Women's UK Championship: 2026

The 2026 Women’s National Championship will feature 12 teams competing across 11 rounds. The clubs are in the north of England, except obviously for London and Cardiff. Cardiff in particular impresses me. There are no men's teams currently doing what they are in representing the south of Wales in the code. 

The top four teams will progress into the play-offs. That means entering the semi finals, the winners progressing to the division final. The winner will then progress to a promotion play off final. They will take on the lowest club from Super League to try and earn a place in the Betfred Women’s Super League. So there is a promotion to be aspiring to. 

Women's UK Super League: 2026

The 2026 competition will feature eight clubs playing in the first division. Each team will play each other once, making that seven games. Then the top and bottom four will divide off into two divisions of four each. The teams in each new division will play each other twice. 

The winner of the top division wins the league shield and goes straight into the grand final, Second and third will play off to see which one joins them.  

The lower four will also play each other twice, the bottom team then having to play the winner of the Championship (or second divsion) to see if they are relegated and replaced by a team below or if the status quo is maintained. 

The clubs to the right are the eight sides that will contest the 2026 Super League. Wigan will be the team to beat. 

France Lord Derby Cup : 2025-26

The competition was first played during the 1934-35 season. The 85th edition has been completed and the results are below. The orange colour represents Elite 2 teams and green Elite 1.

Villegailhenc-Aragon XIII did some giant killing, making it to the semi final. Last year's losing finalist Albi was the reason for the end of Elite 2 hopes and it was joined by favourite Carcassonne.

The final was a decisive victory for the favourite 44-6 and Albi had to settle for second place again. The first half was close (16-6), but the score ballooned out in the second. 

Recent winners are as follows:

2023: AS Carcassonne

2024: AS Carcassonne

2025: St Estève-Catalan

The video is the Luc Nitard U19 final and Lord Derby final.