The nine-team South Island Women's League kicked off this weekend, with reigning champions Cashmere Technical suffering a shock 2-1 loss at Otago University at Logan Park on Sunday. Leila Hausia-Haugen got the students off to a flying start in the fourth minute, and when she doubled their lead in the twentieth minute, Fred Simpson's charges were in a spot of bother, one which Emma Kench reduced soon after half-time. But that proved to be the last time the scoreboard operators were troubled in this tussle, allowing Otago to celebrate a famous win come the final whistle, one which would have gone down well with the teams which prevailed in Saturday's fixtures. Dunedin City Royals led the way with a 5-0 defeat of Halswell United at Logan Park, where it took just sixteen minutes for "The Royals" to establish an unassailable lead. Kylie Jones netted twice and captain Rosie Morton also chimed in as they took a stranglehold on the game, one which second half goals from Amy Hislop and substitute Georgia Kennedy supplemented. In Christchurch, Coastal Spirit saw off Roslyn Wakari 4-1 at Tane Norton Park, where coach and former Football Fern Kelly Almond found herself in the firing line for the home team, donning the goalkeeper's jersey. Only Catriona Galvin's penalty got past her, but by the time that happened, Spirit were well on course for victory. Ashlyn Gillespie-Nye and former Fencibles flyer Kate Berry struck inside the opening seven minutes, before Mischa Myers made it three before twenty minutes had elapsed. Gillespie-Nye struck again in the second spell for a side lacking the services of captain Britney-Lee Nicholson, who is three away from clocking up 200 career goals, not counting her futsal exploits. Across town at English Park, Nomads-Waimakariri United scored all their goals before half-time as they romped to a 4-0 win over Canterbury Universities, Becky Hewitt leading the way with a double inside the first eight minutes. Captain Rebecca Gillett and Hollie Carlisle-Reeve also struck for the victors. Next weekend's action sees Nelson Suburbs making their debut when welcoming Cashmere to Saxton Fields for one of two fixtures on Sunday, the other seeing NWU and "The Royals" locking horns at Kendall Park. Saturday's action sees "The Hawks" hosting Otago at Halswell Domain, while "The Ponies" and Canterbury's students will look to make amends for their first day defeats when they meet at Logan Park. Saturday also sees the first games taking place in this season's Football South Premier Women's League. Northern and "The Royals" meet at Logan Park, as do Otago University and Roslyn Wakari, while Green Island are the first team to head to Invercargill this season, where Queens Park lie in wait at Turnball Thomson Park. Details: Canterbury Universities 0, Nomads-Waimakariri United 4 (R. Hewitt (4, 8), R. Gillett (38), H. Carlisle-Reeve (45))  HT 0-4 Coastal Spirit 4 (A. Gillespie-Nye (5, 58), K. Berry (7), M. Myers (18)), Roslyn Wakari 1 (C. Galvin (47 pen))  HT 3-0 Dunedin City Royals 5 (K. Jones (2, 15), R. Morton (16), A. Hislop (63), G. Kennedy (73)), Halswell United 0  HT 3-0 Otago University 2 (L. Hausia-Haugen (4, 20)), Cashmere Technical 1 (E. Kench (47))  HT 2-0

Wellington Phoenix made an impressive start to life in the Central Region Premier Women's League, the club's U-18 team marking their debut in the competition by battering last season's beaten Ford National Women's League Grand Finalists, Waterside Karori, 4-0 at Fraser Park. "The Magpies" are much changed from the biggest game in their history, with just three survivors from that loss to Auckland United starting the 2025 campaign in black-and-white stripes under new gaffer, former Fencibles United coach Martin Rodwell. He's clearly got a big rebuilding job on his hands, as while the first half went well, once Young Ferns captain Mackenzie Bryant opened the scoring five minutes into the second half, Wellington had the bit between their teeth, and further goals from Maisy McDonald, substitute Isabella Temple and Amelie McClintock took the game well away from the visitors. This match was one of two to take place on the opening weekend of the campaign, with other round one fixtures in what is now a ten-team league taking place during April and May, the exception being the match which took place at Memorial Park on Sunday. That game saw a Sasha Rasmussen hat-trick secure the points for Moturoa, who prevailed 3-0 over Palmerston North United. The match ball recipient struck either side of the half-hour mark before wrapping up the points eight minutes from time. Next weekend sees all ten teams in action, with reigning champions Wellington United visiting "The Magpies"' Karori Park home on Saturday. Petone and Marist Palmerston North meet at Petone Memorial Park that day, while across town at Boyd Wilson Park, Victoria University take on Moturoa. Sunday's fare sees Taradale and Miramar Rangers meeting on Bond Field, part of Napier's Park Island complex, while Wellington Phoenix make the trip north to Palmerston North's Memorial Park home. Sunday also sees the first round of action in the Inter Football Capital Premier Women's League, with Victoria University and Island Bay United getting the season under way at Boyd Wilson Park. Petone and Wellington United's "Sapphires" square off at Petone Memorial Park, while Seatoun and Upper Hutt City grace Seatoun Park on a day North Wellington and Waterside Karori meet at Alex Moore Park, and Mazengarb Park plays host to the encounter between Te Kotahitanga and Wairarapa United. Details: Palmerston North United 0, Moturoa 3 (S. Rasmussen (23, 34, 82))  HT 0-2 Wellington Phoenix 4 (M. Bryant (50), M. McDonald (57), I. Temple (78), A. McClintock (81)), Waterside Karori 0  HT 0-0