The 2026–27 Women's Super League 2 is the second season of the Women's Super League 2 (WSL2) since it was reverted to the WSL2 name, and the 12th since the creation of the division in 2014. The season began on 4 September 2026 and will conclude on 23 May 2027.
This is the first season in which a pre-qualifying match will be played between the second- and third-placed WSL2 teams, with the winner advancing to face the 13th-placed Women's Super League (WSL) side in a promotion/relegation play-off final.
Teams
Twelve teams compete in the WSL2 for the 2026–27 season, the same number as the previous season.
In June 2025, it was announced that the WSL would be expanding to 14 teams for the 2026–27 season, with two WSL2 teams promoted. Birmingham City and Crystal Palace were promoted as 2025–26 Women's Super League 2 winner and runner-up.
Burnley, winners of the 2025–26 Northern Premier Division, and Watford, winners of the 2025–26 Southern Premier Division, were promoted to the WSL2. Their promotion marked Burnley's first spell in the WSL2, while Watford returned to the league after being relegated at the end of the 2023–24 season. There was a one game play-off between Premier Division runners-up Wolverhampton Wanderers and Plymouth Argyle to decide the third team promoted. Wolves were the eventual winners and made their WSL2 debut.
On 23 May 2026, Charlton Athletic played off against Leicester City in a promotion/relegation match. Charlton won the game after a penalty shoot-out to secure promotion to the WSL, while Leicester were relegated, returning to the WSL2 for the first time since they gained promotion at the end of the 2020–21 season.
On 26 April 2026, after two seasons in the WSL2, Portsmouth were relegated.
Team Location Ground Capacity 2025–26 season Bristol City Bristol Ashton Gate 27,000 4th Burnley Leyland County Ground 2,300 WNL North, 1st Durham Durham Maiden Castle 1,800 10th Ipswich Town Colchester Colchester Community Stadium 10,105 9th Leicester City Leicester King Power Stadium 32,212 WSL, 12th Newcastle United Gateshead Gateshead International Stadium 11,800 6th Nottingham Forest Nottingham City Ground 30,404 7th Sheffield United Sheffield Bramall Lane 32,050 11th Southampton Eastleigh Siverlake Stadium5,250 5th Sunderland Hetton-le-Hole Eppleton CW 2,500 8th Watford Watford Vicarage Road 22,220 WNL South, 1st Wolverhampton Wanderers Telford New Bucks Head 6,300 WNL North, 2nd
Personnel and kits Team Manager Captain Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor Shirt sponsor (sleeve) Shirt sponsor (back) Shorts sponsor Bristol City Charlotte Healy Emily Syme O'Neills Guinness Exacta Technologies Thatchers Cider None Burnley Jackie Bachteler Castore Finotive One Sure None Chatbooks Durham Willie Kirk Hummel Vision for Education MKM None None Ipswich Town David Wright Umbro Halo Service Solutions Play MSC None Leicester City Adidas King Power Bia Saigon None None Newcastle United Tanya Oxtoby Adidas KNOX Hydrate Noon None None Nottingham Forest Tom Mallinson Adidas E.ON Next Ideagen None None Sheffield United Stephen Healy Erreà Midnite Village Hotel Club None None Southampton Simon Parker Emma Harries Puma Starling Bank P&O Cruises Southampton Solent University Bargate Homes Sunderland Melanie Reay Hummel Total Construction NE Stephen Hope Wealth Nuby A.Jay Brickwork Watford Renée Hector Kelme MrQ.com University of Hertfordshire None Sound of Gol Wolverhampton Wanderers Daniel McNamara Sudu Midnite Wolf Competitions Reconomy None
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointment Burnley Ross Wallace (interim) End of interim period 2 May 2026 Pre season Jackie Bachteler 24 July 2026 Durham Neil Redfearn (interim) Willie Kirk 7 July 2026 Nottingham Forest Carly Davies Mutual agreement 12 May 2026 Tom Mallinson 4 June 2026
League table
Results
Season statistics
Top scorers Rank Player Club Goals 1 Martha Thomas Newcastle United 5 2 Elise Hughes Sunderland 4 3 Amy Andrews Sheffield United 3 Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah Nottingham Forest Rio Hardy Bristol City Amber Hughes Wolverhampton Wanderers 7 14 players 2
Clean sheets RankPlayerClub Cleansheets 1 Anna Tamminen Newcastle United 4 2 Grace Moloney Southampton 2 Lysianne Proulx Ipswich Town 4 Fran Bentley Bristol City 1 Jackie Burns Burnley Katie Cox Nottingham Forest Katie Keane Leicester City Kirstie Levell Burnley Safia Middleton-Patel Watford Emily Orman Wolverhampton Wanderers Fran Stenson Sunderland
Discipline Most yellow cardsTotalMost red cardsTotalRef. Player 15 Players 2 Eva Gray (Watford) Lucy Lyon (Watford) Emilia Pelgander (Leicester City) 1 Club Bristol City 12 Watford 2
References