BUCS is Back: Premiership North and South Headline the opening weekend

Photo: Rocker Davies Media

The BUCS Gods are upon us as we finally get back to action this weekend, with the Premiership North and South Tiers kicking off their seasons, and we finally get a taste of the 2025-26 action.

Premiership North

Leeds Gryphons vs Newcastle Raiders

A festival of football is taking place in West Yorkshire this weekend as we not only get to see our first Premiership North match-up of the season, but a day prior, the Under 19’s development league takes centre stage as Team North hosts Team Scotland.

On Sunday, we will see two sides with polar opposite seasons from last term. The Gryphons will want to grow from last season's semi-final defeat to SGS Pride, and under new head coach Christian Thompson, they will look to take the next steps into challenging for the Prem Title and a shot at the National League. The Raiders on the other hand need a revamp, and boy have they just done that, Henrique Baptista-Borges who is now the Head coach after being promoted from his defensive coordinator role, alongside new DC Rhys Astrop and OC Lewis Hunter, the revamp and the changes have been made to make this team a successful one and a huge upset win on the road at Leeds could be the thing to kick start their season.

Premiership South

Brunel Burners vs Portsmouth Destroyers

Okay, so Brunel are finally in the Prem after what seemed like an age of trying, and they come across a tough test in their first week. The Destroyers went deep into the playoffs last season, and in what was an unpredictable division, the South Coast side proved that they could play at a high level throughout the season.

But the Burners are no mugs. They will come into the season after having a huge recruitment drive, signing GB men’s wide receiver Travis Carpenter alongside American talents: John Simmons and David Moore. Alongside Quarterback Cole McFarlane, we saw the success that having a QB from across the pond was last season for the Burners, but also in the Prem South with SGS winning the division with an American in the backfield. Brunel are not here to make up the numbers, and they could put on a show in the south.