Nottingham claimed a 38:31 victory over Blackheath in the Championship GKN KIP on 18 September 2026. The result leaves both sides with one point from one game, though the table tells a different story. Nottingham sits fourth with four points, while Blackheath occupy twelfth with none.
The scoreline suggests a match that stayed within reach for both teams until the final whistle. By then, the home side had built enough of a buffer to see out the result. The away end never stopped, but they could not find the breakthrough that might have shifted the momentum.
Nottingham's recent form offers context here. They lost heavily to Doncaster 45:54 in May, then showed signs of recovery with a 27:24 win over Emphital. This performance feels more like a statement of intent than a statement of dominance. They got their substitutions spot on, perhaps, when it mattered most.
Blackheath's record is sparse—just one match played and one defeat. The previous fixture listed was against London Scottish, a 27:7 result that suggests a different level of opposition. To be fair, a single game does not tell you everything about a side's capabilities. What it does tell you is that Blackheath will need to respond.
The standings barely move after this result. Four points separates the two sides, but with only one round played, the table says very little. The clean-sheet run came to an end for neither side—this was never about defence. The wind ruined any passing game, or so it would seem from the score.
