Southern women to face Canty first up

SOUTHERN United will begin its national women’s premiership campaign at home.

The side will open the season with the South Island derby game against Canterbury United on October 31 at Logan Park Turf.

It makes for a tough match firstup, Canterbury having won three of the past four league titles, including the previous two.

Home games against the Northern Lights and WaiBOP follow on November 15 and

December 6 respectively.

It has its bye weekend in the middle round of the competition on November 21.

The league has reverted to a oneround structure this year, following the impacts of Covid19.

It had previously taken that format, although shifted to a full tworound competition over the past two seasons.

Southern has never won the league, although made the semifinals in 2017, the last year before the league went to a straight final.

It finished fourth last year.