | Inter Monaro | Kosciusko | Inter Monaro | 1–0 | RAAF |
| 1968 | Division Two | Season standings & results unknown | Season standings & results unknown | Season standings & results unknown | Season standings & results unknown | Season standings & results unknown |
| 1969 | Division Two | Season standings & results unknown | Season standings & results unknown | Season standings & results unknown | Season standings & results unknown | Season standings & results unknown |
| 1970 | Division Two | Season standings & results unknown | Season standings & results unknown | Season standings & results unknown | Season standings & results unknown | Season standings & results unknown |
| 1971 | Division Two | Season standings & results unknown | Season standings & results unknown | Season standings & results unknown | Season standings & results unknown | Season standings & results unknown |
| 1972 | Division Two | Season standings & results unknown | Season standings & results unknown | Season standings & results unknown | Season standings & results unknown | Season standings & results unknown |
| 1973 | Division Two | Queanbeyan Macedonia | ANU FC | No Finals Series held | No Finals Series held | No Finals Series held |
| 1974 | Division Two | ANU FC | Belconnen United | No Finals Series held | No Finals Series held | No Finals Series held |
| 1975 | Division Two | Season standings & results unknown | Season standings & results unknown | Season standings & results unknown | Season standings & results unknown | Season standings & results unknown |
| 1976 | Division Two | Season standings & results unknown | Season standings & results unknown | Season standings & results unknown | Season standings & results unknown | Season standings & results unknown |
| 1977 | Division Two | Canberra United | ANU FC | Canberra United | 3–1 | ANU FC |
| 1978 | Division Two | Queanbeyan Macedonia | RMC | Queanbeyan Macedonia | 3–1 | RMC |
| 1979 | Division Two | Kambah United | Concordia Phillip | Concordia Phillip | 2–1 | Kambah United |
| 1980 | Division Two | Polonia White Eagles | JAT United | Polonia White Eagles | 2–1 | Canberra North |
| 1981 | Division Two | Croatia Deakin | Unknown | Canberra North | 3–2 | Croatia Deakin |
| 1982 | Division Two | Cooma FC | RMC | Unknown Finals Series results | Unknown Finals Series results | Unknown Finals Series results |
| 1983 | Division Two | RMC | Narrabundah | Unknown Finals Series results | Unknown Finals Series results | Unknown Finals Series results |
| No Division 2 league run between 1984 and 1986 |||||||
| 1987 | Division Two | Weston Creek | Canberra City | ANU FC | 1–0 | Weston Creek |
| 1988 | Division Two | Queanbeyan Macedonia | Canberra City | Queanbeyan Macedonia | Unknown | ANU FC |
| 1989 | Division Two | ADFA | ANU FC | Downer Olympic | 3–0 | ADFA |
| 1990 | Division Two | Downer Olympic | Condors | Queanbeyan Macedonia | 3–1 | Condors |
| 1991 | Division Two | ADFA | Queanbeyan Macedonia | ADFA | 4–1 | Condors |
| 1992 | State League One | Latin America | Unknown | University of Canberra | Unknown | Latin America |
| 1993 | State League One | Queanbeyan City | Unknown | Unknown Finals Series results | Unknown Finals Series results | Unknown Finals Series results |
| 1994 | State League One | Canberra White Eagles | ANU FC | ANU FC | Unknown | Canberra White Eagles |
| 1995 | State League One | Queanbeyan City | ANU FC | Queanbeyan City | Unknown score and losing team | Unknown score and losing team |
| 1996 | State League One | ANU FC | Burns FC | Cooma FC | 2–1 | ANU FC |
| 1997 | State League One | Capital City Suns | Cooma FC | Burns FC | 2–1 | Capital City Suns |
| 1998 | State League One | Season standings & results unknown | Season standings & results unknown | Season standings & results unknown | Season standings & results unknown | Season standings & results unknown |
| 1999 | State League One | O'Connor Knights | Unknown | Unknown score and winning team | Unknown score and winning team | O'Connor Knights |
| 2000 | State League One | Unknown league standings | Unknown league standings | ANU FC | 1–0 | Canberra White Eagles |
| 2001 | State League One | Cooma FC | Unknown | Cooma FC | Unknown score and losing team | Unknown score and losing team |
| 2002 | State League One | Cooma FC | Canberra Olympic | UCU Pumas | 1–0 | Canberra City |
| 2003 | State League One | O'Connor Knights | Canberra City | Canberra White Eagles | 2–1 | O'Connor Knights |
| 2004 | State League One | Canberra White Eagles | ANU FC | Canberra White Eagles | 2–0 | ANU FC |
| 2005 | State League One | ANU FC | Queanbeyan City | ANU FC | 4–1 | Queanbeyan City |
| 2006 | State League One | Queanbeyan City | Tuggeranong United | Queanbeyan City | 1–0 | Tuggeranong United |
| 2007 | State League One | Cooma FC | Southern Tablelands | Canberra White Eagles | 3–1 | Cooma FC |
| 2008 | State League One | Southern Tablelands | Cooma FC | Canberra White Eagles | 3–2 | Narrabundah |
| 2009 | State League One | Canberra White Eagles | Southern Tablelands | Canberra White Eagles | 1–0 | Cooma FC |
| 2010 | State League One | Canberra White Eagles | Queanbeyan City | Queanbeyan City | 1–0 | Canberra White Eagles |
| 2011 | State League One | Canberra White Eagles | O'Connor Knights | Canberra White Eagles | 5–1 | ANU FC |
| 2012 | State League One | Canberra White Eagles | Queanbeyan City | Canberra White Eagles | 2–1 | Queanbeyan City |
| 2013 | Capital League | Canberra White Eagles (Group A) Narrabundah (Group B) | ANU FC (Group A) Queanbeyan City (Group B) | Narrabundah | 0–0 (5–3) | Queanbeyan City |
| 2014 | Capital League | ANU FC | Canberra White Eagles | Weston Molongo | 2–0 | ANU FC |
| 2015 | Capital League | Monaro Panthers | ANU FC | ANU FC | 1–1 (4–3) | Canberra White Eagles |
| 2016 | Capital League | ANU FC | Canberra White Eagles | ANU FC | 6–3 | Queanbeyan City |
| 2017 | Capital League | ANU FC | O'Connor Knights | ANU FC | 5–1 | O'Connor Knights |
| 2018 | Capital League | Queanbeyan City | Canberra White Eagles | ANU FC | 6–1 | Canberra White Eagles |

### Pre-NPL all-time record

Pre-NPL era Division 2 honours since 1967 till 2018, prior to the transition to NPL in 2019.
Premierships :
| Club | Premierships | Years |
| Canberra White Eagles | 7 | 1994, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 |
| Queanbeyan City | 7 | 1973, 1978, 1988, 1993, 1995, 2006, 2018 |
| ANU FC | 6 | 1974, 1996, 2005, 2014, 2016, 2017 |
| Cooma FC | 4 | 1982, 2001, 2002, 2007 |
| ADFA Vikings | 2 | 1989, 1991 |
| Monaro Panthers | 2 | 1967, 2015 |
| O'Connor Knights | 2 | 1999, 2003 |
| Burns FC | 1 | 1977 |
| AIS | 1 | 1992 |
| Balkan | 1 | 1956 |
| Burns FC | 1 | 1984 |
| Canberra FC | 1 | 1981 |
| Canberra Olympic | 1 | 1990 |
| Capital City Suns | 1 | 1997 |
| Latin America | 1 | 1992 |
| Narrabundah FC | 1 | 2013 |
| Polonia White Eagles | 1 | 1980 |
| RMC | 1 | 1983 |
| Southern Tablelands | 1 | 2008 |
| Tuggeranong United | 1 | 1979 |
| Weston Molongo FC | 1 | 1987 |
Championships :
| Club | Championships | Years |
| ANU FC | 8 | 1987, 1994, 2000, 2005, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 |
| Canberra White Eagles | 7 | 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012 |
| Queanbeyan City | 5 | 1978, 1988, 1990, 1995, 2006 |
| Burns FC | 2 | 1977, 1997 |
| Cooma FC | 2 | 1996, 2001 |
| UCU Pumas | 2 | 1992, 2002 |
| ADFA Vikings | 1 | 1991 |
| Canberra North | 1 | 1981 |
| Canberra Olympic | 1 | 1989 |
| Concordia Phillip | 1 | 1979 |
| Monaro Panthers | 1 | 1967 |
| Narrabundah FC | 1 | 2013 |
| Polonia White Eagles | 1 | 1980 |
| Weston Molongo FC | 1 | 2014 |