Women’s Premier National
Only two of the three fixtures were fulfilled this week. Top of the table Durham were awarded the victory against bottom placed Northumbria, as the latter had to concede a walkover. This incurs a penalty of -5, moving Northumbria to -10, confirming their relegation all but officially. Cardiff Met, who sat in fifth place, travelled to second place Edinburgh, with the expectation of routine victory for the latter. This proved to be the case, with Edinburgh seeing off the Welsh side 25-12. In the other game that was played, third faced fourth, as Loughborough travelled to Hartpury. Hartpury were hoping to extract revenge for their opening day defeat at the hands of this week’s opponent. A close game saw the home side do just that, earning a 24-22 victory. Loughborough remain third for the time being, with the two sides now sharing identical records.
BUCS Super Rugby
With the top three all in action, as well as a derby promising huge tackles, this week’s fixtures in the top tier of Men’s BUCS Rugby Union lived up to their high expectations. Durham started the day top of the league, with Exeter breathing down their necks, trailling by just one point. Lougborough were six points off top spot, but knew a victory against Durham would be vital if they wanted to stay involved in the title fight. However, the quality of the latter shone through, exhibiting why they have only lost one game all season. They ran out 30-17 victors, meaning they stay top.
The gap to second remains at one point, with Exeter overcoming fifth placed Bath in a tight affair, the final score 30-26. It seems now the battle for the BUCS Super Rugby title is now only between two teams. In the Welsh derby, Cardiff played host to Swansea, in a game where seventh played eighth. It was Swansea who prevailed, 24-20, with the bragging rights in South Wales securely in their hands. The teams remain seventh and eighth.
Women’s Premier North and South
In the Premier North, Loughborough 2’s continued their 100% win record. A dominant 24-5 victory over fifth placed Leeds Beckett mean they remain top. Second placed York played third placed Newcastle, with the former hoping to keep up the pressure on Loughborough. A 42-17 victory meant they remain within touching distance, trailling top spot by five points. A seventh defeat of the season for Glasgow, at the hands of Birmingham, means the bottom placed team now sit eight points from safety.
The sole fixture in the Premier South this week saw Exeter extend their winning streak to nine, and their lead at the top to ten points, still with a game in hand. They travelled to fourth placed Cambridge, who were able to offer little resistance. A 74-0 thrashing for the side from Devon is testament to their dominant form as of late. The title seems to be theirs.
Result of the Week
Cup games are renowned for their ability to produce shocking results, with the Men’s Midlands Conference Shield proving no different. This week saw the quarter finals take place, with Loughborough 5’s, of the Midlands Tier 5A, travelling to Aston 2’s, of the same league for their tie. The teams faced off in the league in early December, with Loughborough dishing out a thrashing, 114-10. However, the result from this week’s fixture between the two sides is even more impressive. The game ended 179-0 to Loughborough, which is the equivalent of 23 converted tries, and six penalties. Needless to say, Loughborough progressed to the next round.