The rise of Leeds Sharks to the level of women's Super 5s qualifiers this season will come as no surprise to those who know all about the club's successful links with Durham University and American water polo.

The Leeds team features three players from the US, who are all busy completing Masters degrees at Durham. They are:

Candyce Schroeder, originally from San Clemente, California, who played at Indiana University. She is studying marketing.

​Molly Quinn, originally from Lafayette, California; played at Berkley University. Now reading paleopathology, the study of ancient diseases.

​Nila Ward, from Santa Monica, California. The most experienced of the trio, she has played professionally in Australia (Perth UWA Torpedoes, Adelaide Jets), Greece (Iraklis), the Netherlands (Amersfoort) and Spain (Dos Hermanas, Seville). Studying education.

​Coach Mark Sutcliffe is delighted by the way the Americans - plus another key recruit, ex-Otter player Hannah Patchett - have settled in. Nila (short for Nilacala) naturally grabbed a headline or two with her ten goals in the all-important Super 5s decider against Sheffield Sharks last weekend. But Mark stresses how well the whole squad have trained and prepared for the BWPL season, developing "a strong team ethic with all players now starting to gel and develop."

​For the trio of Americans, the UK has offered a perfect opportunity to stay connected with the sport as well as experiencing a different part of the world. The US has no national league, so opportunities are limited there once players graduate from university. Nila hopes to return home next year to work as a polo coach. In the meantime, she, Candyce and Molly will continue to make an impact in the BWPL - and for Durham in the BUCS tournament.

The clash of the Sharks to decide which team would make it to the women's Super 5s ended up a one-sided affair at Liverpool - Leeds had by far the sharper bite, beating Sheffield 18-8!

​There was no doubting the star of the Leeds performance. Nilacala Ward scored ten, dominating the match after her team fashioned a 6-2 lead in the first period.

Leeds join Manchester, Liverpool Lizards, Otter and Coventry in the Super 5s, with Sheffield, Caledonia and Hucknall dropping to Championship 1.

​Manchester rounded off their Division 1 programme with an 11-10 victory over Coventry. The Midlanders were 3-0 down early on but gradually fought their way back to 9-9 after three periods - then to 10-10. Casey Smith slotted the winner with little more than two minutes remaining.

​Caledonia won for the first time - 9-7 in their basement clash with Hucknall - thanks to two late goals by Nicola Tate. Champions Liverpool Lizards beat Otter 8-6, including a Kathryn Fowler hat-trick.

​Picture (Trevor Hyde): Otter Lutra's Holly Campbell works hard in defence at Northampton against Jordan Parsons, of Devonport Royal.

Otter Lutra, Welsh Wanderers, Penguin Emperors, Manchester Comets and Liverpool Liver Birds will progress to women's Championship 1 following the conclusion of the Division 2 programme at Northampton School.

​A 14-11 victory over Mid Sussex Marlins meant that Otter Lutra finished their seven-match programme with a 100 per cent record. Katy Cutler (4), Holly Campbell (3) and Nahn van Wyk (3) topped the scoring, with Abby-Louise Rocky claiming five for Marlins, four of them in the final period.

​Welsh Wanderers beat the Liver Birds 8-6, stretching clear in the third quarter with goals by Milly Wordley (2), Dani Nice and Amy Potter after the game was tied at 3-3 at the halfway stage. Manchester Comets' 19-6 defeat of Devonport included a seven-goal haul for Robyn Greenslade.

​Picture (Trevor Hyde): Otter's Katy Cutler on the ball.

Tomorrow's clash between Leeds Sharks and Sheffield Sharks at Liverpool will decide the final qualification place for the women's Super 5s.

Manchester, Otter, Liverpool Lizards and Coventry are already through. And Leeds and Sheffield both maintained their challenge with vital wins on day one.

Leeds cruised to a 13-3 victory over Coventry, including six goals by Nilacala Ward and two apiece for Molly Quinn, Candyce Schroeder and Hannah Pritchett. Sheffield's match with Caledonia was much closer; Sharks let slip a 12-10 lead in the last period as Caledonia levelled at 12-12 but then claimed the winner 47 seconds from the final hooter thanks to Bernice Cowton.

Manchester lost for the first time this season - 9-8 to Otter. The London side were narrowly ahead for much of the game but saw an 8-6 advantage late on cut back to 8-8 before a Danica Brazier goal secured the win.

Welsh Wanderers recovered from 3-2 down to beat Manchester Comets 6-3 in women's Division 2 at Northampton with goals by Anna Robbins, Emma Gillie, Milly Wordley and Nia Sanders.

Mid Sussex Marlins' 15-5 defeat of Tyldesley featured six goals by Gemma Deacon while Sasha Tinkler-Davies bagged eight for Otter Lutra in a runaway 28-6 defeat of Devonport Royal. 

The schedule for the second half of the season is beginning to take shape (see Fixtures page for details of the men's Championship 1 programme). Many clubs already know where they are heading and can therefore make travel plans.

​With the agreement of all clubs expected to take part in men's Championship 2 and Championship 4, the venues originally earmarked for the finales in each division have been swapped - to, respectively, GL1 Pool, Gloucester, and Salt Ayre, Lancaster. This is due to the fact that Championship 2 will feature a high percentage of southern-based teams; and there are likely to be more from the north in Championship 4.

​An earlier round of men's Championship 2 will be staged at split venues. Birmingham, Cambridge, Ealing and Welsh Wanderers go to Grantham on 7/8 January; and Croydon Amphibians, Southampton, Watford and Worthing to the new Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School pool, Borehamwood, 11/12 February.

With Sheffield missing a golden chance to qualify for the Super 5s, Lancaster squeezed through to complete the line-up alongside Manchester, Cheltenham, Caledonia and Solihull.

​Sheffield knew that victory against bottom team Invicta would ensure promotion. But Invicta picked up their first points with a 14-9 win, controlling the game after taking a 6-3 lead in the second period. Pat Baker and Ed Govier both score hat-tricks for Invicta, while Joel Abbott was again the leading Sheffield marksman with five.

​Lancaster still had to win their final match against Bristol, but victory was never in doubt. Alex Parsonage (7), Ed Grundy (5) and Glen Robinson (5) led a goal feast which ended in a 23-10 victory. Bristol, Sheffield and Invicta compete in Championship 1 in the second phase of the season. 

Exeter became the fifth team to qualify for men's Championship 1 - just five seconds from the end of the very last match of the Division 2 programme! And the Devon team weren't even there!

​The finale involved Penguin and Welsh Wanderers. As far as Wanderers were concerned, a win would put them level on points with Exeter but with the all-important advantage of a superior goal difference (Exeter and Wanderers drew 14-14 earlier in the campaign).

​The Welsh situation looked fairly hopeless late on when Penguin led 12-9. But the margin was reduced to 12-11 thanks to goals by Dan Laxton and Hugh Spencer. Then, with two minutes to go, Joe Jenkinson-Delf equalised. The final stages could hardly have been more tense, reaching a dramatic conclusion as Wanderers were awarded a penalty five seconds from the end. Promotion beckoned . . .  until Penguin goalkeeper Wesley Connellan (pictured at Swansea by Trevor Hyde) spoiled the party with a save that kept the final score at 12-12.

Exeter join Penguin, Sutton & Cheam, Polytechnic and Team Northumbria in Championship 1. Exeter's earlier 12-9 victory over Polytechnic, featuring five goals by Nick Hoversten, proved absolutely vital.

​Sutton beat Wanderers 10-6 and Team Northumbria 10-8 to finish with maximum points from their weekend's three games. Penguin let a four-goal lead slip in the final quarter against Team Northumbria but held out for a 13-12 win. Lazzaro Vallarino was Penguin's chief marksman with five.

Final days of BWPL competition are always nerve-racking affairs - and tomorrow will be no exception. Just ask Sheffield. Having lost 15-14 to Cheltenham in the last game of the Saturday programme, they now need to wrap up their Division 1 campaign with victory over Invicta if they are to qualify for the Super 5s.

Remarkably, there is still a chance that all three teams promoted from Championship 1 last season will feature in the League's showpiece finale in March. Solihull and Caledonia have already made it alongside Manchester and champions Cheltenham. Now Sheffield are poised to break through - if they take the points against Invicta. Defeat would probably leave tomorrow's match-up of Bristol and Lancaster to decide the fifth slot.

Led by seven-goal Joel Abbott, Sheffield almost beat champions Cheltenham. The game was tied at 13-13 with three minutes remaining, but Cheltenham's experience showed as they edged into a 15-13 lead with goals by Albert Tarres and Will Rayson. Chris Armstrong's fourth goal of the day came just two seconds from the end.

Solihull bounced back from defeat by Manchester to outplay Lancaster 16-6, including four goals by Ryan Padbury.

The finale will be just as tense in Division 2 at Swansea. A trio of London clubs - Penguin, Polytechnic and Sutton & Cheam - plus Team Northumbria are already through to Championship 1. Poly beat Northumbria 12-4, including four goals each for Sergio Schiaffino and Lyndon Cranley. Exeter and Welsh Wanderers are left to fight it out for the fifth qualifying place. 

Title-challengers City of Manchester made short work of Solihull in men's Division 1 at Lancaster today, racing to an 18-4 victory, including four goals each for Joe O'Regan and Eleftherios Chelioudalis. Both sides have already qualified for the Super 5s in the second phase of the season, along with Caledonia - and Cheltenham, who made sure of their place today with a 10-2 defeat of the Scots.

Who will claim the all-important fifth place? That appears to be between Lancaster, who have never failed to qualify in the past, Bristol and Sheffield.