Ramblers to join women’s LOI

By Daniel O’Neill

Cork is set to have two teams in the SSE Airtricity Women's Premier Division next season. The league currently has 12 teams with Cork City sitting eighth after three games.

Cobh Ramblers FC have announced plans to launch their own senior women’s League of Ireland side for 2026.

The club is describing the move as “a landmark step in our club’s history and a testament to our dedication to advancing women’s football in Ireland” and hopes this addition will create a clear pathway from youth development to senior football. It also aims to give young female talent a chance to take the spotlight and show off their capabilities.

Cobh Ramblers said the decision was in line with their player-first philosophy and thanked their US-based owners FC32 for their support. “Backed by FC32 ownership, which also includes Austrian club SKN St Pölten and Italian side Spezia Calcio, we are committed to establishing a top-tier women’s football programme.”

They also added that they are looking to grow their women’s academy and are currently laying the foundations for their next senior squad. They said: “We are now recruiting skilled and passionate individuals to key positions across our under 19 and under 17 Women’s League of Ireland teams. This is a unique chance to play an instrumental role in developing elite female footballers and shaping the future of women’s football at Cobh Ramblers.”

They added that they currently have several vacant positions including head coaches for under 19s, goalkeeper coaches for under 17s and 19s, strength and conditioning coaches and a sports psychologist/mental performance coach.