In the united league, eight women's teams will compete for the title – four from Estonia and four from Latvia. Estonia will be represented by the current champion Mistra, last season's silver medalist handball club Mella, SK Tapa, and HC Tabasalu. Latvia will be represented by SK Latgols, RSU, Jēkabpils SS, and Salaspils SS. The main season of the joint league will last from September 19, 2026, to March 14, 2027. The decisive matches will take place in April, when the Final-4 tournament will be held featuring the top four teams, and places from 5th to 8th will also be contested. The first matches of the league will take place this weekend, September 19–20, on both sides of the border. The creation of a joint league is a necessary and significant step in the development of women's handball in both countries. In recent years, this sport has faced serious challenges: the number of teams playing at the highest level has decreased, and the overall level of competition has fallen, which has also significantly affected the performance of women's national teams. Until now, the top leagues in both Estonia and Latvia have consisted of only four women's teams. This limited the formats of games and forced clubs to constantly face the same opponents throughout the season. The decision of the federations to combine efforts is a long-term investment aimed at creating a higher quality and more diverse competitive environment that fosters player development and strengthens the position of women's handball in the region. In the long term, the main goal of the federations is to create a foundation and conditions for the women's national teams of Estonia and Latvia to successfully return to the sports arena.
