The Bus Éireann Women’s National League kicks off this weekend.  The FAI has expanded the League this season with the addition of the DLR Waves, a team backed by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council and based at the new council facility in Stepaside.  They will join last year’s winners Peamount United, Raheny, Castlebar, Cork, Shamrock Rovers and Wexford Youths as the League moves into its second year.
Since the launch of the FAI’s Women’s Development plan in 2006, enormous inroads have been made in the national development of the women’s game. Registered numbers of female players have doubled, coaching and standards have improved nationwide and there are now 31 women’s leagues operating throughout the country.
A comprehensive emerging talent programme has been rolled out and international rankings have gone up at all age levels.  The senior national team only narrowly missed out last season on qualification for the finals of the European Championships.
The new team in Dun Laoghaire will have its own academy structure from day one and will work closely with all of the local clubs in its area.  It is expected this will encourage the formation or further development of more clubs in the seasons ahead.
Women’s football was one of the success stories of the London 2012 Olympics where it enjoyed equal billing with the men’s game and earned positive reviews for the standard of general skill and technical ability.
The Bus Eireann Women’s National League got off to a flyer last season with Peamount and Raheny going head to head until the closing weeks of the season and another good contest is expected this year.  The first fixtures take place this coming Sunday, August 26th with DLR at home to Raheny, Cork at home to Shamrock Rovers and Peamount at home to Wexford Youths.
You can see a video from last season’s Bus Eireann Women’s National League featuring short interviews with Irish National Team Manager Sue Ronan and Sport for Business Member and senior referee Paula Brady at the Sport for Business You Tube Channel.
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