NVL preview (8th and 9th November) - Giants, Trinity and Richmond eye pushes up the table

Women’s NVL 

Well-fancied London Giants play only their second Division 1 South match of the campaign on Sunday when they entertain a Team South Wales side who are still seeking their first victory. 

Second-placed Essex Trinity also travel into the capital where they will play a Richmond side who won their season opener. 

Before that, on Saturday, Bristol and Wessex will do battle at Avanti Gardens School. 

In Division 1 North, second-placed Cambridge host Stockport and will hope to draw level of points with University of Nottingham at the top, as the leaders do not have a game. 

In the other fixture, Loughborough Students will hope to get off the mark as they entertain Northampton at Parkin Sports Centre. 

Manchester Marvels Mayhem (pictured above) and Everton Belugas will both be bidding to move to a 2-1 record when they go head to head at the Dean Trust, Ardwick. 

Oxford Eagles have the chance to go top of Division 2 West with a fifth consecutive league win, but must first overcome Cardiff Falcons at home. 

Reading Aces get their NVL campaign for the season underway as they visit Tamworth Spartans. 

There are two cross-Pennines battles in Division 2 North, with early leaders Manchester Moss Side Jaguars journeying to Sheffield and Leeds Gorse 2 travelling the other way to face Manchester Liberators. 

A Saturday Division 2 East triangular pitches Sussex Dolphins, Worthing and leaders Cambridge in opposition. 

Onyx London and Richmond 2 then meet in a capital derby on Sunday. 

There are no games in any of the Division 3 sections this weekend. 

Men’s NVL 

An eye-catching match in Division 1 South sees top two London Aces and IBB Polonia meet at Lambeth Academy on Saturday. 

Unbeaten Essex Blaze will bid to start the season with three wins when they go to Cambridge, while Bristol welcome a Wessex team in search of their first success. 

One of Southampton and Exeter Storm will get the chance to record their first victory when they clash at Itchin College Sports Centre on Sunday. 

Manchester Marvels have the chance to go top of the Division 1 North pile on Sunday when Tamworth Spartans are the visitors. 

Should they not earn maximum points, then, with Newcastle Staffs not playing, Black Country have the same opportunity as they play Rhinos Cambridge. 

There is just one game in Division 2 South as Cardiff Panthers welcome Kent Invicta to Fitzalan High School. 

The bottom two face off in a ‘varsity’ meeting as Oxford Bulls hosts Cambridge 2 in Division 2 Central. 

MK City versus Leicester, who both have one win to their respective names so far, is the other fixture. 

The only Division 2 North teams not to have played two fixtures, Darkstar Derbyshire and Newcastle Staffs 2, meet in the East Midlands. 

There are no matches in any of the Division 3 sections this weekend. 

Manchester Marvels Mayhem team pic by Simon Clarke

Full NVL results can be found here.

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