NIWFA leagues kick off as growth continues

Fifty teams, including seven new clubs, will participate in the 2022 Northern Ireland Women’s Football Association (NIWFA) season, as women’s football continues an impressive rise in popularity.
By Darryl Armitage
Published 3rd May 2022, 13:31 BST
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

The NIWFA season, sponsored by Electric Ireland, kicked off on Thursday 21st April when Ballyclare Comrades Ladies welcomed Lisburn Rangers Ladies to Dixon Park, with a full set of fixtures when the season kicked off on Sunday 24th April.

League matches will continue until the end of August.

This year’s structure sees 6 leagues, with Division 5 being split to accommodate 12 teams which includes the seven new clubs and four new second teams.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad
Fifty teams, including seven new clubs, will participate in the 2022 Northern Ireland Women’s Football Association (NIWFA) season, as women’s football continues an impressive rise in popularity. Pictured (left to right) are players from Lisburn teams as they gear up for this year’s season. Erin McGreevy, Lisburn Rangers, Ciara McEvoy, Lisburn Distillery, Kate Thompson, Lisburn Swifts, and Chloe Glover, Ballymacash RangersFifty teams, including seven new clubs, will participate in the 2022 Northern Ireland Women’s Football Association (NIWFA) season, as women’s football continues an impressive rise in popularity. Pictured (left to right) are players from Lisburn teams as they gear up for this year’s season. Erin McGreevy, Lisburn Rangers, Ciara McEvoy, Lisburn Distillery, Kate Thompson, Lisburn Swifts, and Chloe Glover, Ballymacash Rangers
Fifty teams, including seven new clubs, will participate in the 2022 Northern Ireland Women’s Football Association (NIWFA) season, as women’s football continues an impressive rise in popularity. Pictured (left to right) are players from Lisburn teams as they gear up for this year’s season. Erin McGreevy, Lisburn Rangers, Ciara McEvoy, Lisburn Distillery, Kate Thompson, Lisburn Swifts, and Chloe Glover, Ballymacash Rangers

Commenting on the return to play, Valerie Heron, NIWFA chair, said: “We’re delighted to be able to launch the 2022 season following a record number of new club applications.

“We are also pleased that new teams in the North and West have entered the league, extending the reach of senior women’s football across the country. We know of course that interest in the game is helped significantly by the success of the Northern Ireland Senior Ladies and our season will break for two weeks in July to coincide with the Women’s Euro Finals.”

The entry-level Division 5 will play 15 league matches – home and away – against five other teams in their region, and then, after the break, the top three in each league and the bottom three in each league will play each other once, giving an additional five matches this season.

There will be five NIWFA divisional cup competitions, as well as an overall NIWFA Super Cup competition. The Electric Ireland Women’s Challenge Cup, CAFA Cup and Mid Ulster Cup are all expected to go ahead this year.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Anne Smyth, sponsorship specialist at Electric Ireland, says continued growth of the NIWFA is heartening but not surprising.

She said: “Over the past few years, since Electric Ireland first started supporting the women’s game, I’ve had the privilege of witnessing first-hand the dedication and commitment of NIWFA in driving women’s football forward.

“It is brilliant that we have both new clubs and 2nd teams taking part in the 2022 season. Every girl and woman involved is part of the Game Changers movement which continues to raise the profile of women’s football across Northern Ireland as more and more people enjoy the women’s game.”

Related topics:North

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.