National Cup Preview Super League giants look to make big impact

Men’s National Cup

The standout tie of the weekend sees two of the league’s tallest and most physical sides, Durham Palatinates and London Giants, go head-to-head. Durham stunned Richmond with a reverse sweep on Opening Weekend, while the Giants beat Richmond 3–1 a week later, setting up what promises to be a thrilling first meeting of the season.

With some of the tallest players in the league on both sides, each team will be looking to dominate at the net. Durham have played only one Super League match so far this season, but their involvement in the BUCS Premiership means they’ve already had significantly more court time than the Giants.

Another intriguing tie sees a clash between Black Country and recently relegated Stockport, two sides with Super League pedigree.

The teams met just last weekend, with Black Country securing a dominant 3–0 victory, and they’ll be eager to repeat that result. Stockport, currently bottom of Division 1 North, will hope to break free from their league struggles and spark a turnaround in Cup play.

After a gruelling five-set match against Cambridge on Saturday, London Aces now face the England U20 Men, who arrive in London looking to challenge the Division 1 South leaders. Like the U20 Women, this squad includes several players returning from NEVZA silver medal success in the Faroe Islands.

An East-versus-West showdown sees Essex Blaze travel to face the University of Bristol, who enter the Cup as BUCS Premiership representatives. The Bristolians have taken sets off some of BUCS’ top sides this season, but they’ll face a new challenge against last year’s Super League outfit, Essex Blaze.

Loughborough Students host Leeds Gorse, who face a packed weekend with a Super League fixture against Newcastle Knights on Sunday. Squad rotation may be on the cards. Regardless, it promises to be a fierce contest, with Loughborough having won both their NVL openers, dropping just one set.

Coventry and Warwick Riga will look to build on last weekend’s success as they meet Sheffield, who’ll be eager to avenge their 3–1 defeat in the recent league encounter.

London Lionhearts, newcomers to the NVL but seasoned competitors in the London Premier Division, host Cambridge, who have started their Division 1 South campaign with two wins from three matches.

The weekend concludes on Sunday with Tamworth Spartans hosting Richmond Docklands.

The London side will look to put their two early Super League defeats behind them as they head to the West Midlands. Despite strong offensive play, both of Docklands’ previous matches have gone long, and fatigue could again play a role this weekend.

Women’s National Cup

Six matches are on the schedule for the Women’s Cup, with last year’s Shield runners-up Bedminster opening the action against recently relegated Cambridge.

Both sides have two league matches under their belts so far, each with a record of one win and one loss. Cambridge will be looking to build on their commanding 3–0 victory over Stockport last time out in the NVL as they make the long trip west to Bristol.

Elsewhere, Darkstar Derbyshire, who narrowly avoided relegation last season, also face a road trip as they head to Manchester to take on Marvels Mayhem. Darkstar haven’t played since Opening Weekend on October 19th, giving them extra time to prepare, but they’ll meet a Manchester side featuring some familiar faces: former Darkstar players Jodie Taylor and Abi Littler.

The team that lost out on promotion to Darkstar, London Giants, face a tricky home fixture against last year’s Shield winners, Bristol. Now competing in the same league, Bristol will be eager to make a statement against a Giants team that has played just once this season, a win over local rivals London Inter Crocs on 12th October.

The England U20 Women return to the Cup after a few years out, travelling to Northampton to face Moulton College. The squad features several players fresh from competing at the NEVZA Championships in the Faroe Islands.

Another familiar Division 1 matchup sees Richmond take on Essex Trinity. Both sides have dropped early-season sets and will be keen to make a Cup run, though the league title race will no doubt remain a major focus for both teams.

Rounding off the women’s fixtures, it’s a “battle of the purples” as Durham Palatinates host Loughborough Students. The two university sides may cause a few headaches for online viewers trying to tell them apart, but on court, Durham will be hoping to build on their strong Opening Weekend and BUCS performances. Loughborough, meanwhile, will aim to shake off the effects of a long trip north and start fast against an in-form Palatinates team.