Matches prefixed ‘§’ indicates ‘double-headers’ (both women’s and men’s matches);

Women’s fixtures for 2025 are listed below arranged by venue;

*Arundel, The Castle Cricket Ground

Saturday, June 7@tbc: Hampshire Hawks vs Durham Cricket (match 13);

*Birmingham, Edgbaston

§ Saturday, May 31@tbc: Bears vs Durham Cricket (match 4);

§ Friday, June 6@tbc: Bears vs Somerset (match 11);

§ Sunday, June 8@tbc: Bears vs Lancashire Thunder (match 16);

Sunday, June 15@tbc: Bears vs Hampshire Hawks (match 23);

Wednesday, June 18@tbc: Bears vs Essex (match 27);

§ Friday, June 20@tbc: Bears vs The Blaze (match 31);

§ Wednesday, July 9@tbc: Bears vs Surrey (match 41);

*Chelmsford, The Cloud County Ground (Essex)

§ Sunday, June 1@tbc: Essex vs Somerset (match 7);

Wednesday, June 4@tbc: Essex vs Bears (match 8);

§ Thursday, June 12@tbc: Essex vs Hampshire Hawks (match 20);

Sunday, June 15@tbc: Essex vs Surrey (match 24);

Sunday, July 13@tbc: Essex vs The Blaze (match 46);

Wednesday, July 16@tbc: Essex vs Lancashire Thunder (match 51);

Friday, July 18@tbc: Essex vs Durham Cricket (match 53);

*Chester-le-Street, Seat Unique Riverside (Co. Durham)

§ Sunday, June 1@tbc: Durham Cricket vs Lancashire Thunder (match 6);

§ Wednesday, June 11@tbc: Durham Cricket vs Bears (match 18);

Friday, June 13@tbc: Durham Cricket vs The Blaze (match 21);

§ Friday, June 20@tbc: Durham Cricket vs Essex (match 32);

§ Friday, July 4@tbc: Durham Cricket vs Somerset (match 33);

Friday, July 11@tbc: Durham Cricket vs Hampshire Hawks (match 43);

§ Tuesday, July 15@tbc: Durham Cricket vs Surrey (match 50);

*Chesterfield, Cricket Club

Friday, July 4@tbc: The Blaze vs Hampshire Hawks (match 34);

*Derby, The Incora County Ground

§ Friday, June 6@tbc: The Blaze vs Essex (match 12);

*Leicester, The Uptonsteel County Ground (Grace Road)

§ Thursday, June 19@tbc: The Blaze vs Lancashire Thunder (match 30);

*London (South) at The Kia Oval (Kennington)

§ Thursday, June 5@tbc: Surrey vs Hampshire Hawks (match 10);

Sunday, June 8@tbc: Surrey vs Durham Cricket (match 17);

Wednesday, June 11@tbc: Surrey vs The Blaze (match 19);

§ Wednesday, June 18@tbc: Surrey vs Lancashire Thunder (match 28);

§ Sunday, July 6@tbc: Surrey vs Essex (match 38);

§ Sunday, July 13@tbc: Surrey v Somerset (match 49);

Friday, July 18@tbc: Surrey v Bears (match 56);

Sunday, July 27@tbc: Semi-final (match 57);

Sunday, July 27@tbc: Women’s final (match 58);

*Manchester, Emirates Old Trafford

Saturday, May 31@tbc: Lancashire Thunder vs The Blaze (match 5);

§ Wednesday, June 4@tbc: Lancashire Thunder vs Hampshire Hawks (match 9);

Saturday, June 7@tbc: Lancashire Thunder vs Surrey – (match 14);

§ Saturday, July 5@tbc: Lancashire Thunder vs Essex (match 35);

§ Sunday, July 13@tbc: Lancashire Thunder v Durham Cricket (match 48);

*Newbury, Falkland Cricket Club

Wednesday, July 9@tbc: Hampshire Hawks vs Lancashire Thunder (match 42);

*Nottingham, Trent Bridge

§ Friday, May 30@tbc: The Blaze vs Bears (match 3);

Saturday, June 7@tbc: The Blaze vs Somerset (match 15);

§ Sunday, July 6@tbc: The Blaze vs Durham Cricket (match 39);

§ Friday, July 11@tbc: The Blaze vs Surrey (match 45);

*Southampton, The Utilita Bowl (Hants)

§ Friday, May 30 @tbc: Hampshire Hawks vs Essex (match 1);

§ Tuesday, June 17@tbc: Hampshire Hawks vs Surrey (match 26);

§ Sunday, July 6@tbc: Hampshire Hawks vs Somerset (match 36);

§ Sunday, July 13@tbc: Hampshire Hawks v Bears (match 47);

Friday, July 18@tbc: Hampshire Hawks vs The Blaze (match 54);

*Taunton, The Cooper Associates County Ground (Somerset)

§ Friday, May 30@tbc: Somerset vs Surrey (match 2);

Friday, June 13@tbc: Somerset vs Lancashire Thunder (match 22);

§ Sunday, June 15@tbc: Somerset vs Durham Cricket (match 25);

§ Thursday, June 19@tbc: Somerset vs Hampshire Hawks (match 29);

§ Tuesday, July 8@tbc: Somerset vs Essex (match 40);

Friday 11 July @tbc: Somerset vs Bears (match 44);

Wednesday, July 16@tbc: Somerset vs The Blaze (match 52);

*Venue yet to be decided

Sunday, July 6@tbc: Lancashire Thunder vs Bears (match 37);

Friday, July 18@tbc: Lancashire Thunder vs Somerset (match 55);

Source: Latest match information and match starting times @URL: www.ecb.co.uk/

The 22-year-old – who primarily plays in wide areas – joins the Blues ahead of the 2024/25 Barclays Women’s Championship season and becomes our fourth signing of the summer.

Novak hails from Ontario, Canada and began playing at St. Thomas SC at the age four before starting her senior career with FC London.

She went on to earn her first Canadian international honours aged just 15 as she was called-up to her nation’s under-17 squad. That began a long stint in Les Rouges’ set-up, with the forward featuring in the 2018 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup and the 2022 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.

Her fine performances in her homeland saw UCLA come calling, with Novak going on to represent the leading American university in the NCAA Division 1.

And now Novak will take the next step in her career after putting pen to paper on professional terms at Maiden Castle – with the winger already excited to get started.

“It’s amazing, I love it here already,” she said.

“The girls are absolutely phenomenal, the coaching staff are incredible and the level of play is absolutely superb. I couldn’t be happier being here.

“When I got the call saying that Durham wanted me, I knew I had to make it happen – and it did within a week. I was eager to be here and this is exactly where I want to be.

“I’ve heard about the fans and I’m super excited to meet them.

“I know they’ll bring their A-game and I can’t wait, I already have them in my heart.”

Kaila will wear the number 17 shirt for Durham.

The deal remains subject to the approval of all paperwork.

With thanks to Durham WFC

The 18-year-old has put pen to paper on a long-term contract at Maiden Castle having become a regular part of the first-team squad this season.

Wilson joined our Professional Game Academy in 2022 and was a regular in that under-21 side before being handed a first-team debut on the final day of the 2022/23 campaign during the win at Lewes.

The left-sided player, who is also an England youth international, has gone on to make nine appearances this term having been named in every first-team match day squad to date.

And having now committed her future to the club, Wilson expressed her delight at fulfilling her dream of signing a professional deal.

“I’m absolutely delighted,” she said.  “To get this opportunity at such a young age is a pleasure, but I know that now the hard work starts.

“When I started playing at four, I never thought this would happen.

“Being at Durham has been really good and playing in the Academy first was such a nice step.”

And on her hopes for the remainder of the season, Wilson added: “My hope for the team is to get wins in and get up the league.

“For me, I want to get as many minutes as I can and just make the most of it.”

Ahead of the 2022/23 season, Durham Women announced that they were transitioning to a full-time training model. Having a solid relationship with Durham University means all training takes place at the university’s world-class sports park. Previously, they operated using a hybrid training model, but now the club have taken the next step in their progression as they continue striving for success in this campaign.

As part of a winning performance, Durham Women players must master their competitive edge by bolstering their hydration levels. iPRO Sport Edition is an Informed Sport certified hydration drink trusted by sporting organisations worldwide. The healthy isotonic range is supercharged with electrolytes such as potassium and sodium, replenishing the salts lost to sweat during vigorous matches and assisting in post-game muscle recovery.

iPRO is reinforcing it’s commitment to long-term sustainability by using 100% recyclable product packaging. iPRO has made it a priority to ensure each product has the chance to be recycled back into plastic bottles in a closed-loop recycling system, therefore less new plastic is created, and less used plastic is wasted. Under the partnership, the healthy hydration brand will support the club in various ways, including running a recycling initiative alongside Plastic Furniture Company, another partner of Durham Women, where eye-catching iPRO branded bins have been installed to promote regular sustainability habits for fans on the ground.

Charlotte Taylor, iPRO Partnerships and Operations Manager, said: “We’re delighted to continue supporting Durham Women for another three years. It’s an exciting time to work with the club as they enter a full-time training model. iPRO is a huge advocate for supporting women in sport, and our premium hydration drinks will undoubtedly help the players stay ahead of the game. We wish them the best of luck for this season and beyond!”

Operations & Marketing Manager at Durham Women, Mark Donnelly, also commented: “We’re delighted to be continuing our relationship with iPRO and we look forward to seeing it develop over the next three years. iPRO have proven their commitment to supporting women in sport and their key brand value of sustainability aligns with our core beliefs as a football club. Our players have seen the benefits of using iPRO over recent seasons and we’re exceptionally grateful for their backing moving forward.”

Durham continue the 22-23 season with their next fixture at home to Crystal Palace on Sunday 29th January – get your tickets now!

Fans can experience the refreshing taste of iPRO Sport Edition by visiting iPRO.Direct.

• European Qualifiers at Durham University from 25-28 August
• England, Wales, Croatia and Slovakia taking part. Only the winning team progresses to full 2023 EuroHockey Championships
• Same 18-strong gold-medal winning England squad from Commonwealth Games will take part
• Games will be streamed on eurohockeytv.org
  

Fresh from their historic Commonwealth Games gold medal in Birmingham; England’s women travel to Durham for an important EuroHockey Qualifier tournament next week.

With four teams taking part, only the winner will go forward to the full European Championships in 2023.

The qualifier takes place at Durham University from 25-28 August, and covered seated tickets are sold out for Saturday 27, and almost sold out on the other days. Ground passes remain on sale for all days, supports can see our official ticketing site. A ground pass to see two international matches starts from £8 children and £18 adults.

England face Wales, Croatia and Slovakia across the event at Durham University’s Sports and Wellbeing Park. We are very pleased to be working with them as our Official Event partner and making use of their state-of-the-art facilities. Off the pitch there will be a choice of food & drink concessions, a hockey fun zone and hockey shop.

On the pitch, England’s women will be looking to build on their inspirational success at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, when they won gold for the first time in the nation’s history. The same 18 players who took to the field in Birmingham will go into battle in Durham as well.

The squad includes 12 Olympic medal winners, including goalkeeper Maddie Hinch and Britain’s most successful player of all time Laura Unsworth. Durham students Fiona Crackles and Tess Howard return to the north east; with Tess fresh from scoring one of England’s two goals in the Commonwealth Games final.

Schedule

Thursday 25 August

• 17.15 Wales v Slovakia
• 19.30 England v Croatia

Saturday 27 August

• 10.45 Croatia v Slovakia
• 13.00 Wales v England

Sunday 28 August

• 10.45 Croatia v Wales
• 13.00 England v Slovakia

Robert, who hails from North Yorkshire, began her career with Leeds before heading to America with Lynn University and then The Military College of South Carolina.

On her return to England, the defender spent a brief spell with Millwall before joining Lewes.

She then joined London Bees and became an integral part of their backline as they secured a record finish in the second tier – while also developing a reputation for scoring some stunning goals from range.

A move to the Blades then followed last summer, with Robert catching the eye throughout the campaign for Neil Redfearn’s side.

And her next chapter will see her join Durham at an exciting time – and the 27-year-old can’t wait to get started at Maiden Castle.

“It’s incredible, I’m buzzing to be here,” she said.

“Durham are one of those teams who have always been at the top and I’d say they’re a powerhouse team in the league and in the North.

“They’re a team you always worry about playing because you know it will be a battle – so I’m looking forward to being part of that team.

“Being a full-time footballer is something I’ve always dreamed of growing up, and it was something I was always told I couldn’t do.

“To be able to do it now is just amazing and I’m really excited.”

Lee Sanders added: “We’re absolutely delighted to welcome Georgia to Durham.

“She’s a player who we went and watched last season and she’s obviously got all the attributes of a good, strong centre back.

“She’s got a lot of experience now in the Barclays Women’s Championship and games under her belt in the league, and after speaking with her she’s somebody who really wants to push on and win – which completely fits in with what we want to achieve ourselves.”

With thanks to Durham Women FC

The 25-year-old joins the Wildcats from Coventry United for an undisclosed fee, and becomes the club’s second signing of the winter transfer window.

Born in Cumbria, Hardy was a prolific scorer in her formative years at Blackburn Rovers before heading to America to study at the University of South Alabama.

Her fine form Stateside brought interest from across Europe, and the forward then headed to Icelandic side Grindavik.

Her next stop was Cyprus to join Apollon and there, Hardy played in the UEFA Champions League and continued her fine form – scoring 61 times in just 49 games – before returning to England with Coventry in the summer.

And now, having scored seven times in all competitions already this term, the striker has made the move to Maiden Castle.

Speaking after putting pen to paper on her deal at Durham, Hardy said: “It’s great to finally be here.

“I’ve met all the girls and they’ve all been so welcoming, so I can’t wait to get started.

“Durham are always there or thereabouts at the top of the league, and that was something I was looking for.

“It’s a good fit for what I want to do and what the club wants to do.”

Lee Sanders added: “I’d like to welcome Rio to Durham on behalf of all the staff at the club.

”I’m delighted that we’ve been able to sign a player that we’ve looked at for a number of years now.

“She’s a Northern girl and understands the values that we have at the football club, and it’s an area that we identified that we do need to improve on.

“Hopefully she’ll come in and help to improve that through assisting and scoring.”

With thanks to Durham Women FC

Naoisha McAloon

The stopper joins the Wildcats after coming through the ranks at Irish side Peamount United, helping the Greens to a period of great domestic success.

McAloon was a part of the Peamount side who won the FAI Women’s National League in both 2019 and 2020, and as a result was also able to feature in the UEFA Women’s Champions League for her former side.

On an international level, the 22-year-old has been capped by the Republic of Ireland at youth level and recently spent time training with her nation’s senior side ahead of their fixtures with Slovakia and Georgia.

And now, McAloon will make the move to Durham ahead of the second half of the FA Women’s Championship season.

Speaking after putting pen to paper, McAloon said: “I’m delighted – it’s a great club to be a part of and I’m really looking forward to getting going and being part of the team.

“The standards are so high and the expectations from everyone are really high as well.

“It’s a demanding environment which is really good, and I’ve really enjoyed myself so far.

“Durham are always up there, so I’d love to help as much as I can and I’m looking forward to being a part of it.”

Lee Sanders added: “I am delighted to welcome Naoisha to Durham and believe we have signed an excellent goalkeeper who will only improve working under Stephen [Brass] our goalkeeping coach and alongside the other ‘keepers at the club.

“She’s had a great education and successful league and cup seasons with Peamount United – and of course the honour of being around the Irish national squad, which is all hugely positive for her and hopefully will be a huge benefit to us all at the club.”

McAloon will be eligible to feature for the Wildcats once international clearance has been obtained.

With thanks to Durham Women FC

Commando Joe’s will have their branding in a prominent position on the main stand at Maiden Castle while also seeing their logo proudly displayed on the front of the club’s first-team warm-up kit.

The new-look warm-up kit and stand branding will be on show for the first time at Sunday’s final game of 2021 against Blackburn Rovers.

Operating across the UK, Commando Joe’s help children to develop skills beyond the classroom by embracing their ethos – ‘No Child Left Behind’.

Their programme is designed to support all staff and pupils in any educational setting, alongside supporting parents at home. They have the flexibility for schools to choose to deliver and develop a whole school approach based on what is appropriate for their school, demographic, resources and staff.

Commando Joe’s inclusive school-led programme has been designed and developed by school leaders, teachers, children and young people and their packages include a wide variety of constantly refreshed resources with a proven Theory of Change and evaluation framework.

They allow children and young people to develop life skills, improve attendance, develop a growth mindset and build resilience – alongside supporting behaviour management, which will all have a positive impact on their educational engagement, future employability and importantly, mental and physical wellbeing.

Their team of veterans are passionate about ensuring they can help every child realise their full potential.

And Commando Joe’s will now spread the word of their excellent work even further by partnering with the Wildcats in the FA Women’s Championship.

Commenting on the partnership, Commando Joe’s founder Mike Hamilton OBE said: “To be able to support such an fantastic club – Durham Women being one of the highest-ranked female clubs in the country – and being part of a community that cultivates  an ethos of resilience, teamwork, sportsmanship and inclusion is amazing.

“These are the values that we support schools across the UK with and we are looking forward to supporting the team on their exciting future endeavours.”

Durham Women’s Lee Sanders added: “It’s fantastic to welcome Commando Joe’s as a primary partner of the football club.

“After speaking with them, the work they do in the educational sector – and especially with young people – on team building and being part of a team aligns massively with this football club and everything we are about.

“I think this partnership won’t only be beneficial from a commercial perspective, but I think it has a lot to offer our players and staff on the education side too. It’s going to be really exciting to get them involved with activities in our Regional Talent Club and senior teams.

“We look forward to working with them for the future.”

You can find out more about Commando Joe’s at commandojoes.co.uk.

With thanks to Durham WFC

The well-established, market-leading education recruitment and supply agency will once again see their logo proudly displayed on the front of the club’s home shirt throughout the new FA Women’s Championship campaign.

Megan Borthwick, Kathryn Hill, Nicki Gears (Durham WFC first-team players) and Liam Roberts (Managing Director, Vision for Education) pose in front of a Vision for Education ground board

It extends a partnership that began back in 2014, and is now one of the longest-running shirt sponsorships at the elite level of English football.

Durham Women and Vision for Education have worked in partnership since then, and have delivered a number of initiatives to inspire and motivate school pupils across the North East – including trips to Wembley, regular tournaments and even a visit from the FA Women’s Cup trophy.

And there are more exciting plans in the works for the 2021/22 season – which begins with the unveiling of the club’s new home shirt.

The kit is again produced by the club’s technical partners Hummel and includes their famous chevrons, in a shirt that offers a fresh twist on the club’s traditional blue and white colours.

And proudly emblazoned on the front of the shirt is the Vision for Education logo, which delights the agency’s Managing Director Liam Roberts.

“Having been part of the journey from the very beginning, we’ve watched with pride as the club continues to grow, both on and off the field,” he said.

“Our partnership means we’ve been able to raise awareness of women’s football within the region’s schools, supporting an increase in participation and raising health awareness.

“We’re already working on some exciting school initiatives for the season ahead, and we’ll be working with the players and management to support even more young people across the region over the next 12 months.”

Durham trio Nicki Gears, Kathryn Hill and Megan Borthwick modelled the club’s new home shirt at its launch, and both are players who have benefitted from the club’s partnership with Vision for Education.

The players all worked with Vision for Education in schools in the North East before going on to secure permanent jobs in the education sector.

And their manager, Lee Sanders, is pleased to see the club’s partnership with the agency continuing to develop.

“It’s really interesting how both the club and Vision for Education have grown since I first met Liam in 2013, and we agreed our very first partnership,” he said.

“When it was time for the renewal of the shirt sponsorship, we both immediately said it wasn’t something that we wanted to give up and that we were both passionate that Vision for Education continued with us.

“We’ve had a lot of players represent Vision for Education over the years, we’ve hosted tournaments and taken players to Wembley – all while Liam has grown the company to the success it is today.

“It’s a brand with its roots in the North East, although one which has now become national, and that is extremely important to us as a club.

“We’re really looking forward to the new initiatives that we’re going to deliver together in the 2021/22 season.”

Durham will wear the shirt for the first time in a competitive fixture in the FA Women’s Championship opener against Watford on August 29.

Courtesy of Durham Women FC