Village Super League Starts Northernmost Regional Tournament

On the evening of June 11, 2026, the 2026 Village Super League (“村超”) National Tournament launched its northernmost regional competition in Sunwu County, Heihe City, Heilongjiang Province, marking a significant milestone in the expansion of China’s grassroots football phenomenon. The opening ceremony at the Xunbiela River Sports Stadium drew hundreds of spectators as 16 teams from across Heilongjiang Province began their quest for a spot in the August national finals in Guizhou, according to China News Service.

Background: From Guizhou Hills to National Phenomenon

The Village Super League originated in Rongjiang County, Guizhou Province, where villagers began playing football on riverside meadows in the 1990s. The first official tournament launched on May 13, 2023, with 20 local teams and quickly became a national sensation after videos of the matches went viral on Chinese social media. What makes the league unique is its grassroots, community-driven nature: players are farmers, butchers, construction workers, and small business owners who receive no compensation, and halftime shows feature traditional ethnic performances.

By 2025, the league had expanded to 683 teams across all 34 provincial-level administrative regions for its first National Tournament. The 2026 season, now in its fourth edition, features 137 teams under the “100 Counties Initiative” — a plan to establish 100 county-level competition zones nationwide.

The Northernmost Edition

Sunwu County’s journey to becoming a Village Super League host began on December 8, 2025, when it signed a cooperation agreement with Rongjiang County, Guizhou, as reported by the Sunwu County Government. This partnership made Sunwu an official 2026 national competition zone — and currently the northernmost in the country, spanning over 3,000 kilometers from the league’s subtropical origins.

The tournament runs from June 11 to June 18, featuring a group stage, knockout rounds, semifinals, and a championship final. The winning team, along with Sunwu County’s Heizunniu team, will advance to the August national finals in Rongjiang, Guizhou.

A Celebration of Culture and Community

The opening ceremony showcased the unique cultural fusion that defines the Village Super League. Themed floats, hemp clothing fashion shows, and performances highlighting northern border culture preceded the first match. As Xinhua described it, “This nationwide participatory sports event uses football as a bond to connect the vitality of north and south rural areas, relying on sports events to empower county-level cultural tourism integration and rural revitalization.”

Heihe City’s Cultural and Tourism Bureau offered all 24 A-level scenic spots in the region free of charge to participating players. A “Village Super League Market” was also organized, showcasing local products including Heizunniu beef, birch sap, and hemp products alongside specialties from Guizhou.

Economic and Social Impact

The Village Super League has demonstrated significant economic impact. In 2023 alone, Rongjiang County received 1.07 million tourists during the tournament period, generating 1.241 billion yuan in tourism revenue. The model has proven so successful that it has been replicated internationally, with an African “Village Super League” launching in Benin and the English Premier League signing a strategic cooperation agreement with the league in 2023.

Sunwu County established a dedicated organizing committee with 10 working groups to ensure the tournament’s success, following a warm-up 5-a-side tournament held from March to April 2026 that featured 32 matches. The county’s multi-department approach — coordinating education, tourism, agriculture, and commerce — aims to transform the tournament’s popularity into lasting economic benefits for the region.

What’s Next

As the 16 teams compete over the coming week, all eyes will be on which club earns the right to represent the northern frontier at the national finals in Guizhou this August. The tournament also raises broader questions about the Village Super League’s trajectory: Can the “100 Counties Initiative” reach its target by year’s end? How will extreme northern weather conditions affect future scheduling? And will the model continue its international expansion?

For now, Sunwu County has written its name into the growing story of China’s most remarkable grassroots sports movement — proving that the beautiful game can flourish anywhere, from the subtropical hills of Guizhou to the borderlands of the far north.