Inaugural Sky Sports Cup League Stage Fixtures Released

Click here to view the Sky Sports Cup League Stage fixtures.

The Scottish Women’s Premier League (SWPL) has today published the fixtures for the 2026/27 Sky Sports Cup league stage.

The inaugural season of the new format, kicking off on Sunday 26 July, will involve the 8 remaining ScottishPower Women’s Premier League (SPWPL) 2 clubs from season 2025/26, the bottom four from last season’s SPWPL, and the two promoted clubs from the SWF Championship, playing a total of four matches each in this opening round league stage, against four different opponents decided based on seeded pots.

Reigning champions Glasgow City will enter the competition at the second round alongside Celtic, Hibernian and Partick Thistle, whilst the two clubs participating in the UEFA Women’s Champions League (UWCL), comprising SPWPL Champions Heart of Midlothian, and Rangers, will enter at the quarter-final stage.

The highest-ranked side entering at this stage of the competition, Motherwell, will kick off their Sky Sport Cup campaign at home to Montrose. Both sides narrowly missed out on making the top six in last season’s SPWPL and will both be hoping to put an early marker down in this league stage ahead of the new campaign.

Recently relegated Hamilton Academical will host SWPL Play-Off winners Aberdeen at New Douglas Park on matchday one. Robert Watson will be looking to get his side back on form as they enter the SPWPL 2 again next season.

Kilmarnock will travel to the capital to face Boroughmuir on the opening weekend as both teams come off the back of recording back-to-back top three finishes in the SPWPL 2. Both sides will be seeking to use these early-season fixtures to build momentum to mount a cup run and league title tilt this term.

SWPL Play-Off finalists Queen’s Park will host SPWPL 2 champions Spartans at the Kirkintilloch Community Sports Complex in the opening round of fixtures. Queen’s Park will be looking to carry some late-last-season form into the Sky Sports Cup league stage, whilst Spartans will be hoping to continue a 13-match unbeaten streak dating back to late-January.

Suzy Shepherd’s Dundee United side will host newly promoted Renfrew in the opening round of the league stage. The winners of the SWF Championship will be hoping to lay down an early-marker and cause an upset against an established United side.

Two SPWPL 2 bottom four sides from last season St Johnstone and Livingston will battle it out in their opening match of this year’s Sky Sports Cup. The Perth side, who avoided dropping into the SWPL 2 Play-Off Final on the final day of last season will be seeking an early victory this campaign but will have to overcome a strong Livingston side.

In the final fixture of the opening round, newly promoted Falkirk will be taking on SPWPL 2 top-six side Gartcairn. Craig Tully’s side will be seeking another positive result following their victory in the SWPL 2 Play-Off Final in May but will come against stern opposition in Graeme Hart’s Gartcairn.

With the top ten sides of the Sky Sports Cup league stage progressing either to the second round or the knockout play-off round, it could be all to play for going into the final matchday, taking place on Sunday 9 August with some compelling ties in store. This includes Kilmarnock v Motherwell, Montrose v Hamilton Academical, Gartcairn v Boroughmuir Thistle, Livingston v Falkirk, Queen’s Park v Dundee United, and Renfrew v St Johnstone. It will be a trip up north for Jack Beesley’s SPWPL 2 Champions Spartans, as they take on Aberdeen to conclude their respective league stage campaigns.

Fiona McIntyre, Scottish Women’s Premier League (SWPL) Managing Director, said: “The launch of the Sky Sports Cup league stage fixtures is a landmark day in this new era of this competition. This new format adds yet another compelling twist to what has historically been a highly competitive and thrilling competition. Importantly it provides clubs with a greater number of games and a greater opportunity to advance to the latter stages of the competition.

“This will also be the first opportunity for fans to get a glimpse of their team in the new season, and all clubs will be hoping for a positive run in this league stage to set the tone going into their SPWPL and SPWPL 2 campaigns.

“We can’t wait to get the new campaign underway, and I would encourage as many fans as possible to play their part by getting along to a Sky Sports Cup match on the opening day to see elite football delivered locally.”

Click here to view the Sky Sports Cup League Stage fixtures.