Oldham Merlins cruised to victory in the ENG U10 Netball Cup 2026 Nationals. They have now become part of a very small club of teams that have won back-to-back Netball Cup titles after winning the U9 Nationals last season.

Last season was our debut in the U9 Netball Cup, and this season, after the formation of the U10 YNPL, we expected the competition to be much tougher.

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Oldham Merlins surprisingly came into this competition as runners-up from the Northern Finals after losing to Manchester Cats, but they had the chance to avenge that defeat by facing Manchester Cats in their group.

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Oldham Merlins started their campaign to win back-to-back Netball Cup titles with a narrow 5-3 win over Oldham U10. Their next game was against Manchester Cats, and if they needed more motivation, the banners celebrating the Cats' Northern Finals victory were on full display for everyone to see, potentially adding more fuel to their revenge mission. The final in the regionals was epic to watch, with the game going to overtime. In the group stages of this nationals, we weren’t treated to a blockbuster. Oldham Merlins were ruthless in dispatching Manchester Cats, winning 6-1, putting to rest the ghost of the previous tie, and now looking ahead to winning this event. Their final group-stage game saw Merlins win 15-1 against Hatfield, and they moved into the seeding round as one of the top teams.

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The seeding round is designed to give teams a competitive game against opponents similar to theirs, helping them prepare for the intensity of the knockouts. Oldham Merlins faced Turnford in the 1st & 2nd seeding game, and what was meant to be a tough challenge for the Merlins turned out to be a straightforward victory. They defeated Turnford 11-2 and went into the last 16 as the No.1 team.

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As the No. 1-ranked team, Oldham Merlins faced the 16th-ranked team, Wodson Park, in the Last 16. The previous week, we had a few shocks in our U12 Netball Cup Nationals as lowly ranked teams defeated higher-ranked teams, so every team, regardless of their position, had to stay focused and not be complacent. In this instance, there was no lack of focus from Oldham Merlins as they won 13-0 against Wodson Park to fly into the Quarter Finals.

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In the Quarter Finals, Oldham Merlins faced their own team, Oldham U10, once again. They played each other in the groups, with Oldham U10 providing the Merlins with their toughest test of the day. The game played out exactly the same as the first, with Merlins struggling to dominate the tie and Oldham U10 giving them something to think about throughout the ten minutes. In the end, Oldham Merlins won the tie 4-2, but it was a reminder to the other teams that there is a way to slow down their formidable team.

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The Semi-Finals promised to offer Oldham Merlins their toughest test of the day. They were paired with last season’s U9 finalists Sutton Town, who gave them a good run for their money up until half-time. Sutton Town had already gone through some tests that included a one-point win against Wilmslow Lightning, so they were more than ready for the mental and physical exertion needed to take on last season’s champs.

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Sutton Town had to start this game well, but from the start, Oldham weren’t messing around and immediately went ahead from a slick centre pass movement. Sutton Town had the chance to respond, but an incredible turnover led to Oldham scoring again and showing Sutton Town the tough task they had ahead. Another goal from Oldham meant Sutton Town were on the back foot, and that narrative never changed, and Oldham cruised into the final.

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Oldham Merlins were paired with Starz in the final, and both teams had cruised into the final after dominant semi-final performances. Like the semi-final, Oldham had started well in this tie, but Starz managed to slow them down going into the back end of the first half and scored to bring the score to 4-1.

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As the second half began, Starz were still turning over the Oldham attacks and scored again to make the game 4-2. Starz now had the chance to make the game 4-3 due to it being their centre pass. Starz couldn’t capitilise on it being their centre pass and at this point Oldham Merlins went from strength to strength. An injury to one of the Starz midcourt players also helped Oldham become more dominant, and in the end, it was a resounding win for Oldham Merlins, who became one of the few teams to have won back-to-back Netball Cup titles.