It needed a mathematician to work out which three teams would progress from women's Championship 2 to Division 1 at the start of next season!

The champions were not in doubt after a weekend of games at Northampton School for Boys - Liverpool Liver Birds saw off all their rivals with victories over Manchester Comets (31-2), Southampton (8-4) and Devonport Royal (12-3).

Congratulations Caledonia! Against all the odds, the battling Scots emerged as champions of men's Championship 1 after pulling off a stunning trio of victories at Swansea.

Caledonia had started the weekend in third place behind City of Sheffield and Solihull. And even with day one successes against Croydon Amphibians and Team Northumbria under their belts, they were still by no means rated favourites for the title.

Surely, Sheffield or Solihull would achieve the win they needed to finish top of the pile? It didn't happen - Sheffield fluffed their lines against Team Northumbria, crashing to a 14-7 defeat. Then it all came down to Caledonia's finale against Solihull . . . a thriller from start to finish.

Solihull put themselves in with a great chance of snatching the men's Championship 1 crown with a stunning 12-5 victory over previously undefeated City of Sheffield at Swansea.

The win, which guaranteed promotion to Division 1 next season, put the Midlands club level on points with Sheffield, each with one match to play on the final day tomorrow (31 January).

Solihull meet Caledonia and Sheffield face Team Northumbria. If both win, Solihull would take top spot by virtue of their success against Sheffield.

Sheffield's cause was hardly helped against Solihull by the fact they had three of their most experienced players wrapped for misconduct offences by the middle of the third period. From 6-4 up at the halfway stage, Solihull went to 8-4 after three periods and then dominated the last. Solihull marksmen: Matt Madden (3), Jordan Elliot (2), Peter Farkas (2), Matt Kelly, Sam Bennett, Ben Greenall, Nick Beard and Michal Rybnikar.

Sheffield and Solihull will be joined in Division 1 next season by Caledonia, who booked a top three spot by beating Northumbria 12-11 in today's pulsating final game.

Northumbria led 3-0 in the opening period but the Scots dominated the second to level at 5-5. Goals in quick succession by David Baxter, Darren Campbell and Mark Speed then helped build an 11-7 Caledonia advantage midway through the third - only for Northumbria to hit back with goals by Matt Calvert (2), Brett Perkins and John Pratt to square the match at 11-11. It was Darren Campbell who settled a tremendous battle with his fourth goal - with just 50 seconds remaining.

Otter defeated City of Manchester 10-5 in the women's Super 5s at Liverpool, making sure of the points with four goals in the last period. Claudia Ferrone, Mhairi Nurthen and Hannah Patchett claimed two goals each.

In women's Championship 1, Hucknall and Sheffield improved their chances of top three places and promotion to Division 1 next season with comfortable wins. Sheffield beat Mid Sussex Marlins 14-5 while Hucknall came through 9-5 against Otter Lutra.

City of Manchester trailed City of Coventry 2-1 after the first period of the women's Super 5s clash at Liverpool today. But Coventry scoring dried up after that and Manchester eased to a 5-2 win, scoring three times in the second quarter through Casey Smith, Stephanie Whittaker and Anya Clapperton.

Champions Liverpool Lizards were far too strong for Caledonia, winning 25-1.

In women's Championship 1, also at Liverpool, Leeds Sharks made it four wins out of four with a 13-7 victory over Penguin Emperors.

The Championship 2 play-offs at Northampton saw Liverpool Liver Birds demolish Manchester Comets 31-2 but promotion rivals Devonport Royals work much harder for a 9-6 success against Southampton.

Solihull stepped up their bid for the men's Championship 1 title - and a place in Division 1 next season - with a crucial 15-12 victory over Polytechnic at Swansea today.

After a hectic first period ended 5-5, the game remained even until late in the third when a penalty and man-up goals from Peter Farkas took the Midlanders from 9-9 to 11-9. Farkas scored again early in the final period - enough to ensure the points for the Midlanders.  

Matt Madden and Michal Rybnikar also claimed hat-tricks for Solihull while there were also three goals each for Poly's Chris Icely, Lorenzo Cacciola and Luke Jones.

Stand by for a spectacular finale to the men's Super 5s at Ponds Forge, Sheffield, on 13/14 February!

It's now very much a three-horse race involving champions Cheltenham, City of Manchester and Lancaster after the latest round of matches at Luton.

Cheltenham won their crunch meeting with Lancaster 12-8, racing into a 5-2 lead which they increased to a commanding 11-3 by the late stages of the third period. Their scorers were Jake Vincent (3), Rob Parker (2), Adam Legge (2), David Taylor (2), Nick Armitage-Bond (2) and Michael Thomas.

Manchester's clash with Bristol was effectively settled in the first period, when goals by Dan Paddon (2), Tom Hadley (2), Aaron Winstanley, Rob Rae and Guive Shafie gave rampant Manchester a 7-0 lead. The eventual winning margin was 14-6.

Champions Liverpool Lizards opened up a three-point lead in the women's Super 5s after cruising to a 17-5 victory over Caledonia at Luton.

Otter beat Manchester 5-3, steadily building a 5-1 lead through Holly Campbell, Claudia Ferrone, Brooke Tafazolli, Katherine Rogers and Peggy Etiebet before Manchester claimed two consolation goals in the final minute.

Men's Championship 1 is such a competitive division that any five of the eight teams could yet win the title when the finale takes place at Watford on 6/7 February.

Sutton & Cheam retain the lead but lost for the first time at Gloucester - 16-13 to Exeter. The sides were all square at 11-11 with more than four minutes remaining; then a late flurry of Exeter goals by Cody Plumbridge, Sam Wordley, Kameron Powell and Jack Cutting secured the points.

Led by five-goal Claudio Bagnoli and Dragos Ungureanu, who scored three, Penguin beat Southampton 13-9. Pangiotis Logothetis contributed five of the Southampton goals.

Portobello lead Championship 4 after picking up two more comfortable wins at Gloucester. South Derby and Invicta Marlins went goal crazy - Derby's Neil Swainson claimed nine in his team's 21-15 win.

Three fine goals in the second period by 15-year-old Connor Keeble put Leeds on track for an 11-7 defeat of Dover.

Picture (by Trevor Hyde): Exeter's Kameron Powell (blue cap) challenges Sutton's Joe Worland at Gloucester.

A goal just 17 seconds from the end by Rhianne Oscroft earned Coventry a 5-5 draw with City of Manchester in the women's Super 5s at Luton today.

Manchester had eased into a 4-0 lead and were seemingly cruising at 5-1 when the Midlanders launched a recovery. Oscroft, Sophie Linney and Elizabeth Palmer all scored before Oscroft grabbed the late equaliser.

Mhairi Nurthem scored four in Otter's 14-6 defeat of Caledonia.

In the men's Super 5s, Lancaster relaxed a little too early against Bristol after leading 17-14 in the last period. Bristol then scored twice through Ashley Castle and Carl Wyatt - just too late to deprive Lancaster of a vital 17-16 win.