About the Upper Central Zone

Established in 2009, Upper Central Zone Rugby League (UCZ) is a non-profit organisation made up of five District Leagues, three Referee Associations and has 56 clubs, over 6,200 registered players and some exceptional volunteers.

As the Zonal body of the New Zealand Rugby League (NZRL) our purpose is to lead, develop, foster and promote Rugby League in conjunction with the Waikato, Hauraki, Bay of Plenty, Coastline and Gisborne Tairawhiti Districts. Our goal is to work collaboratively with a range of partners to create the best platform for Rugby League to grow and excel.

Our philosophy is simple; we believe sport should be a fun and positive experience for everyone involved. We are currently working with the NZRL, Regional Sports Trusts, District Leagues and Clubs, to ensure that our future has a solid platform, and is encouraging success from the grassroots to the top of the game.

Our clubs are typically whanau based and are run completely by volunteers with 85-90% of these members being from a Maori or Polynesian background. Within the UCZ there are more than 1,800 volunteers involved with our clubs, plus the referees and officials that are involved in the games themselves.