Ipswich captain Boswell calls WSL promotion 'inevitable'
Ipswich Town Women captain Maria Boswell says promotion to the Women's Super League is inevitable for the club, with the Tractor Girls third in WSL2 under David Wright.
Ipswich Town Women captain Maria Boswell believes the club's rise to the Women's Super League is "inevitable", saying she cannot envisage any other outcome regardless of whether it arrives this year or further down the line. The 23-year-old, who joined Ipswich's academy in 2019 and was named captain in 2023, pointed to the owners' intent and the investment made in the club as reasons for her confidence.
The Tractor Girls' recent progress has been rapid. They were in the fourth tier as recently as 2021 and finished ninth in WSL2 last season after winning promotion to the second tier in 2025. Former men's team player David Wright, appointed in April, now manages a side sitting third after five games of the 2026-27 campaign.
Ipswich opened the season with draws against Nottingham Forest and Southampton before stringing together league wins over Leicester City, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Sheffield United. They host second-placed Sunderland on Sunday at Colchester Community Stadium, a fixture that offers a measure of their standing near the top of the table.
Boswell said the squad's summer recruitment shaped expectations, with players and staff concluding at the end of pre-season that there was no reason not to target promotion. She stressed the importance of keeping that ambition in the background rather than letting it dominate day-to-day work, adding that the aim is to train with intent and produce performances that earn three points.
She also cautioned that the strong start does not guarantee the run will continue simply because of how it began. Boswell said she hopes to be part of the club when promotion eventually happens, describing the WSL as where Ipswich naturally belongs given how the owners see the club.
Image: John Fairhall/BBC / BBC Sport
