National Club Finals this weekend to crown English champions

Schedule - Sunday 10 May, Aylestone St James RFC, Leicester

11:00 Women’s Div 1 Final – Camden - Cheltenham
12:45 Mixed Final - Oxford City – Cambridge University
14:30 Women’s Premiership Final – Centaurs - Oxton
16:15 Men’s Premiership Final – Spencer – Mellor

This Sunday (10 May) sees the crowning of our 2026 English champions with the annual National Club Finals featuring our league champions from across the Men’s, Women’s and Mixed games in competition at Aylestone St James Rugby Club, Leicester.

The finals represent the culmination of the domestic club season as the top teams from our regions across the three formats go head to head for national bragging rights.

And the prize at stake for our Men’s and Women’s Premiership winners is not only the title of English National champions, but a coveted place at the European Club Championships, Ken Galluccio Cup, to compete for European honours in Prague for the 2026 finals with competitors Centaurs and Spencer the reigning European champions.

Spencer will be hoping to continue theirs and SEMLA’s recent dominance in the Men’s Premiership final as the London side look for back-to-back National Championships and a sixth consecutive victory for the south, as not since Poynton’s overtime victory in 2018 have the NEMLA league winners claimed the victory.

Spencer’s England field quartet of Hal Dwobeng, Matt Tatton, Will Prescott and Dan Watson are complemented by a number of England box internationals in Ben Page-Laycock, Ben Buchanan and Albert Whitehead and are set to be strong opposition in defending their national title.

It’s a first appearance in the contest for Mellor since 1997 after a brilliant league campaign and spearheaded by the likes of England internationals Drew Bickerton, Tom Hallam and Dan Jones alongside upcoming talent Drew Wilkinson and Jamie Mochan and combined with the experience of former Spencer man Tom Roche now back at Mellor it should prove to be an exciting match-up.

The Women’s Premiership final features a repeat of last year’s match and two formidable sides as both Centaurs and Oxton finished top of the respective SEWLA and NLL Premier Divisions with 100% winning records clocking up hundreds of goals between the teams and dominating their competition all season long.

Both teams come in with squads blending youth and experience, Centaurs featuring Wales internationals Charlotte Williams, Emma Hawkins, Ellie Jones, LouLou Rowlands and have welcomed back attacker Sophie Morrill, a Wales and former England international.

This is balanced by a crop of talented young athletes such as Marie Rudd and Mollie Male who both the recent National Schools Championship with Lady Eleanor Holles and Katie Gray England Development international.

Opponents Oxton have always been renowned for their conveyer belt of young talent that rises up through the club, spawning multiple international stars and have many rising stars in the squad for Sunday.

England Box international Lucy Mayers stars in goal, with England Development international Ella Dimbylow key in the midfield alongisde multiple players with youth and senior appearances for Wales in Lizzie Melia, Phoebe Jones and Kiara Kenney among others.

Finally, their squad also features 2017 World Championship bronze medallist Charlotte Lytollis who will be key in bringing experience and composure to her side in what should be another thrilling contest.

In our Mixed Lacrosse final, Cambridge University make the championship game after downing their Cambridge City rivals in the semi-final 6-4 and will be looking to reclaim a title the Uni side won in its first two editions, both times against opponents Oxford City.

Oxford City meanwhile have been ever presents in the Mixed National final since its inception, losing their first two finals, against Sunday’s opponents, before finally claiming the top spot in 2024, following it up in 2025, and making this year’s final with a 15-2 semi-final win against Bristol Bombers.

In the Division 1 Women’s final, winners of the South West Women’s region, Cheltenham, will play South East Women’s Division 1 winners Camden.

Camden come in to the fixture looking to cap off a magnificent season as their women’s lacrosse programme earned promotion to the SEWLA Premiership for the first time in their short history.

Meanwhile Cheltenham took the South West for an impressive fourth year in a row and will hope to carry this in to the Division 1 final on Sunday.

We welcome all to attend National Finals, with free entry and car parking available at the venue. The Clubhouse will also be open with the bar and hot and cold food options available throughout the day.