Wow, What a year for the Fencibles Talent Development Programme (TDP)

Wow, what a year 2023 was for boys and girls Talent Development Programme (TDP) youth teams. 

A large number of our TDP players played large minutes for our senior men’s, U23’s and senior women’s teams. A highlight was our Premier Women’s team being promoted to the Premiership for 2024 with over half the squad made up of our TDP players. Within the boys space we had three players making their first team debuts and a large number playing Reserves/U23’s helping the latter team to runners up in the competition. Congratulations also to Nathan Walker a regular in our first team being selected for national honours and playing in the U17 World Cup in Indonesia.

It was the first time we had two team’s qualifying for the Youth National League’s. The girls enjoyed a nine week league against eight other teams from around NZ involving travelling to Dunedin, Wellington and Christchurch. A fantastic experience for all finishing third. The Boys Youth National League was played over a weekend in November in Wellington with the boys making the final and being beaten by a well drilled Wellington Phoenix.

Our boys and girls U19’s played in the National tournament in Napier and both made the quarter finals. The boys getting beaten 1-nil by eventual winners Birkenhead. Our girls squad was a very young side and played some great football in the tournament but were beaten 2-1 in the quarterfinals by Western Springs.

The final tournament of the year was the U17 National Tournament at Western Springs last weekend. The boys and girls teams played some great football with both making their final. The girls went on the win their final but unfortunately the boys were beaten in their final to be runners up. With both our U17 teams very young we will still have three quarters of each squad eligible to play again next year. 

Highlights of 2023

Senior Teams

Women’s Premier team promoted to Womens Premiership for 2024

Men’s U23/Reserves finished 2nd in the Lotto NRFL Men’s Championship U23’s league

TDP

1st ranked TDP club in points in the NRFL competitions

1st in U14 Girls Lotto NRFL competition 

1st in U16 Girls Lotto NRFL competition 

2nd in U13 Boys Premiership competition 

1st in U14 Boys Lotto NRFL competition 

1st in U15 Boys Lotto NRFL competition 

3rd in U17 Boys NRFL competition 

10 of our Sunday teams (NRFL, Championship & Conference) out of 13 teams finished third or higher in their competitions.

National Competitions

Top 8 in U19 Mens Nationals (Napier)

Top 8 in U19 Womens Nationals (Napier)

Qualified for U18 Girls Youth National League

3rd in U18 Youth Womens National League

Qualified for U17 Boys Youth National League

2nd in U17 Boys Youth National League (Wellington)

2nd in U17 Boys Youth National Tournament (Western Springs) 

1st in U17 Girls Youth National Tournament (Western Springs) 

Tournaments

1st in U13 Christchurch International Cup

1st in U13 Taupo Tournament 

1st in U14 Christchurch International Cup

2nd in U15 Christchurch International Cup

1st in U15 Taupo Tournament