BAFA Premiership Power Ranking
- Tom Kinney
- Jul 25
- 8 min read
We are back.
After the BAFA Coaching Convention gave us a week without any Britball fixtures, the penultimate round of Premiership fixtures were played this week, and our four playoff teams are now confirmed - so let’s jump straight into it.
#1 London Warriors
An image of ruthless consistency, the Warriors are on track to hold this #1 spot for the entire 2025 season. By now I’ve lost count of how many consecutive Prem South titles the Warriors have taken home, but with this week’s 24-13 road victory over the #5 London Blitz has taken them to 9-0 and secured another one; they will either host the #3 Manchester Titans or the #4 Coventry Phoenix in the first round of the playoffs, where they simply have to be the favourite to bring home another National Title.
But first, they have their unbeaten record on the line as they travel to Bristol to face the #2 Bristol Aztecs on the final day of the regular season. The last time these two sides met, Bristol were in control of the majority of the game, until the Warriors offense rallied in the 4th quarter (lead by QB Dee Williams and OC Ian Carpenter) to complete an impressive comeback victory. The only question is whether the Warriors will prioritise protecting their impressive 2-year unbeaten run, or whether they could rest key starters to prioritise their contention for back-to-back Britbowl victories.
#2 Bristol Aztecs
Many people’s preseason Britbowl favourites, the Aztecs have secured the 2nd seed in the Prem South and will travel to face the Prem North Champions in the playoff semi-final. Thanks to tight losses to both the Warriors and Blitz respectively, Bristol now sit at 7-2 and although that puts them out of contention for the 1st seed, they will no doubt feel that their record doesn’t reflect how good they’ve been this year, and will be looking to cause an upset in the postseason.
But before that, they do have another opportunity to rock the boat as they host the Warriors; it may not have the playoff implications that many (including myself) assumed it would, but it would be the perfect opportunity at home for Bristol to spoil their division rival’s unbeaten run, and potentially swing the momentum in their favour going into the playoffs.
#3 Manchester Titans
There is only one Prem team who has a better defensive record than the Warriors, and it’s the Titans. Only conceding 3.42 points per game (4.0 if you want to get particular about a walkover skewing the stats) as opposed to the Prem South Champions’ similarly impressive 5.44, it is clear that the 2025 Titans’ defense will cause a matchup nightmare for any team who they come across. Their offense, on the other hand, has been inconsistent at best - held to 12 points this weekend by the #6 East Kilbride Pirates, it is the 3rd time this season that their offense has been held to fewer than 20 points. It is really clear that the Titans’ ability to bring home another National Title rest squarely with the ability of their defense to remain dominant against a quality of offense that they simply haven’t encountered this year in the Prem North.
They are currently in control of the 1st seed in the North, which would have them hosting the Bristol Aztecs in the semi-final - but thanks to a 9-7 loss in their season opener, the final day of the season is where the Prem North will be decided as we get the long-awaited winner takes all rematch between the Titans and the #4 Coventry Phoenix.
#4 Coventry Phoenix (+1)
There is something to be said for the overwhelming dominance of certain teams at the Premiership level, when a Phoenix team sitting at 5-1-1, who have conceded more than 20 points in a game on only one occasion this year, and can still clinch the 1st seed in the North, are widely seen as the odd-team-out in this year’s playoff picture. While statistics may back this up at face value, Coventry’s silent strength this year has been in the quality of their preparation and their on-field resilience; even when they had a midseason QB change, every game they have played this year has played out more like a chess match than a football game, and while it may not have been pretty to watch at times, the coaches and analysts amongst us (I don’t talk about myself very often in these rankings, let me have one) have thoroughly enjoyed watching them play. However, if they are to mount a serious title challenge this postseason, they will simply need to find a way to put more points on the board - as much as I enjoyed watching their 10-6 victory over the #8 Nottingham Caesars this week (streamed live by our friends over at Depth Chart Sports), that offensive performance simply won’t be enough against either the Warriors or the Aztecs.
#5 London Blitz (-1)
After going 3-7 last season, it feels odd saying that a winning season this year will leave a sour taste in the mouth of Blitz players and coaches - but considering how long they were in control of their own playoff berth, missing out will hurt. Having scored just under 30 points per game (29.33) their offense has been incredibly impressive, but they are clearly a rapidly ascending team in all aspects of the game. If this is the level of growth in just one year, I am very excited to watch the Blitz in 2026.
Up next, they have a trip to Cambridgeshire to face the #9 Cats team who have potentially just secured their own safety from relegation. The last time these sides met, the Blitz emerged 42-0 winners, and they will hope for a similar result here, so that their final memory of an otherwise stellar 2025 season does not have to be the two consecutive defeats by their cross-city rivals.
#6 East Kilbride Pirates
Thanks to the odd number of teams in the Prem North, the Pirates are actually the first team to complete their 2025 campaign. Finishing with a record of 4-3-1 (0.562), they have had a very mixed season. Showcasing a mix of young and established talent, EKP are clearly a team building towards longer-term sustained contention, but they highlighted the main issue of being a Scottish team in the Prem North. With a minimum away-day drive of around 4 hours next year (thanks to the automatic relegation of the #11 Newcastle Vikings), it is hard to see how they’ll build on a season where they only won once south of the border. They are, however, a team who has responded to controversy exceptionally well this year, including but not limited to an enforced QB change in game 1, when Logan Gallacher came in to replace the injured Reece Aris, speaking for both the quality of the team’s coaching, and the strength and depth of their roster. I am very excited to see what’s next for the Pirates.
#7 Rushmoor Knights
Speaking of teams on the rise - in their first year back in the Premiership, the Knights may not have set the Prem South alight, but they have definitely shown enough to make me believe that they could be around for the long-run. With one of the youngest squads in the division, a growing number of players capped for GB, and one of the nation’s strongest academy setups, it is easy to see where the future of the team is. Yes, this week's demolition at the hands of the Aztecs is just one of several heavy defeats that they've suffered this year when facing the top teams in the division, and is why they are where they are in this ranking. However, I honestly believe that the lessons learned from this season could prove to be a fundamental part of this team's long term success.
Their final game of 2025 takes them on the road to visit a #10 Hertfordshire Cheetahs side who they have already beaten this year, but who will be playing to avoid the dreaded relegation/promotion playoff. It promises to be an entertaining one.
#8 Nottingham Caesars
On paper, the Caesars have everything they could possibly need to succeed at this level, and yet they find themselves 1-6, and somewhat lucky to be surviving. That being said, it has not been as black and white as their record makes it appear. They have only been on the wrong end of a shut out on one occasion this season, and similarly, have only conceded more than 30 points once. Clearly an excellently coached side, especially on the defensive side of the ball, a good amount of the Caesars’ current record can be safely chalked up to experience playing at this level, and a hefty amount of bad luck.
This week’s tight 10-6 loss to the Phoenix feels emblematic of their entire 2025 campaign: doing an excellent job to keep a game tight, and still finding themselves narrowly on the wrong side of the scoreline. The final game of the season takes them on the road to face a #11 Newcastle Vikings team who may have already been relegated, but will be desperate to finish their season on a positive note with a win, and so looks like a game that could go either way.
#9 Cambridgeshire Cats
Well they did it. This week the Cats had one goal: beat the Cheetahs by more than 2 points and take the relegation battle to the final week, and with a 19-9 victory at home, they did just that. An inspired team performance, it was clear that every player and coach knew what was on the line, and they more than delivered. They are now theoretically in control of their own fate - however - if they were to lose to the Blitz on the final day, and the Cheetahs were to beat the Knights, they could still find themselves headed for the dreaded relegation/promotion playoff.
#10 Hertfordshire Cheetahs
After a narrow home victory against the Cats last month, the Cheetahs appeared to be completely in control of their own survival. Struggling with injuries all year, they’ve lost every game since, and this week’s result has officially taken it out of their control. However, I’m not sure whether I’d prefer to be in the Cats’ position or theirs. On one hand, if the Cheetahs are to survive the relegation/promotion playoff, they need to beat the Knights at home (a team they only lost 14-9 to in the away fixture), and hope that the Cats don’t get any sort of result - on the other hand, the game that the Cats need to get a positive result from is unfortunately against a Blitz side who won the reverse fixture 42-0 back in April. So although they are mathematically out of control, I believe that the Cheetahs still have a very good chance to avoid the relegation/promotion playoff.
#11 Newcastle Vikings
Unfortunately, nothing can save the Vikings from relegation this year as, by rule, their forfeited fixture both supersedes and nullifies the relegation/promotion playoff game in the North. However, as the only Prem team to not play this week, the Vikings sit at 1-6 and will be looking to finish their disastrous season on a positive note against the Caesars on the final day. The last time these two sides met, it was the Vikings who went on the road and escaped with a 10-6 victory, and while a similar result won’t change anything in terms of their immediate fate, it would go a long way to raising morale ahead of the offseason and next year’s campaign in a very competitive Division 1 North.
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