Opening Weekend: Day one round-up

Newly-promoted Stockport Men marked their Super League debut with an Opening Weekend victory to remember against last season’s Cup winners Malory Eagles.

The North West club may have come into the match as underdogs, but they showed no new-boy nerves against their experienced opponents, recording a straight sets victory.

All three sets were mighty close, but on each occasion the team in blue and orange won the crucial points to prevail 25-20, 27-25, 25-23.

The Opening Weekend in Kettering – where all 10 top flight men’s and women’s teams will play in the space of 48 hours – had began with a titanic clash between Richmond Docklands and Team Sunderland that had the crowd captivated.

The first and second sets both required tie breakers, but the London club edged them both to take a 2-0 sets lead (31-29, 27-25).

Sunderland hit back to take the third 25-22, but back came Docklands to close out the match 25-23.

In between the successes for Richmond and Stockport, defending champions Durham Palatinates edged an incredible five-set match against Newcastle Staffs.

In a match that see-sawed from the start, the North East uni side edged in front 25-22, but were pegged back 25-16 in the second.

The momentum seemed to be with the Potteries club when they won the third set 29-27, but back came Durham to square the match at 2-2 with a 25-17 fourth set win.

True to form, there was little to choose between the two sides in the decider, so it was a delighted Palatinates team who took it 15-13.

The day’s fourth match saw IBB Polonia overcome a deserved Leeds Gorse team 3-1.

With some impressive power hitting, they ran out 27-25, 25-21, 21-25, 25-21 victors, thrilling their fans who had followed them up the M1 from London.

Last on court saw the battle of the universities as Essex Rebels took on University of Nottingham.

They were made to work hard for it, but the Rebels pushed into a two-set lead.

East Midlands’ UoN tried to respond in the third but Essex was always able to be one step ahead to see out the match 3-0 (25-23, 25-21, 25-16)

Tomorrow will see the five women's matches contested, so get down to Kettering, watch on the YouTube live stream and follow on social media for more exciting action.

Pics by Nathaniel Macrae Photography