One half of this season’s BUCS Rugby Premier Playoff semi-final seems to be locked in already, with three teams in the northern division looking to earn the right to face Cardiff.
The Welsh team’s impeccable record in the BUCS Rugby Premier South has seen them all but confirm top spot after just seven games.
Up north, however, there is a great deal more competition for the opportunity to come within just two games of the pinnacle of women’s university rugby. Northumbria, Birmingham, and Nottingham all feel it should be them who are in with a shot.
Playoffs give everyone a chance- well, not everyone
The BUCS Rugby Premier Playoff is used in place of the traditional promotion/relegation format seen in professional sports in the United Kingdom.
After going toe-to-toe with their opponents all season, the teams who finish top still have to navigate another two fixtures to earn their place at the top table.
Well, it is not always the team who finishes top…
British Universities and College Sport (BUCS) made a decision that meant each university can only be represented once in the top tier of university rugby.
This means that Loughborough 2’s, who currently sit two points clear in the Premier North, will be unable to enter the BUCS Rugby Premier Playoff as Loughborough 1’s already compete in the National League. Therefore, the team who finishes second will get the chance.
Two games for glory
The playoffs decide who occupies the final place in the National League for the following season. In the semi-final, the highest-placed team in the Premier North (currently Northumbria in 2nd) face the highest-placed team in the Premier South (currently Cardiff in 1st.)
The winner of that tie then goes onto face the side who finished bottom in the National League. Currently, this looks extremely likely to be Durham, who have earned just one point from their seven games this season.
Durham’s struggle this season has come as a big shock to everyone, given the fact they ended the 2021-22 season as champions, having won nine of their ten league games throughout the season.
Northumbria will be looking to make a return to the top division on the first attempt, following a disastrous 21-22 campaign which saw them finish bottom of the National League with -10 points.
The race for the BUCS Rugby Premier Playoff
As mentioned, Cardiff are leaps and bounds ahead of the other sides in the Premier North. After seven games, they are yet to drop any points, having won all seven. Throw in another seven bonus points, and the team from the Welsh capital find themselves nine points clear of second-placed Oxford.
Cardiff also have scored more than 100 points than anyone else in their league, with their total of 355 points more than the combined total of Bristol in third and the University of South Wales in fourth (313).
In the Premier South, three sides are fighting it out to earn the right to face Cardiff in the BUCS Rugby Premier Playoff semi-final.
Northumbria, as mentioned, occupy that spot currently, but face a strong challenge from both Birmingham and Nottingham. Birmingham do sit level on points with Northumbria, but lack behind in points difference. Northumbria’s difference is an impressive 133, compared to Birmingham’s 56.
Nottingham sit just two points behind these two, but, like Birmingham, have played a game more than Northumbria. Moreover, in the last game before the break, Northumbria demonstrated their prowess with a comprehensive 47-12 victory over the East Midlands side.
Northumbria are in the driving seat, but there is still do much to play for, especially in the north, in the race for the BUCS Rugby Premier Playoff.
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