Albion Women are set to welcome Rugby Borough to the Alexander Stadium on Wednesday night for their long-awaited first FAWNL Northern Premier match of the calendar year (ko 7.45pm).
The Baggies have endured a stop-start beginning to 2026 owing to the ongoing poor weather conditions across the country, but have their sights set firmly on entering the second half of their season in a positive manner.
Siobhan Hodgetts-Still’s side sit seventh in the division, and have two games in hand on fifth-placed Middlesbrough as they look to bolster their league efforts throughout their remaining matches.
Last time out
Albion last played in the league on Sunday, December 21, where they were beaten by rivals Wolves at the Alexander Stadium.
They’ve since beaten their Black Country adversaries in the FAWNL Cup quarter-finals, where Hannah George scored the only goal of the match at SEAH Stadium in Telford.
The opposition
Visitors Rugby Borough have, like Albion, seen an intermittent spell of fixtures to begin 2026.
Despite the weather across the country postponing two of their games, Lee Burch’s team have beaten Stourbridge (Birmingham County FA Challenge Cup) and Loughborough Lightning, while also drawing 1-1 with Middlesbrough.
Rugby sit third in the FAWNL Northern Premier, having collected 30 points from 14 games played so far, alongside runs deep into the BCFA Challenge Cup and Adobe Women’s FA Cup, where they pushed Women’s Super League Liverpool almost all of the way in their fourth-round tie.
Wednesday’s visitors have one of the stingiest defences in the division, only conceding 10 league goals so far in 2025/26, and rely on the goalscoring prowess of Lily Greenslade (eight goals) and Sofia Mallon (seven goals), strikes which have kept Borough just four points below the automatic promotion places.
Previous meetings
Rugby Borough 3-1 Albion Women - October 2025
It was a tough visit to the Nationwide Windows Arena in the last meeting between the two sides. Hodgetts-Still’s outfit were three goals down at half-time, but scored through Ellie May in the second period.
Albion Women 6-2 Rugby Borough - April 2025
The Baggies made it a memorable night in their history when they beat Wednesday’s opponents to win the Birmingham County FA Challenge Cup. Six goals were scored across a triumphant encounter at the Bescot Stadium as Albion collected their first piece of silverware since 2018/19.
Rugby Borough 0-1 Albion Women - February 2025
Skipper Olivia Rabjohn’s effort was the difference between the two sides as Albion ensured an impressive win in Rugby back in February.
2024/25 is a wrap. 🫡
...And it couldn't have ended any better! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/5RSeci5lDf— West Bromwich Albion Women (@WBAWomen) May 2, 2025
Pre-match thoughts
Forward Marli Rhodes’ tough time with injury came to an end during the Albion’s FAWNL Cup semi-final tie against AFC Bournemouth as she came on as a second-half substitute at the Nationwide Windows Arena.
After missing half of the season with both ankle and hamstring injuries, the 20-year-old is ready to come back into the fold and make a difference during the second half of the 2025/26 campaign.
Even though her time at the Baggies this season has been hampered by her absences, Rhodes still knows exactly what it’s like to be the difference-maker in a match against Rugby Borough, having come off the bench to score a free-kick during their BCFA Challenge Cup final win.
And that’s a main motivation for the forward as she heads into the final 10 league fixtures, with the squad also aiming to “show everyone” they can bolster their position in the FAWNL.
She said: “It was great to be back out there, it was a nice moment for me and my family. It’s a moment we’ve been waiting for over the last couple of months, to be back out there with the girls.
“I know we didn’t get the win and it wasn’t the best performance, but I think we did really well in that game and were unlucky not to get anything from it.
“It’s been a tough time with injury. I managed to get back after the ankle injury but then had another spell out with a hamstring injury, it’s been a very tough time and I’ve been training well with the girls.
“It’s been very frustrating to have games postponed due to the weather, especially when we know how the league table’s sitting. We’ll take each game as it comes whenever that one’s rearranged and will try to get our rhythm back.
“We prepare for every game as best we can. It’s a quick turnaround between Rugby Borough and Burnley, but we need to put everything we’ve worked on into practice this week.
“It’s a demanding week when you’re playing two teams at the top of the table. At the same time, we can beat anybody on our day, we can put in a performance and hopefully we can get some points on the board.
“My aim is to stay fit for the rest of the season, and try to help out as much as possible. Now that I’m back up and running, I want to help contribute with goals and assists but it’ll be a good test for me for the rest of the season.
“We can put in a performance against Rugby on Wednesday. We’ve done it before and we have that belief, we can stick together and do it as a team.
“They didn’t have a game at the weekend either but I think the squad’s ready. With us not playing on Sunday, it’s been a good rest for the girls and I feel like we can take on this test.
“It’s a motivation for us to show everyone we can be higher in the league this season.”
Ticket information
Tickets are on sale for £6 Adults, £5 Seniors (65+), £5 20-25s, £4 Under-20s, £3 Under-17s and £2 Under-14s. Disabled tickets are priced £5.
They can be purchased online now, or on the gate at the Alexander Stadium on the day of the game.
Parking for supporters will be available at the Alex on Wednesday. Those attending will be directed by stewards upon entry and asked to park on either the car park adjacent to the High Performance Centre, or the overflow section situated to the south side of the stadium.
For those unable to attend, coverage will be provided across Albion Women’s social media channels, as always.
