The Legacy Ulster Women’s Premier League returns this weekend with four games on Saturday.
This season sees Belfast Harlequins and Ards Ladies return to the division upon their relegation from the EYHL, whilst Senior One champions Omagh were promoted into the division alongside Portadown.
There are four fixtures on Saturday, the first of which sees last season’s runners-up Lurgan, travel to take on newly promoted Omagh who come into the Premier League having won a league and cup double last year.
The visitors come into this game having run the 2022/23 champions Ulster Elks close having won all but four of the games, a campaign which will surely put them amongst the favourites for the title this time around.
Ballymoney and Armagh both finished in comfortable mid-table positions last season and will now be looking to make the next step as they get their seasons underway at the Joey Dunlop Leisure Centre.
It was the County Antrim side who finished higher last campaign, but on the pitch, they couldn’t be separated as each side recorded a win in their two league meetings, the last of which saw a 2-1 Ballymoney win.
The third fixture of the day sees Queen’s University host Banbridge as the third and fourth-placed teams from last campaign go head-to-head on the opening day at The Dub.
Both teams will be hoping to go one further this season and achieve promotion to the EYHL but will face stiff competition from the likes of Harlequins, Ards and Lurgan with this game being an early season six-pointer.
The two sides last met back in March when they were inseparable and played out a 1-1 draw at The Dub with today’s fixture also expected to be another tight encounter.
The final game of the day sees Ards travel to face Lisnagarvey as they hope for a turn in momentum following their relegation from the EYHL.
Ards go into this season as one of the favourites for the title, but Lisnagarvey will provide a tough opening-day test having beaten the likes of Banbridge towards the end of last season.
There are also a further five fixtures in Senior One as Coleraine, North Down and Raphoe look to bounce back to launch promotion campaigns against Mossley, Dromore and Instonians.
Elsewhere Ballymena host Randalstown at Ballymena Academy and Dungannon travel to take on NICS.
