NVL Preview (17th and 18th January) - Top two go head to head in Women's Division 1 North

Women’s NVL 

Division 1 North’s unbeaten leaders University of Nottingham and second place Northampton go head to head at Moulton College on Saturday in a challenging start to the new year for both sides. 

Freddie Fairbairn’s Green and Golds will go in as favourites having dropped only one set all season, but those in blue are on a roll, having won their last five league games after losing their first three. 

A Greater Manchester derby is also taking place as Stockport will bid to improve their precarious league position against a Manchester Marvels Mayhem side who hope to be fighting it out at the top end come the end of the season.  

Mayhem are also in action on Sunday as they return to the North West to make the relatively short trip to Liverpool to face Everton Belugas. 

In Division 1 South, London Giants are yet to lose this season and will hope to keep that proud record intact in a capital derby with London Inter Crocs. 

Preceding that on Saturday, third-placed Bristol host winless bottom club Team South Wales while Essex Trinity, in fourth entertain a Bedminster side one place and one point below them. 

Manchester Moss Side Jaguars have a sizeable seven-point lead at the top of Division 2 North and will bid to maintain or extend that lead on Sunday when they visit Lincoln Cannons. 

Second-placed Manchester Liberators will be keen to put last week’s defeat behind them when they welcome Everton Narwhals to Fairfield High School. 

There are also two games on Saturday as Newcastle Staffs play Leeds Gorse 2 and a South Yorkshire derby sees The Miners Doncaster meet Sheffield. 

All eight teams are in action in Division 2 West, including leaders Reading Aces who will hope to take the latest step towards back-to-back promotions when hosting Cardiff Falcons. 

Second-placed Black Country travel to the South Coast to face Southampton, while Oxford Eagles - unbeaten in the league and with a game in hand, but having bowed out of the National Shield last weekend - are at home to Tamworth Spartans. 

Wombourne host fellow West Midlands side Coventry and Warwick Riga to complete the divisional fixtures. 

There are three fixtures in Division 2 East, with leaders Cambridge hosting Herts and Norwich Spikers facing Richmond 2 on Saturday. 

Then, on Sunday, Onyx London, just two points behind the leaders with two games in hand will hope to maintain their strong position at Dartford Chargers. 

Second meets third as Farnborough Phoenix do battle with Southampton 2 as part of a Division 3 South West triangular that also involves City of Bristol. 

London Ravens, with six wins from six so far, have the chance to reclaim leadership of Division 3 South East when they take on Dartford Warriors and Richmond 3. 

There are no matches in either Division 3 Central or North this weekend. 

Men’s NVL 

Having been defeated in their previous two matches, either side of the Christmas break in league and then the National Cup, IBB Polonia will be keen to get back on the horse. 

They make the journey west to play a Bristol side who were firmly in the promotion hunt last season but have struggled to live up to those heights in 2025-26. 

A tough weekend is in prospect for bottom club Exeter Storm as they are on the road at second-placed Cambridge on Saturday and third-placed Essex Blaze – who inflicted a first defeat on IBB in the previous league match – on Sunday. 

Another leading team to suffer a setback in their final match before Christmas was Newcastle Staffs, who were unexpectedly beaten in straight sets by Stockport. 

Their opportunity to bounce back comes back in the shape of a trip to mid-table Cambridge Rhinos on Sunday. 

Before that, on Saturday, there are three other fixtures, including second-placed Black Country matching up against Coventry and Riga in a West Midlands derby.

Like their women’s first teams, Stockport and Manchester Marvels meet at Life Leisure Brinnington Park, while Sheffield welcome Tamworth Spartans. 

Darkstar Derbyshire will bid to maintain their 100 per cent record with a seventh league victory of the season as they enjoy home court advantage against third-placed Everton Dugongs on Saturday. 

If the East Midlanders do win, Leeds Gorse 2 could jump up to second as with victory at Newcastle Staffs 2, because the side currently occupying that position, Lincoln Cannons, are without a game. 

Mid-table Sheffield Springers take on strugglers Nottingham Rockets at All Saints Sports Centre. 

The top two meet in a crunch Division 2 Central match as table toppers MK City face off against second-placed Loughborough Students. 

Newmarket 2 are third and face a tricky-looking trip to Oxford Bulls, who have played only four league games so far.

Norwich Spikers will bid to pull away from trouble at the bottom when they entertain Leicester and Northampton host bottom club Cambridge 2. 

Richmond Bucks, already six points clear with seven wins from seven, will have the chance to keep a stranglehold on Division 2 South when they make the short trip to Spelthorne Lions. 

Kent Invicta, in second, and Dartford Crossers, in third, both have 14 points and will fight it out in a bid to keep pace with the leaders. 

London Baks and Wiltshire Mavericks are on the same points and are separated by points quotient, meaning whoever is the winner will finish the day in a higher league placing. 

Reading Aces have the chance to make up ground as they face winless Cardiff Panthers. 

There are no matches across the Division 3 regional sections this weekend. 

Full NVL fixtures and results can be found here.

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