The third edition of AFI’s Women’s Flag league, the Claddagh League, kicks off this weekend on April 18, hosted at UCD, with a new format and a few new teams as well.
A New Format
This season of the Claddagh League will see a new format for determining a champion this season, as the 10 teams will play a 9 game round robin schedule, after which there will be a division split. The top 5 teams in the standings will play for Claddagh Bowl III, the Women’s Flag National Championship, while the bottom 5 teams will be placed in the lower division and compete for the newly introduced Fianna Bowl. The finals will both be held on July 25th.
New Teams
2026 will see 10 teams compete in the Claddagh League, up from 8 in 2025. The 2-time defending champion South Dublin Panthers will play with a split squad this year, with Navy and White teams competing, while new entrants the Dublin City Wolves will look to make a strong debut.
Season Preview
South Dublin Panthers
The South Dublin Panthers begin as the 2-time defending champions, having won both Claddagh Bowl I and II. However, they play with split Navy and White squads this year, clearly having attracted great numbers for this season. Can they make it a 3-peat even with this split?
Belfast Trojans
The Belfast Trojans are coming off of back to back Claddagh Bowl losses to the Panthers. Can they maintain their form and get over the hump this year?
UCD
UCD come into this year off of a 4-3 record and a playoff win in the Wild Card round, before losing to the Trojans in the semifinal. Can they turn a win in the 3rd place game into a leap into a Claddagh Bowl winner?
Dublin Red Bows
The Dublin Red Bows had a great showing last year, finishing 4-3 and 4th in the league table. A disappointing loss to the Mavericks in the Wild Card round could either invigorate or deflate them this year.
Louth Mavericks
The Louth Mavericks come in riding high off an upset victory in the Wild Card round over the Red Bows, despite their 3-4 regular season record. Can they turn that into more consistent success?
North West Vipers
The North West Vipers come in off a 2-5 record and a Wild Card round loss to UCD. Can they earn a higher seed and win their first playoff game this year?
North Down Dragons
The North Down Dragons finished with a 1-5-1 record in 2025. Much improvements to be made as they look to earn their first playoff birth.
Belfast Knights
The Belfast Knights, with an 0-6-1 record in 2025, are still searching for their first win in the Claddagh League. Can they earn it this year with the right moves?
Dublin City Wolves
The newcomers to the league this year, the Dublin City Wolves look to make a strong start and compete for the Claddagh Bowl right off the bat.
