Colchester's Essex Rebels and Chelmsford's Team Essex Blaze open the volleyball Super League season in Loughborough on 31 Oct and 1 Nov. Fixtures and tickets.

Colchester’s Essex Rebels and their county rivals Team Essex Blaze start the new volleyball Super League season this weekend, with each team playing twice in two days at the league’s Opening Weekend in Loughborough on Saturday 31 October and Sunday 1 November.

All 16 top-flight teams, eight women’s and eight men’s, meet in the Sir David Wallace Building at Loughborough University, according to Volleyball England, which runs the league. The Colchester-based university club has a women’s and a men’s side in the league; Chelmsford-based Blaze play in the men’s.

Rebels women: two silver medals, and Durham first

Rebels women have finished with the silver medal at the Final 4, the end of season finale, in each of the last two seasons. They have lost five of last season’s regular starters but, Volleyball England says, have assembled another strong roster and hope to go one better this time.

Their first match on Saturday is against Durham Palatinates, last season’s champions, whom they met in the gold medal match.

“I think we will be in a really good spot this year because the English athletes we are relying on are now super-experienced and have grown to a higher level,” said head coach Alex Chinery.

“We have more depth this year and I think that was the killer (last year). Player for player we could match (champions) Durham at times, and we saw that in the gold medal match.

“They had the options to change things to come back and be really successful against us, but I think the growth we have seen in pre-season means we now have that and I’m excited to see what this group can do.”

Tara King is still with the Rebels and plays in this season’s Opening Weekend, Volleyball England says.

Essex Rebels women in red and black kit at the net during a Super League match, one player jumping to attack the ballSuper League Opening Weekend schedule. Saturday: 11:00 Malory Eagles v Newcastle Staffs (men), Uni of Nottingham v London Giants (women); 13:00 Essex Rebels v Uni of Nottingham (men), Malory Eagles v Newcastle Knights (women); 15:00 Richmond Docklands v London Giants (men), Essex Rebels v Durham Palatinates (women); 17:00 Newcastle Knights v Essex Blaze (men), Lionhearts Vinarius v SideOut Polonia (women). Sunday: 10:00 London Giants v Essex Rebels (women), Uni of Nottingham v Malory Eagles (men); 12:00 Newcastle Knights v Lionhearts Vinarius (women), Newcastle Staffs v Essex Rebels (men); 14:00 Durham Palatinates v Malory Eagles (women), London Giants v Newcastle Knights (men); 16:00 SideOut Polonia v Uni of Nottingham (women), Essex Blaze v Richmond Docklands (men).

2 photos, swipe or scroll. Photos: Nathaniel Macrae, supplied by Volleyball England; Volleyball England

Rebels men: Final 4 is “the minimum”

Rebels men finished fifth in 2025-26, a season after finishing as runners-up in 2024-25. They are now coached by Euan Fraser, who played in that 2024-25 team.

“I think with the group that we have, our Super League goals are to definitely be in the Final 4,” he said.

“I think that’s a realistic target for us. If we then get there, it’s one of those situations where it’s anyone’s game, so that’s the minimum of where we want to be.”

Hassan Farhat is still in the Rebels squad and plays at the Opening Weekend, Volleyball England says.

Essex Rebels player Hassan Farhat, number 11, holding a volleyball on court
Hassan Farhat of Essex Rebels. Photo: Keeran Marquis, supplied by Volleyball England

Blaze: back up, and staying up

Team Essex Blaze were relegated at the end of the 2024-25 season and have been promoted back to the top flight. Volleyball England says they made some eye-catching signings over the summer to help them stay there.

Head coach Andrew Tuck said the club still draws mainly on Essex players.

“We’re not without London players, we’re half an hour away, and we’d be stupid not to tap into that, but the fundamental basis of our club is guys that have grown up here,” he said.

“There’s been some good additions (to our squad) that could actually allow you to challenge, not for the top, but maybe fourth, fifth or sixth, that’s a realistic target. But first and foremost, we want to stay up.”

The Essex fixtures

Saturday 31 October - 1pm: Essex Rebels v University of Nottingham (men) - 3pm: Essex Rebels v Durham Palatinates (women) - 5pm: Newcastle Knights v Team Essex Blaze (men)

Sunday 1 November - 10am: London Giants v Essex Rebels (women) - noon: Newcastle Staffs v Essex Rebels (men) - 4pm: Team Essex Blaze v Richmond Docklands (men)

Times are from Volleyball England’s published schedule.

Tickets

Day tickets cost £15 for adults, £10 for concessions and £6 for children, and weekend tickets are cheaper than buying two days. Tickets are sold in advance through Volleyball England’s online store. When we checked the store on 27 October, it listed a weekend ticket at £25 for an adult, £15 for a senior over 65 or a student with ID, and £10 for a child under 15, and a family ticket for two adults and two children at £40 a day or £60 for the weekend. Student tickets need student ID on entry.

Volleyball England Opening Weekend poster over a red-tinted photograph of players and a crowd at a match
Volleyball England's poster for the Super League Opening Weekend. Photo: Volleyball England

Rob Payne, Volleyball England’s strategic manager, said: “The matches will come thick and fast, with spectators getting to see not just the best homegrown players in the country, but a high level of imported talent from Europe, the USA and beyond, which really enhances the quality of the product.

“We can’t wait to welcome everyone back to Loughborough to launch the new season, no matter whether you have watched lots of volleyball or very little.”

More about the weekend is on Volleyball England’s event page.