The BVIFA Women's National League kicks off today, October 15, 2016 at A.O. Shirley Recreation Ground. Photo: Provided

The BVIFA Women's League is supporting Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Photo: Provided

The Women’s games will be sandwiched between the two scheduled men’s game each weekend, with not only the teams, but the entire league raising funds to support the BVI Cancer Society and their Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

“The empowerment of women should start from a young age especially in the areas of health and wellbeing,” Commented President of the BVI Cancer Society, Ms Gloria A. Fahie. “I commend the women football league for actively taking part in a sport that has been predominantly male oriented. Keeping active as young girls and in such a sport as football will reduce the rate of cancer incident!”

The League will be a nine a side tournament in order to get the Ladies back in tune with playing the game and will then revert to eleven a side after Christmas, with other plans that include Futsal and Beach Soccer, spear headed by new Chair of the Women’s Committee, Sharlene Pond.

Ms Pond also has plans on getting more and more younger girls to play the game and do more to change false perceptions about the game being more for Men than Women.

The School League for Girls already includes teams from Elmore Stoutt High School, Anegada, Virgin Gorda, Cedar International, St George’s and Seventh-day Adventist School, which when linked to the existing clubs, will double the amount of females playing the game regularly in the Territory and put the BVIFA right at the forefront of the brand new FIFA goal of doubling, to 60 million, the number of female football players worldwide by 2026 through the development and execution of a strategy to bring women’s football to the mainstream.

The Avengers and Virgin Gorda United make up the other teams in the league and games will take place every Saturday and Sunday until the Grand Finals on Saturday November 19, 2016.