Cup and Shield semi-finals review (21st and 22nd March) - Durham complete reverse sweep to keep double hopes alive 

Cup Finals Weekend 2026 will be held on 25th and 26th April in the Sir David Wallace Building at Loughborough University... secure your tickets here. 

Women’s National Cup 

Arguably the most thrilling match of the weekend came in the capital, where old rivals Team SideOut Polonia and Durham Palatinates went head to head. 

The North East side travelled south having won all 13 of their league matches to cruise into the Super League Final 4, while SIdeOut will need this weekend’s results to go in their favour if they are to do the same. 

But it was the Mark Kontopoulos’ hosts who grasped the mantle in the first two sets to take them both 25-23, 25-23 and go 2-0 up. 

But like all good teams, while the Palatinates were stretched, they did not buckle and found a way to turn things around. 

Cutting out the errors and bringing players off the bench, they claimed the crucial third set 25-20, squared the match by taking the fourth 25-16 and then kept their cool in the decider to clinch it 15-11. 

It was a heart-breaking final outcome for SideOut who had already beaten Essex Rebels to get to this point, giving their all only to come up just short. 

The other semi-final was much more straightforward for the victors as Malory Eagles repeated their success of last season against the same opponents, Darkstar Derbyshire, at the same stage in the same venue. 

The déjà vu moment saw the visitors take control straight away and seal the first set with ease. 

Darkstar led for much of the second set, but errors cost them and once the Eagles recovered to edge it, they saw out the match with relative ease (25-11, 25-22, 25-18). 

Men’s National Cup 

A mouth-watering men’s final is in prospect after two of Super League’s current top three sides made it through to Cup Finals Weekend. 

On Saturday, Malory Eagles hosted Essex Rebels at Ernest Bevin College, with the hosts going into the match as red-hot favourites given the two sides’ respective recent form. 

And Jefferson Williams’ side lived up to that billing by doing enough to win through in four, despite perhaps not being at their best. 

Essex – without the departed Thomas Shatimehin – briefly threatened a comeback after taking the second set, but thereafter the Eagles took a firm grip of proceedings to book their trip to LE11 (25-21, 21-25, 25-16, 25-18). 

The other semi-final saw three tight sets of volleyball all go in favour of London Giants as they took on Richmond Docklands. 

The hosts, whose priority is now to stay in Super League with one round and the play-off matches to go, gave as good as they got and certainly gave their opponents something to think about. 

But, like Malory, Mihail Stoev’s men kept their double dreams alive by edging to a 25-23, 25-22, 25-23 triumph. 

Women’s National Shield 

Cambridge 2 secured the most convincing victory of the weekend to storm into their final, beating Tamworth Spartans 25-10, 25-14, 25-10. 

The Shield run gives them the chance to make up for narrowly missing out on the league title in Division 2 East, which London Onyx clinched at the weekend. 

They will now meet Reading Aces in what will be an intriguing match-up after the Berkshire club fought hard to overcome a gallant Farnborough Phoenix in four sets. 

The Division 2 West champions are dreaming of a double, but found it far from easy against their DIvision 3 South West opponents, who gave as good as they got in the early part of the match. 

After the team’s shared tight first two sets, it was only then that the home side began to get on top, eventually running out 25-23, 23-25, 25-16, 25-15 victors. 

Men’s National Shield 

The North versus South battle of the two non-NVL sides in Legends and Brazukas saw the former come out on top, much to the delight of the home support packed around the side court at Failsworth Sports Centre. 

Having already come through four rounds to reach this stage, the Oldham-based side – powered by their two England internationals Ben Lucas and Chester Searle – always held the edge. 

But London-based Brazukas played with pride to the end and, despite an eventual 25-19, 25-19, 25-22 defeat, could travel back down the M1 with their heads held high after a terrific run in the competition. 

Darkstar Derbyshire, meanwhile, made history in their semi-final by becoming the first team from their club to reach the final of a national competition. 

Having sealed the Division 2 North title the previous week, the East Midlanders were in confident mood ahead of the visit of The Army. 

And that feeling was well placed as they bounded to a straight sets success, making them the senior team with the shortest journey to make to get to Cup Finals.  

For the Army team, it was another step on their ladder of progression, going one better than their quarter-final appearance last year.  

Images by Jon Cornish, Bury Photographic Sports Group and Matt Halfpenny

Find out more about Cup Finals Weekend 2026 here. 

View all the National Cup and Shield results and fixtures here.