Friday Sport Preview (10-4-26)

April 10, 2026·50 min·3 clips

Douglas RFC enter their final Regional 2 North West regular-season game with a two-point cushion for a promotion playoff spot — and rugby correspondent Dave Cushman calls it 'Last Chance Saloon.'

Peel are right in view. The football preview opens on Canada Life men's Premier League pressure, then moves into a Division 2 promotion race that is warming up as the weekend fixtures land. Rugby follows fast. Douglas are treated as being at the now-or-never point in their regional two North West play-off push. Home soil counts. Ramsey and Vagabonds both have Lancashire and Cheshire Minor Conference League games at home, and Douglas Celts can finish the Manx Shield job on Saturday. Racing returns at Derby Airfield. The second round of the 2026 Andris Racing Association Championships gets a practical run-through, with one involved voice explaining what happened last time and what comes next. Hockey gets a place as well. One of the Isle of Man national teams is preparing for an England Hockey Championship final across the water, so the programme does not sit only in the football-rugby lane. FC Isle of Man brings the messiest detail. Their abandoned game with Prescot Cables, stopped first by weather and then tangled further when Prescot Cables did not attend the rearranged Sunday match, turns into a rules-and-welfare discussion. The apology is noted without much fuss. Travel constraints and player welfare are named as reasons, but the panel still comes back to the practical question: does the match have to be replayed? Tony compares it with local rules. His understanding is that both clubs would need to agree for a score to stand. If they do not, a replay would follow, though he leaves the final call with the league controllers. The season needs a proper finish. Rick Holden's earlier line about avoiding a petering end gives that section some bite, especially after the midweek defeat. Squad availability is the hinge. If FC Isle of Man have enough bodies to choose from, Tony still thinks they can fight for points and close things out properly. Sunday gets a quick sweep too. The Canada Life Women's League has three games, with Peel trying to protect a 100% record. Clara Isaac rounds things off with triathlon, pointing toward the 2026 Isle of Man season and the opportunity around it. The episode ends like a local sports desk wrapping the weekend sheet: guests and correspondents named, good wishes passed on, sponsor line handled, job done.

As heard by us

A practical Isle of Man sport roundup that keeps the weekend stakes clear without overplaying them.

Friday Sport Preview gives a clear run through the Isle of Man's weekend sporting schedule, from Peel's chance to close in on the men's Premier League leaders to Douglas Celts' push for the Hartford Homes Manx Shield title.

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Want the weekend's Manx sports map before the first whistle?

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