A NEW West Cork Schoolboys and Schoolgirls League season begins with the opening rounds of the SuperValu Challenge Cups at the end of March.

Hundreds of players, drawn from every corner of the West Cork region, dreams of reaching a WCSSL final will shortly begin as the new campaign gets underway.

Eight schoolboys knockout competitions, ranging in age-grades from U9 to U16, and five schoolgirls, graded between U12 and U16, will kickstart the 2026 season.

Any teams eliminated in the opening round of their respective cups will automatically enter the SuperValu Shields competitions, giving every entrant a second chance of glory.

Last year, many of the SuperValu WCSSL Challenge Cup and Shield 11-a-side finals were held at MTU Cork. Those matches attracted big attendances and delivered plenty of excitement. 

The weekend of March 28th and 29th is pencilled in for the opening round of this year’s cups but ties, where possible, can be played before that date.

Clonakilty AFC U14s celebrating their 2025 West Cork Schoolgirls Challenge Cup final victory over Sullane.

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Ardfield Mountaineers were crowned 2025 SuperValu U12 Schoolboys Challenge Cup winners. A 3-1 cup final win over Drinagh Rangers Diamonds was attained thanks to Leo Pezza (2) and Alexander O’Brien goals.

This season, a new Ardfield U12 team has been drawn away to Dunmanway Town in the preliminary round of the competition. The winners will host Lyre Rovers Yellow in the round of 16.

Castlelack Rangers are away to the winners of Drinagh Diamonds and Skibbereen’s preliminary round clash. Skibbereen Dynamos or Togher Celtic will be at home to Bunratty Red.

Elsewhere in the SuperValu U12 Schoolboys Cup round of 16, Bunratty Black take on Clonakilty AFC Rovers, Drinagh Dynamos are at home to Beara United and Lyre Rovers Black entertain Bay Rovers.

A busy round of 16 is completed by the meeting of Castlelack Celtic and Riverside Athletic in Brinny and Sullane versus Clonakilty AFC Wanderers.

There is lots to look forward to in this season’s U13 Schoolboys Challenge Cup competition, won last year by Drinagh Rangers.

Skibbereen Celtic and Clonakilty AFC meet at Ollie McCarthy Park with the winners taking on Drinagh Dynamos or Castlelack Athletic in the quarter-finals.

Lyre Rovers and Riverside Athletic received byes and will face one another in the last eight.

Elsewhere in the U13 Schoolboys Challenge Cup, Ardfield or Drinagh Diamonds will host either Bay Rovers or Castlelack United in the competition’s quarter-finals.

An intriguing draw is completed with the meeting of Clonakilty AFC United and Kilmichael Rovers in Ballyvackey. 

Whoever emerges from that encounter hosts either Beara United or Dunmanway Town in the last eight.

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Clonakilty AFC overcame Bay Rovers 4-3 on penalties, after a 1-1 draw, to claim last season’s SuperValu U12 Schoolgirls Challenge Cup trophy.

This year, Clonakilty AFC Green and Bay will face one another in the competition’s quarter-finals. Whoever emerges from that encounter will host the winners of Sullane and Beara in the last four.

On the opposite side of the U12 Schoolgirls Challenge Cup draw, the winners of Dunmanway Town and Clonakilty AFC will travel to either Riverside Athletic or Drinagh Rangers in the semi-finals.

Last season, Dunmanway Town denied Clonakilty AFC a double by overcoming the Ballyvackey side to lift the U13 Schoolgirls Challenge Cup. 

Lucy McCarthy netted the solitary goal in a 1-0 Town victory.

This season, Dunmanway has been drawn away to Beara United in the knockout competition’s semi-finals. 

Elsewhere, Riverside Athletic and Clonakilty AFC meet in a solitary quarter-final with a trip to Castlelack on offer for the winners.

Clonakilty AFC won the 2025 SuperValu U14 Schoolgirls Challenge Cup with Clodagh O’Regan (2), Sally McAuley and Leah O’Brien scoring in a 4-0 triumph over Sullane at MTU Cork.

The 2026 version has one preliminary round tie to be decided with Drinagh Rangers travelling to Togher Celtic. The winners of that tie will host last season’s U14 Premier Division champions Sullane in the quarter-finals.

Cup holders Clonakilty AFC are on the road, travelling to Dunmanway Town. Bay Rovers enjoy home advantage for the visit of Lyre Rovers, as do Beara United, who welcome Riverside Athletic to Castletownbere.