Just one week to go in the BUCS League and where most issues have been sorted in terms of who
has qualified for the playoffs, there is still some jostling for position to
see who will get home field in their games. The full picture will be realised
after Sunday and good luck to all those trying to secure a position as well as
those that are trying to keep the relegation trap door from opening.
That being said all the playoff rankings have been sorted in
the Premier and this also means that the trap door has already caught two
teams. Once more it’s the Stirling and Birmingham brands that have led the way
all season, but they may not have it all their way in the coming weeks.
Here is how the Premier playoffs shape up, the North and
South divide gets lifted for the playoffs.
STILRING (n1) v BATH
(s4)
DURHAM (n2) v
KINGSTON (s3)
BIRMINGHAM (s1) v
LOUGHBOROUGH (n4)
HERTFORDSHIRE (s2) v
DERBY (n3)
This means that the odd teams out from each division are Sheffield Hallam and Imperial, who will be playing Tier 1
ball next season.
Into Tier 1 then and the structure allows the top two teams
from each division to reach the playoffs and after the two best records enter
as Wild Cards. The system for tiebreakers isn’t complicated (avg points allowed
in games played – forfeits not included) but does require a calculator at
times, and with this in mind the Wild Card teams are far from settled, whereas
the teams currently ranked 1-6 in both the North and South are in but their
rank could change.
So if the playoffs were today…
NORTH
GLASGOW (1) v
NOTTINGHAM (wc8)
NTU (2) v SHEFFIELD
(wc7)
UCLAN (3) v LEEDS
BECKETT (6)
WARWICK (4) v
NEWCASTLE (5)
SOUTH
SWANSEA (1) v UEA
(wc8)
SURREY (2) v KENT
(wc7)
BRIGHTON (3) v SUSSEX
(6)
RHUL (4) v CARDIFF
(5)
Bear in mind that the North/South divide remains until the
final, but then both teams will already be celebrating promotion to the
Premier, so in effect the Finals in their respective regions will be the promotion
deciders. Relegation threatens for Lancaster
and Huddersfield in the North, and Aberystwyth and KCL in the South.
Still with us…good.
Tier 2 has just the top team from each division enter the
playoffs and 6 of the 8 are settled with just two titles going down to the
final day of the season. Again we have a North/South split with the two
finalists gaining promotion.
NORTH
LJMU (1) v EDINBURGH
NAPIER (4)
COVENTRY (2) v
MANCHESTER (3)
SOUTH
PORTSMOUTH (1) v
PLYMOUTH (4)
GREENWICH (2) v
OXFORD (3)
With a full round of games to go it’s still very much all to
play for around the country before the postseason begins and the intensity goes
up a notch or three!
*We must stipulate
that all the above has been worked out by the formula presented to us and
therefore unofficial, but were fairly certain this is correct. As soon as we
have an official line-up next week we will bring it to you.
