| Nickname(s) | The GAWA, Norn Iron | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Irish Football Association | ||
| Confederation | UEFA (Europe) | ||
| Home stadium | various | ||
| FIFA code | NIR | ||
| |||
| First international | |||
NI Schools  0–5  Scotland Schools(21 May 1927, Solitude) | |||
The Northern Ireland national under-16 schools football team (also known as Northern Ireland schoolboys, under-16s or U16) represents Northern Ireland in association football at under-16 level. It is controlled by the Northern Ireland Schools Football Association (NISFA) which is affiliated to the Irish Football Association. The main competition competed for by the team is the Victory Shield which has been competed for since 1925 by the same four teams (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales). The Northern Ireland under-16 side also competes regularly in other minor tournaments and in friendlies. The team had previously been fielded at under-15 level and games are still sometimes arranged at this age group level with the agreement of the opposition association.