Tauranga City, Otūmoetai, Lakes FC and Tauranga Blue Rovers are all entering the Kate Sheppard Cup competition at the First Round stage.

Four of the Bay of Plenty's women's teams learned their opponents in the nation's foremost domestic cup competition last week following the draw for Round One of the Kate Sheppard Cup.

Tauranga City and Otūmoetai will have high hopes of advancing while Lakes FC and Tauranga Blue Rovers will be doing everything they can to join them.

The cup was founded in 1994 and was renamed after the women's suffrage leader on the 125th anniversary of the movement in 2018.

No team from the Bay of Plenty has ever reached the final so all four teams will be looking to progress and make history in this year's competition.

Tauranga City had a memorable run last year, reaching the quarter-finals after big wins over former champions Claudelands Rovers as well as Onehunga Sports and Birkenhead United, before succumbing to eventual champions Auckland United in the last-eight.

They face a tough Melville side, who have won both of their games in the WaiBOP W-League this season, scoring 16 goals in the process.

Otūmoetai reached the second round last year where they exited to an impressive Eastern Suburbs side who will be playing in the OFC Champions League this year.

But Oats are in impressive form in the NRFL Women's Championship, currently, joint-top with Fencibles United after four straight wins, and will have high hopes of getting the better of NRF Women's Conference side Bay Olympic.

Otumoetai could show off their new away kit sponsored by Matua-based physio centre Flow Physiotherapy. Photo credit: Otumoetai FC Facebook.

Lakes FC also face Conference opposition in Beachlands Maraetai in their First Round match in Rotorua. Their opponents are currently top of their league after two wins and a draw from their opening four fixtures. However, Lakes have also started their season strongly, sitting top of the WaiBOP W-League and have a player in great form in Sinead Doherty.

Tauranga Blue Rovers are in the tournament this year and head to Auckland to take on Championship side Central United who lost to Bay opposition in the form of Pāpāmoa in their last Kate Sheppard Cup game in 2021. Can history repeat itself?

The Kate Sheppard Cup fixtures take place on the weekend of May 13-14.

Here are the full Kate Sheppard Cup Round 1 fixtures:

Central United FC v Tauranga Blue Rovers FC

Lakes Football Club v Beachlands Maraetai AFC

Manukau United FC v Onerahi

Birkenhead United AFC v Franklin United FC

Bay Olympic FC v Otūmoetai FC

Cambridge FC v Onehunga Sports FC

Fencibles United AFC v Greenhithe FC

Tauranga City AFC v Melville Utd AFC

New Plymouth Rangers AFC v Palmerston North Marist FC

Havelock North Wanderers AFC v Kaitake FC

Massey University - Manawatu Campus v Moturoa AFC

Lower Hutt City AFC v Miramar Rangers AFC

Waterside Karori v North Wellington FC

Petone FC v Brooklyn Northern United

Victoria University v Seatoun AFC

Kapiti Coast Utd v Wellington United

Nelson Suburbs FC v Richmond Football Club

Coastal Spirit v Universities of Canterbury Association Football Club

Nomads United AFC v Cashmere Technical

Northern AFC v Mosgiel AFC

Dunedin City Royals FC v Green Island AFC

-Article originally published by Mathew Nash/Match of the Bay.