The League have received a number of inquiries from clubs interested in joining for the 2019/20 season - which means that men's and women's qualification tournaments are likely to be required at the end of the current campaign.

The tournaments give potential newcomers a chance to compete for entry against the lowest-placed teams in this season's first phase matches in women's Division 3 (Cheltenham, Sunderland and Manchester Comets) and men's Division 5 (Chelmsford and Bedford). Dates and venues:

Women, 30/31 March, Northampton School for Boys
Men, 30/31 March, Walsall Gala Baths

A reminder that the closing date for applications arrives soon - 31 December. For detailed information click on Rules, see 4.3.1.

York City have been the League's draw specialists this season. Three of their seven matches in men's Division 4 finished all square - the latest, a 10-10 thriller today with Coventry.

Coventry went ahead at 10-8 early in the final period at Liverpool when Matt Hannah scored his seventh goal. Chris Burns then reduced the deficit with a man-up; then another man-up chance enabled Ben Pacey to claim an equaliser with just over two minutes remaining.

Tyldesley's Neil Williams (Photo: Trevor Hyde), the division's top marksman, finished the Division 4 programme in spectacular style - a small matter of TEN goals in his team's 25-8 drubbing of Hucknall, who drop to Championship 4 along with Coventry and Caledonia Storm. 

Bridgefield took top spot after defeating Rotherham Metro 11-5 in their final game. They finished level on points with Tyldesley but took first place having won their clash with Tyldesley earlier in the campaign. 

Rotherham Metro beat Manchester Comets 12-7 at Walsall today to finish the women's Division 3 programme in first place and with an undefeated record. Southampton were runners-up, outplaying Liverpool Water Beatles 10-1 in their final game.

Despite finishing in the bottom three and missing out on the second half of the season, Cheltenham took three points from the weekend. In their second match, they defeated Sunderland 10-3, including three goals each for Priya Kennedy, Georgia McCool and Crystal Hulls.

Sunderland, Cheltenham and Manchester Comets will miss out on the second half of this season after today's results in women's Division 3 at Walsall confirmed the bottom three places.

However, Sunderland and Cheltenham at least had the satisfaction of picking up their first points. Sunderland, boosted by five goals from Annabeth Pycroft (Photo: Trevor Hyde), beat the Comets 12-4. And Cheltenham held undefeated Rotherham Metro to a 6-6 draw. The teams qualifying for Championship 2 are Rotherham, Southampton, Sheffield Stingrays, Welsh Wanderers and Liverpool Water Beatles.

In men's Division 4 at Liverpool, York City claimed the fifth place in Championship 3 with a crucial point from a 13-13 draw with Rotherham Metro. Rotherham led 6-1 and 9-5 at various times but York were only a goal adrift at the start of the final quarter at 13-12 - and then claimed the only score of the final period, a man-up effort from Nick Boaz. Already qualified are Bridgefield, Tyldesley, Rotherham and Birmingham. 

Ten games still to play in men's Division 1 (at Grantham, 1/2 December) - every one of some significance to qualification for the Super 5s!

So close has been this season's competition that the table after the latest weekend of fixtures at Lancaster shows four teams - City of Manchester, Lancaster, Invicta and Solihull - level at the top on six points.

Durham Palatinates kept their Super 5s hopes alive with a dramatic 10-9 victory over Polytechnic. The London side led 9-6 after three periods but were then hit by a terrific Durham rally in which goals by Josh Brown, Matt Calvert and John Pratt (Photo: Trevor Hyde) brought the scores level at 9-9 - followed by the winner 1.03 from the end by Akos Sahin-Toth.

Cheltenham have work to do if they are to avoid missing out on the top five for the first time. They lost 9-6 to fast-improving Invicta, who scored three times without reply in the final quarter through Sean King, Jack Waller and Paul Cheetham.

Solihull beat Sheffield 9-5. And Manchester left it very late to defeat Lancaster 7-6, Lewis Daly's winner two minutes from the end giving his side the lead for the only time in the game.

At Matlock, Otter's second win of the weekend in men's Division 3 - 13-9 against Southampton - earned a move up to Championship 2 together with Worthing, Southampton, Manchester Hawks and Croydon Amphibians. Cambridge would have taken fifth position from Otter had they beat Cheltenham Spartans in their final match - but Cheltenham achieved their first win of the campaign, 15-10.

Lancaster completed a second win in their home pool - 12-9 against Polytechnic - to end the first day of Division 1 games at Salt Ayre with a two-point lead at the top of a very closely contested men's Division 1.

After the disappointment of defeat against Lancaster, Solihull bounced back with a 12-7 victory against Invicta, including hat-tricks for Matt Madden and Jake Vincent. City of Sheffield trailed Durham Palatinates 8-7 at the end of the third period but goals in the final period by Joel Abbott (2), Finlay Parnell and George Reader secured an 11-9 victory.

The final weekend of men's Division 3 games at Matlock began with four teams - Southampton, Croydon Amphibians, Worthing and Manchester Hawks - showing identical records (four wins and defeat from five games) and with Championship 2 places assured. The only match involving these teams saw Worthing defeat a very young Manchester Hawks outfit 14-8, including five goals for Joe Hazeldine and four for Vytautas Liubertas.

Croydon cruised into a 5-nil lead against Castleford before winning 9-6; Charles Roberts collected another five goals for Southampton, who went from 3-2 down to 6-2 against Cambridge in the third period en route to a 9-4 victory.

Tim Chambers (8) and Omiros Pantazis (6) fired Otter to a 24-6 win against bottom team Cheltenham Spartans.  

Men's Division 1 seems more competitive than ever this season - as demonstrated by early matches today at the Salt Ayre pool, Lancaster.

The Lancaster club began in great style, inflicting the second defeat of the season on reigning champions Solihull - 9-6. Solihull led 3-2 early in the third quarter when Matt Madden scored. But the rest of the period proved decisive as Lancaster rattled in four goals - by Stefano Cossutti, Jacob Darlington, Scott Sharpe (Photo: Trevor Hyde) and Tom Curwen - to open up a 6-3 lead.

It was the final quarter that saw Invicta grab the points with a 10-8 victory over Polytechnic. The London side had edged 7-6 ahead by the end of the third. But a hat-trick by Sean King and another goal from Jack Waller settled it. 

Later, five-goal Dan Paddon led Manchester to a 11-7 win against Cheltenham. Manchester never looked back after building a 5-1 lead by the mid-point of the second period.  

BWPL's offer to organise and run the National Age Group water polo competitions (see Potential New Lead Role for BWPL - News page, 14 May) has stalled.

League chairman David Andrews said today: "George Wood, Swim England's Sport Development Director, welcomed our offer but has turned down the proposal while a full review is conducted. He has, in the meantime, committed Swim England to running the event for the foreseeable future while continuing dialogue with the BWPL.

"BWPL Management Committee remain of the opinion that our proposals represented the basis for a fair agreement that would deliver a vastly improved competition and experience for players, officials and spectators alike.

"We are working on the basis that, should future agreement be made, the earliest date for implementation will be September 2020.

"More immediately, we will be pleased to welcome George to our BWPL weekend in Sheffield on 9/10 February where, in addition to men's and women's Super 5s and women's Championship 1s, the League will be hosting two England international matches."

A penalty 12 seconds from the end, converted for his fourth goal by Dan Laxton (Photo: Trevor Hyde), enabled Welsh Wanderers to draw 13-13 in a men's Division 2 thriller at Watford today.

It meant that Wanderers retained their undefeated record and, with two matches still to play, are guaranteed a deserved step-up to Championship 1 in the second half of the season.

Exeter were 7-3 behind at one stage but briefly led 10-9 in the third before starting the final, tense period at 10-10. Sam Alberici struck early blows for the Devon side to go 12-10 ahead, soon equalised by two goals from Joe Jenkins-Delf. There were just 65 seconds remaining when a Tom Hutchens goal put Exeter ahead again - only for Laxton to have the final word.

Sutton & Cheam are also through to Championship 1, staying unbeaten with a 9-5 victory over Watford. Watford led 7-6 at one point, but a third period hat-trick by Alasdair Wakeling - and a match tally of five goals from Ryan Symington - led to a 9-5 victory.

Portobello made short work of Scottish rivals Caledonia, scoring eight times in the third period on the way to a 17-5 win. Chief goal scorers were Angelos Mongolias (4), Neilson Rutherford (3) and Ben Scott (3). City of Bristol won for the first time - 15-10 against Penguin. The teams were locked at 10-10 with five minutes left, but Bristol produced a strong finish with goals by Elliott Derrick (2), Matt Thresher, Nathan Brown and Tom Whiting.

At Walsall, Sheffield Dolphins beat Invicta Marlins 5-4 to finish top of men's Division 5. Both qualify for Championship 4 along with Watford Saxons, the Army and Leeds, who beat the Saxons 11-5.