It was a weekend of change and celebration at the National Arena Swimming League Inter-Club Competition, with a spectacular new venue and first-time winners in both finals.
For the first time, the Finals Weekend was hosted at the world-class Sandwell Aquatics Centre – the venue built for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. The 50-metre pool provided the perfect stage for two thrilling meets on 7–8 March, as the best club teams from across England and Wales competed for national honours.
A Nationwide Competition
The Arena League remains one of the largest club swimming competitions in the country. This season, nearly 400 clubs and more than 16,000 swimmers took part across the three regional rounds held before Christmas, competing within six regional leagues across England and Wales.
The 51-event team programme features swimmers aged 9 years through to Open, showcasing the full depth of club swimming. The schedule includes:
50m and 100m races for all age groups
An Open 200m Individual Medley
4×50m relays
The exciting mixed 8×50m freestyle relay
After the regional rounds, the top 20 clubs qualify for the Finals Weekend. Clubs ranked 11–20 contest the Plate Final on Saturday, while the top 10 teams battle it out in the prestigious Cup Final on Sunday.
National Plate Final
Saturday 7 March
The Plate (B) Final delivered an afternoon of close, competitive racing, with several clubs challenging for the lead throughout the meet.
In the end, Bromley Swimming Club from the Southern League claimed the title for the first time, finishing with 354 points. They edged out Basildon Phoenix Swimming Club (342 points), while RTW Monson Swimming Club secured third place with 308 points.
Bromley Head Coach David Court reflected on the achievement:
“Bromley have attended the Arena League Cup or Plate Final for the last eight years, and every time it has been a great experience for our swimmers. It’s an opportunity for our team to bond and we are very grateful to everyone who works hard to organise this successful event.
In the last six years our club has lost five pools to closures, with our home pool shutting its doors two years ago which has significantly impacted our athletes. Despite this we have continued to develop our club and kept pushing forwards, which is a testament to our coaches, volunteers and the amazing loyalty, dedication and commitment of our membership.
We are so proud of what our swimmers have achieved today and we look forward to fighting for a place in the final again next year.”
Top Performances
The highest scoring swim (by World Aquatics points) came from Amalie Smith of RTW Monson. The European Junior gold medallist delivered a dominant 200m Individual Medley, winning in 2:13.36 for 837 points.
Her teammate Aran Bissett claimed the top male performance with 50.60 in the 100m freestyle, scoring 771 points.
Final Standings – Plate Final
Bromley – 354
Basildon Phoenix – 342
RTW Monson – 308
Brompton – 289
Blythe Barracudas – 277
Woking – 264
City of Cambridge – 256
City of Coventry – 247
Wigan Best – 243
City of Norwich – 230
Full results:
https://results.swimming.org/swimming/results/2026/arenaplatefinal/
National Cup Final
Sunday 8 March
The 56th Cup Final lived up to expectations, producing a thrilling and hard-fought competition between the ten strongest clubs in the country.
Event winners were spread across multiple teams, underlining the strength of the field. Defending champions Guildford City Swimming Club pushed hard throughout the afternoon, while previous winners Mount Kelly Swimming Club were also consistently in contention.
However, it was Repton Swimming Club, representing the West Midlands League, who ultimately emerged victorious. Their depth across all age groups proved decisive, securing the title with 408 points.
Jamie Main, Director of Swimming at Repton, said:
“I’m so proud of the team – swimmers, coaches, team managers and supporters. Everyone has played their part to get this win. It’s a remarkable achievement, going from inception to National Champions in just six and a half years.”
Top Performances
The standout male performance came from Filip Nowacki of Millfield Swimming Club. The World Junior Champion produced an outstanding 100m breaststroke in 1:00.38, scoring 835 points.
The female award went to Skye Carter of Mount Kelly, whose 55.74 in the 100m freestyle earned 798 points.
Final Standings – Cup Final
Repton – 408
Guildford City – 383
Mount Kelly – 342
Millfield – 318
Camden Swiss – 280
Wycombe District – 247
Chelsea Westminster – 244
City of Cardiff – 234
City of Peterborough – 196
Stockport Metro – 153
Full results:
https://results.swimming.org/swimming/results/2026/arenacupfinal/
Official Photographers from the weekend was Malaper Photography. They have captured some fantastic shots, you can view and purchase photos from the gallery here – https://malaperphotography.instaproofs.com/arenaleaguefinals26
Proud Support
Solo Sports, the official arena distributor for Great Britain, has proudly supported this exciting racing competition for over 15 years, helping maintain the Arena League as one of the most important team events in British club swimming.
