The LTBP 2025 Series winners have been crowned. Split into two competitions this year,4 Comp teams and 12 Rec teams have fought out the series over 3 events. A mixed final event saw the two teams who have been right at the top of their respective standings all season fight out the last Cup Final.
In the rec competition, Diamond Geezers and Rattlesnakes all went into this last event vying for the top stop with the Salty Seamen. The group stages saw the Geezers and Rattlesnakes face off along side Wampas. Wampas need a a top two finish in the group stages and to reach to the Cup final to overhaul the Thick Boys 1 at the top of the table.
The first question of the day, who would challenge Salty Seaman, was answered when the Diamond Geezers edged out Rattlesnakes 11-10 in an extremely close encounter. With both teams being beaten by Wampas, that victory put the Geezers into the Cup competition.
While their two rivals for the Rec completion were fighting out places in the opposite group, the Salty Seaman were topping their group and pushing Godzillas into second place. Godzillas come into this finale know they had to better Wampas results by a couple of places to stand a chance of at least taking second place in the series.
With Wampas topping their group and Salty theirs, it set up the two Comp teams facing off in one semi and the two rec teams in the other. The Winner of each would guarantee Series silverware.
In the Plate competition, Rattlesnakes would take on Reading Blue Sox. Defeat to the Geezers in the round-robin had guaranteed a 3rd place finish for the Snakes, so now they were playing for the days honours. The Blue Sox had a tough day in a tough group and the plate offered a chance of some silverware. The other semi-final was between the Solent Men’s teams and the Bracknell Scorchers. The Scorchers had had a pretty solid series, a top 5 finish was a possibly if the Blue Sox didn’t clinch the plate.
As it transpired, the Blue Sox found some form to beat the Rattlesnakes, while Solent Men, overcame the Scorchers. The final went the way of Solent as they cemented a 4th place finish, whole defeat meant the Scorchers pipped the Blue Sox to 5th place.
The Cup-Semi finals were the close affairs between teams fighting for the series you’d expect. Salty’s had the edge knowing Geezers would have to win the Cup to overhaul them, but in the end did enough to win 12-9. Wampas and Godzillas are old rivals in LTBP and produced another close affair with Wampas coming out on top 14-10.
The final didn’t quite live up to the semis and the gap between the Comp teams and Rec teams was clear as Wampas took the Cup title and Comp Series Title 20-9.
As with CWS, the series was in the balance until the very end with the Rec competition being a very close affair all year. The Comp competition missed the Thick Boys teams, but Wampas were a very consistent team all year and deserved their moment in the evening sun.
2025 is in the books. We now look forward to returning in 2026.
