Key Points
- Hibernian Women confirmed their retained list for the 2026/27 season yesterday afternoon.
- Sixteen players will remain on the books in Leith after a series of contract extensions.
- Club captain Rachael Boyle has signed a new one-year deal.
- Kirsten Reilly, Tiree Burchill and Faye Bryson have also extended their contracts.
- The club will lose its three top scorers from last season: Eilidh Adams, Kathleen McGovern and Rosie Livingstone.
- Rosie Livingstone has joined the WSL 2 after the Tractor Girls triggered a release clause in her contract.
- Livingstone scored five league goals and provided eight assists last season.
- Kathleen McGovern made 64 appearances for Hibs and scored more than 50 goals in all competitions across her two-year spell.
- Eilidh Adams leaves after seven years at the club, during which she scored 89 goals in 181 appearances.
Leith Athletic F.C.(Edinburgh Daily) June 30, 2026 – Hibernian Women confirmed their retained list for the 2026/27 season yesterday afternoon, signalling both continuity and significant change in uk/local/leith/">Leith. Sixteen players will remain at the club following a number of recent contract extensions, which gives the squad a smaller but still experienced core to build around. The retained list also underlines how much turnover Hibs are facing after losing several of their leading attackers.
Club captain Rachael Boyle has committed to a further year, while midfielder Kirsten Reilly, forward Tiree Burchill and defender Faye Bryson have also agreed extensions. That gives Joelle Murray a group of experienced names to shape the next phase of the squad. At the same time, the departures of the club’s most productive forwards will force a significant reshuffle in attack.
Which players are staying?
The most important retention is Boyle, whose new one-year deal keeps leadership and familiarity in the dressing room. Reilly’s extension matters in midfield because it helps preserve technical control and continuity in the middle of the pitch. Burchill and Bryson also add stability in forward and defensive areas, which is useful when a team is losing so much attacking output.
With only 16 players remaining on the books, Hibs will likely need to add further depth before the new campaign gets under way. The current list shows the club is trying to maintain a competitive structure rather than making a full rebuild. Still, the balance of the squad has changed sharply because the scoring burden will no longer fall on the same names.
Why are the top scorers leaving?
Hibs will be without their three top scorers next season, with Eilidh Adams, Kathleen McGovern and Rosie Livingstone all set to play elsewhere. Livingstone has already secured a move to the WSL 2 after the Tractor Girls triggered a clause in her contract. Her exit is especially notable because she came through the Hibs Women academy and added goals, assists and late-match decisive moments to the team.
McGovern’s departure removes another major attacking threat. She made 64 appearances over two years, scored 14 league goals last season and finished her Hibs spell with more than 50 goals in all competitions. Adams also leaves a major gap after a long association with the club, having spent seven years in green and white and delivered 89 goals in 181 appearances.
What did Rosie Livingstone achieve at Hibs?
Livingstone’s final season at Hibs was productive and influential. She scored five league goals and registered eight assists, showing that she contributed not only as a finisher but also as a creator. Her 89th-minute winner against Hearts at Oriam in March was one of the standout moments of the season and will likely be remembered by supporters for some time.
In her farewell message, Livingstone paid tribute to the supporters and staff, saying she “couldn’t be more grateful” and describing her time at the club as full of memories that would last a lifetime. She said leaving Hibs was the hardest decision of her career so far and added that the club had become a family over the years. Her words reflect the emotional side of a move that is sporting, contractual and personal all at once.
What does McGovern’s exit change?
McGovern’s exit removes a proven goalscorer who delivered consistently in domestic and European football. Her 14 SWPL goals last season underline how central she was to Hibs’ attacking output. The fact that she also scored a 95th-minute equaliser against Belgium for Scotland at Easter Road shows the level of confidence and form she brought into the club environment.
Her European contribution was also significant, including a hat-trick against Apollon Limassol in the second qualifying round of last season’s UEFA Women’s Champions League. That kind of performance is not easy to replace, particularly for a club already losing other top scorers. Hibs now face the challenge of redistributing goals across a squad that will look much different next season.
Why is Adams’ departure important?
Adams leaves after a long and productive spell that made her one of the most recognisable figures in the side. Her 89 goals in 181 appearances show remarkable consistency, and her late strike against Inter Milan in the inaugural UEFA Women’s Europa Cup added another notable highlight to her time at the club. She also joined McGovern in Scotland’s recent international camps, which shows how strongly her club form has been viewed at national level.
A seven-year association gives a player a different kind of influence beyond statistics. Adams’ departure removes experience, familiarity and a reliable source of goals from the squad. For Hibs, that means the next season begins with a clear need to identify new attacking leaders rather than relying on established ones.
Background of the development
The retained list comes after a period in which Hibs had already seen key figures contribute heavily across domestic and European football. Livingstone, McGovern and Adams all produced important goals last season, while Boyle’s new deal suggests the club still wants to preserve its leadership core. The decision to extend several contracts while allowing major scorers to leave points to a careful but unavoidable transition.
That transition is not unusual in women’s football, where contract clauses, player ambition and league movement can quickly reshape a squad. Livingstone’s move to WSL 2 is a clear example of how a clause can alter a club’s plans immediately. For Hibs, the retained list marks the start of a new phase rather than the end of the story.
What is the likely impact?
Hibs supporters should expect a more open competition for attacking roles next season, because the club will need fresh sources of goals and assists. The loss of all three top scorers means other players will have to step up quickly if the team is to stay competitive. Boyle and the newly extended players can help maintain continuity, but they cannot replace the goals on their own.
For the wider audience following SWPL football, this could make Hibs less predictable in attack but also more difficult to judge early in the season. The club may take time to settle as new forward options are introduced. If recruitment is successful, the retained list could be the foundation of a refreshed side; if not, the scoring burden may become a major issue.
