Charlie Gadd
Last year, heartbreak struck Nottingham twice, in both the National Championships and the league, and always at the hands of local rivals Nottingham Trent. Trent became Nottingham’s bogey team, with the only defeats Nottingham’s Men’s 1’s sustained being at their hands, and they finished the job at the National Championships, beating Nottingham 12-9 to secure the trophy.
Nottingham came back this season with vengeance and have eclipsed their rivals, going undefeated in the league, winning nine and drawing one. Their most emphatic statement came in the semi-final, where they dismantled Trent 14 –1 to book their place in the final, a particularly satisfying result for players like captains Jamie Mochan and Joachim Ruby, who were part of the squad that fell short last season.
With their place in the finals secured and the Trent bogey overcome, Nottingham will look to take home the ultimate prize and win the National Championship.
However, their opponents are not to be written off. Durham have had a brilliant season of their own, sitting on 23 points in the league (five adrift of Nottingham’s 28); they have overtaken the previously dominant Trent, who sit four points behind on 19. They were also the only side to take points off Nottingham, forcing a draw that ended Nottingham’s hopes of a perfect league season. Across their ten matches, Durham won seven and lost only once, in their penultimate fixture against Nottingham.
Durham’s National Championship campaign has been equally successful with a dominant 18 – 2 victory over Bath to send them to the semi-finals. Durham then won 14 – 5 in order to secure their place in Wednesdays final.
Nottingham’s league dominance certainly presents a hefty challenge to Durham’s side, further bolstered by Nottingham’s 14 – 2 victory over them in the closing weeks of the season. However, finals are a far cry from your average league game, and both teams have something to prove.
This final will be Nottingham’s fourth in a row, having gone winless in all three previously. This will fuel the fire in the men to end their winless streak and secure a trophy that has evaded them for some time now, and with such a dominant league phase and finally overcoming Trent there is an undeniable feeling that their time is now.
However, the ghost of finals past will no doubt play on the minds of this team, and the mental fight will be as key as the physical one.
For Durham, this is their first final since 2022, when they beat Trent 10–6 to claim the title. A win on Wednesday would not only dethrone the league’s standout team but also re-establish Durham as a major force after a period dominated by the two Nottingham sides.
The league is finished, and long-standing rivals have fallen. Both sides arrive with determination, belief, and something to prove. It now comes down to one game and one important performance; Nottingham will need to give it everything. They now stand one step away from the ultimate prize.
Match Details
Where? PEC Rubber Crumb Pitch
When? 7:15pm
How to Watch? Live on BUCS YouTube as part of Big Wednesday coverage
Charlie Gadd
Featured image courtesy of UoN Sport. No changes were made to this image.
In article Image 1 courtesy of UoN Sport. No changes were made to this image.
In article Image 2 courtesy of UoN Sport. No changes were made to this image.
