NVL Preview (26th and 27th October) - Stockport big to get off to flyer in renewed promotion bid 

The Greater Manchester side begin their 2024-25 campaign with two matches over the weekend on Saturday and Sunday. 

First they travel to face a Leicester Athena Phoenix side who will be bidding to make it three wins out of three and strengthen position as early leaders of the table. 

Stockport then return home to welcome newly-promoted Newcastle Knights (was Sunderland) to Life Leisure Brinnington Park. 

Just one match takes place in Division 2 East as early leaders Cambridge can go four points clear at the top should they overcome Dartford Chargers, and there are no matches in Division 2 West. 

Three matches are on the calendar in Division 2 North, where Manchester Marvels Mayhem will be looking to make it three wins on the spin when they host Loughborough Students, who are also in action on Saturday when hosting Everton Narwhals. 

Elsewhere in the division, Newcastle Staffs welcome early table toppers Tamworth Spartans to the Stanley Matthews Sports Centre. 

A triangular fixture in Division 3 South West will see Reading Aces, Bedminster 2 and Portsmouth try to get the better of one another. 

Division 3 South East will see six teams in action across two separate triangular fixtures. 

Something has to give in the match between Invicta and Sussex Dolphins, with both sides having won their opening two matches, while Tendring will be looking to spoil the party. 

Ashcombe Dorking, meanwhile, take on Richmond 3 and Spelthorne Sharks. 

No less than nine matches take place across three triangular fixtures in Division 3 Central. 

Lincoln Cannons, who face Rhinos Volley Cambridge and Black Country 2, and Wombourne, who take on Darkstar Derbyshire 2 and Ashfield Vipers, will be seeking to build on unbeaten starts. 

Nottingham Rockets, Leicester Athena Nova and Coventry and Warwick Riga 2 will go head to head at the Harvey Hadden Sports Complex. 

There are three more triangulars in Division 3 North and in the first of them, at the Ruth Gorse Academy, Leeds Gorse 3 meet Manchester Liberators and Hull Thunder. 

At Madeley High School, Newcastle Staffs do battle with York Falcons and Leeds Gorse 2 while at Moss Side Leisure Centre, Moss Side Jaguars test their credentials against Manchester Marvels Mystics and Chester Amazons. 

In the men’s section, it will be a busy weekend in Division 1, with five matches all on Saturday, with Black Country the only team not in action. 

Among them, Newcastle Staffs play their first match of the campaign following relegation from the Super League last season and will hope to get off to a good start as they entertain Hull Thunder. 

Leaders Leeds Gorse will look to make it a sixth straight win as they host Tamworth Spartans, while second-placed Bristol, also unbeaten in their three matches, play their return match against London Aces, having edged out the captial side 3-2 last weekend. 

Two sides promoted to Division 1 for this season via the play-offs – Lincoln Cannons and Exeter Storm – go head to head at Riseholme College and Cambridge ARU’s clash with London Baks completes the round of fixtures. 

Just one match takes place in Division 2 North, where Newcastle Staffs 2 and Kings of Court, Boston, both promoted last season, face off. 

Table toppers Coventry and Warwick Riga will look to maintain their 100 per cent record as they host Northampton in Division 2 Central on Saturday, while Rhinos Volley Cambridge welcome Norwich Spikers, who are also unbeaten so far. 

As the only game in Division 2 South, Wessex have the opportunity to move within a point of leaders Richmond Bucks when Wiltshire Mavericks visit Parkstone Grammar School. 

There are two triangular fixtures in Division 3 South where only three matches have previously played, meaning four of the sides are playing their first games of the new season. 

Bristol 2, who have already seen action, meet Bedminster and NVL newcomers Nuneaton Inferno. 

In the West Midlands, meanwhile, Coventry and Warwick Riga, who will play their third and fourth matches of the season, go head to head with Weymouth and more newcomers in Oxford Bulls. 

There are no matches in Division 3 South East, but Urmston Grammar, Intervolley Manchester and Liverpool do battle in a Division 3 North West triangular. 

Nine Division 3 North Central fixtures round off the action, starting with a Saturday triangular between Black Country 2, Leicester – one of three sides boasting unbeaten records – and Chester at Redhill School. 

The other two sides still to taste defeat are also kept apart for the moment as Nottingham Rockets take on Darkstar Derbyshire 2 and GNG Bedford, while Wombourne face club-mates Wombourne 2 and Tamworth Spartans 2. 

Images by Liam Jefferies.