The Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Jim Rodgers, hosted the 2008 launch of the Coca Cola Women’s Cup in the impressive surroundings of the City Council Offices at Clarendon Docks this morning.

Forty three clubs will compete to lift the trophy, the final of which will be held mid September. The preliminary round of the competition kicks off week commencing 21 April with three matches (29 byes), followed by 32 clubs entering round one, played week commencing 5 May.

The eight premier league clubs; Ballymena, Fermanagh, Glentoran, Newbridge Predators, Newtownabbey, Northland Raiders, Linfield, and Mid Ulster will enter the competition in the third round.

The draws for the preliminary round of the competition followed by the first round draw for the first 16 matches were made by the Lord Mayor of Belfast, IFA President Raymond Kennedy, and Coca Cola Project Development Manager Trina Stewart.

Last year’s competition proved a to be a tough fight for the competitors, culminating in Glentoran Belfast United beating rivals, and 2007 League winners, Newtownabbey Strikers 2-1 in a very entertaining final last September.