Can anyone catch Glens? Your guide to the Women's Premiership

The new Women's Premiership season is almost upon us and the big question on everyone's lips will be can anyone stop Glentoran? The Glens won the 2025 title with a 1-0 victory over Cliftonville on the last day of the season and will look to retain the trophy this year. The Reds are likely to be their nearest challengers, but can the likes of Linfield, Lisburn Rangers or Crusaders close the gap to the top two?

BBC Sport NI looks at how all eight teams are shaping up before the opening day of the season on Friday. Cliftonville Cliftonville won the League Cup and Irish Cup in 2025, but still came away disappointed as they relinquished the league title to Glentoran. The Reds are targeting a clean sweep of domestic trophies this season according to striker Carla Devine.

"We want to retain the League Cup and the Irish Cup but there is nothing better than having the league trophy," she told BBC Sport NI. The north Belfast side have strengthened what was quite a thin squad by bringing in players with Women's Premiership experience. Goalkeeper Maddy Harvey-Clifford has arrived from Crusaders while defender Hannah Doherty has returned after a spell with Linfield.

Exciting teenagers Aoife Gargan, Lucy Kelly and Charlotte Havern have also joined as the Reds look to challenge on multiple fronts. Brendan Lynch's side will of course be without Marissa Callaghan, with the decorated former Northern Ireland captain announcing her retirement at the end of last season as well as Naomi McLaughlin, who joined Aberdeen in January. Devine said that while it was "sad to see her go", former club captain Callaghan remains involved with the senior team as a coach and will push the side to achieve more success.