Wild Women Prepare For First Game

Wild Women's Eleanor Johnson - Photo by Gary Johnson

The Widnes Wild Women have put the finishing touches to their roster for the 2026/27 WNIHL season with a number of returning players and some new signings.

Experienced defender Laura Bibby is back for her 4^th season with the Wild, having previously played 7 seasons with Oxford and Eleanor Johnson is also back for her 4^th season with the Wild Women on a two way arrangement with the new Deeside Dragons team.

League rules allow for players under the age 23 to “play up” for other teams in a different league to their own in order to give them extra match experience and help with their development.

This is a great help for the young players getting experience of playing a higher level of hockey and -  obviously - has knock on benefits for their respective clubs as well.

Tayla Huxley–Richards – who had a superb first season in Division 1 last year, scoring 5 goals – is also back on a two-away agreement with Division 2 Manchester Storm and Maggie Whitmore returns on a 2-way with Telford Wrekin Raiders. Jennifer Greenwood, Eva Gibson, Nicola Wallace and Grace Teinert also return to the Wild Women for the new season. 

The Wild Women also have two additional netminders to share duties with Stephanie Drinkwater. Isabel Bateson played one game for the Wild Women last season but spent the rest of the season at Oxford and Natalie Hammond is a newcomer, having played last season for Blackburn Hawks in Division 2 North.

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The Widnes Wild Women play their first game of the new 2026/27 season this Sunday when they take on Nottingham Vipers at Planet Ice Widnes, 4.25pm face off.

Despite having finished bottom of the Division1 North table last season, the plucky Wild Women are back in the higher division for another go at the same level and will be keen to improve on their record from last season of 2 wins from their 20 league games.

While that may not sound very impressive, the home win over Nottingham in January was, in fact,  the first time that the Wild Women had picked up a victory at WPL level since December 2017 and their final tally of two wins was their best in the higher division since the 2016/17 season.

The Edinburgh-based Caledonia Steel Queens will be missing from Division1 North this season as they won promotion to the Women’s Elite League via the play offs and their place had been taken by Whitley Bay Beacons who played in Division 2 North last season.

The other opposition in Division 1 North this season will be provided by Nottingham Vipers, Solway Sharks, Sheffield Shadows and Kingston (Hull) Diamonds with team playing each other twice at home and twice away for a 20-game season

The complete Wild Women fixture list for 2026/27 is as follows:

•  20th Sept: home v Nottingham Vipers
• 27^th Sept: home v Whitley Bay Beacons
• 10^th Oct: away @ Nottingham Vipers
• 18^th Oct: home v Solway Sharks
• 29^th Nov:  away @ Sheffield Shadows
• 6^th Dec: home v Solway Sharks
• 20^th Dec: away @ Nottingham Vipers
• 16^th Jan: away @ Solway Sharks
• 24^th Jan: home v Whitley Bay Beacons
• 30^th Jan:  away @ Solway Sharks
• 7^th Feb: away @ Whitley Bay Beacons
• 21^st Feb: away @ Sheffield Shadows
• 27^th Feb: home v Kingston Diamonds (Saturday!)
• 21^st Mar: away @ Whitley Bay Beacons
• 11^th Apr:  home v Kingston Diamonds
• 18^th Apr: home v Nottingham Vipers
• 25^th Apr: home v Sheffield Shadows
• 2^nd May: away @ Kingston Diamonds
• 9^th May: away @ Kingston Diamonds
• 16^th May: home v Sheffield Shadows