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Sheffield & Dearne and Chelmsford win NAL promotion battle at Horspath

At the National League qualifying fixture in Horspath, Oxford, City of Sheffield & Dearne secured the match victory and top-flight promotion alongside runners-up Chelmsford, while third-place Shaftesbury Barnet missed out. Six squads contested the event, including former Premiership outfits Shaftesbury (relegated in 2025), Blackheath (demoted in 2024), and Chelmsford (dropped in 2023), who were joined by mini-area league champions Crawley and Yeovil, while mini-league runners-up Cardiff and York declined to participate.

87 seconds) and 16-year-old Lily Hartman, helping their club build an initial 21-point advantage over Sheffield after eight disciplines. 25m, though officiating shortages hampered both Shaftesbury and Yeovil down the standings.

81m discus triumph. 09m to win the hammer throw.

Despite Zoe Levin taking the steeplechase for Shaftesbury in a sparse field of five competitors, Sheffield pulled away late to claim the title, confirming their and Chelmsford's return to the National League Premiership.