Who will be crowned Britain’s BEST club side?

Britain’s biggest team event – the Angling Times/Bait-Tech Supercup – is back this year with the launch of the 2023 competition!

Open to all pub, club, fishery, tackle shop and match group sides, the Supercup works on a simple knockout system for local sides, culminating in big semi-finals and the final this summer, when one name will go on the famous silver trophy.

The opening rounds (entry dependent) are fished through late spring and early summer, with teams drawn out of a hat to decide each tie. These six-a-side matches will be fished on dates set by Angling Times below on venues of the home-drawn side’s choice. Win through these two matches and you’re in the regional semi-final and if you finish in the top five of that special match the final beckons.

That’ll see 15 sides go at it hammer and tongs over five hours, all hoping to emulate last year’s winners Stainforth Angling – and you can be sure that they’ll be back again to defend the title!

Detailed below is all you need to know about the Supercup as well as relevant contact details for any queries as well as that crucial entry form - good luck!

How it all works

The Supercup is a knockout competition run initially on a local basis, with ties of two or three teams close to each other. After one or two rounds of competition (provided entry levels are high enough), the teams to progress get through to their regional semi-final.

These will be held at some of the country’s top commercial fisheries in summer 2023 and draws together sides from all over that respective region (North, Midlands and South) to do battle for a place in the final.

These opening rounds are fished to section points not weight and MUST be fished on the dates specified by Angling Times (right). This is to stop arguments over which team can fish which date. Fishery rules will apply, and the home-drawn side will have the choice of venue only. The rounds will be fished by six anglers a side.

Once the first-round tie is completed the home-drawn team must submit the result to Angling Times for publication using the match report card sent out with contact details for opposing teams after the draw has been made. Teams that have made it through will go into the hat for the second-round draw (if entry is high enough), which is typically made a week after all first-round matches have been completed. These matches will follow exactly the same lines as the opening round, finishing in time for winning teams to get in some practice on their semi-final venue.

How to enter

Send the entry form to the Angling Times address on the form, along with your entry fee and squad sheet of anglers wanting to fish. This list must have a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 20 names.

All entries MUST be received by Tuesday, February 21 to go into the draw for the first round, which will be published in the Tuesday, March 7 issue of Angling Times. A full list of rules are printed on this page, and if there are any you don’t understand, please give Angling Times a call for clarification.

If you’re a home-drawn team, you must contact your opposition to arrange the match as soon as possible – contact details will be sent to home teams as soon as the draw is done. If you’re an away team, just wait for the phone call.

Entry fee

It costs just £40 to fish the Supercup. This can be paid via cheque or Postal Order and then all you’ll have to pay from then on are the pools for each match you fish.

What you win

The lucky winners won’t only receive the famous silver trophy but also trophies as a memento of their day out, plus the £1,000 cheque from sponsor Bait-Tech.

In fact, all teams competing will go home with something to show for their efforts, with a host of Bait-Tech goodies to be distributed among the team along with a free breakfast and evening meal for all anglers, courtesy of Bait-Tech.

You’re not forgotten if you come second or third, because trophies and cheques for £500 and £250 are up for grabs for those teams as well as cash from the pools for the individual top five anglers and section winners and runners-up, plus trophies.

Key match dates

Listed below are the dates and deadlines for this year’s Supercup. Please note them down as they are not flexible and will not change!

Deadline for 2023 entries to be received – Tuesday, February 21

Round one draw published – Tuesday, March 7

Round one ties to be fished – Weekend of Saturday, April 21/Sunday, April 22

Round two draw published – Tuesday, May 2

Round two ties to be fished – Weekend of Saturday, June 17/Sunday, June 18

Angling Times/Bait-Tech Supercup 2023 rules

1 – How to enter

Each club must enter a squad of anglers into the event. Along with an entry form and the £40 entrance fee, each secretary or captain must supply a squad list of anglers (minimum 10 anglers, maximum 20 anglers) that will be used to fish the competition.

2 – Squads

Squad names can be changed only with the permission of Angling Times. Should any team wish to make a change at any point in the competition, they must submit written notification to Angling Times BY POST ONLY – NOT BY TELEPHONE. Please note that teams will be allowed to request their opposition’s team sheets before the match. Should the team on the day not match that on the submitted team sheet AND Angling Times has not been notified of any changes made then the team in question will be disqualified immediately.

3 – Sponsorship

With more anglers turning their back on the open match scene and settling into the club scene, the standard of angler fishing Supercup has increased somewhat. With this in mind, our sponsored angler policy is as follows:

Teams: Any team with sponsorship from a tackle or bait company will not be allowed to fish, even if this ‘deal’ means a few bags of bait or clothing. Shops fishing under a tackle shop or fishery banner are permitted. If a club is deemed to be the above, that side will be refused entry.

Individuals: Any angler with a consultancy or sponsorship from a tackle or bait company will not be allowed to fish, even if this ‘deal’ means a few bags of bait or clothing or a few floats. This also includes field testers. Anglers of a high profile will also be barred from entering, as Supercup is not the event aimed at them.

Angling Times and Bait-Tech only will judge what ‘high profile’ means and captains will be informed of any changes that need making to their teams. If a team does fish an angler deemed to be either of the above, that side will be disqualified immediately, not just the angler.

4 – Sponsorship mid-competition

If a team has one of their registered members join a sponsored team or gain personal sponsorship from tackle or bait companies during the 2023 campaign, then they will not be allowed to take any further part in the competition. They will also not be allowed to take part any further in the future of the event until their sponsorship ends, even if they are a valid team member. If an individual has sponsorship through being employed full time by a tackle or bait company (not sponsored), then this acceptable.

5 – Non-transferable anglers

Teams can enter as many squads as they like, but if fishing two sides, they must supply two separate squad lists with two different sets of anglers. These respective squad members will be non-transferable between the two squads whether they have fished or not.

6 – Cup tied

Likewise, an angler who fishes for one team in the competition cannot then transfer to another that he/she is a member of – this angler will in effect be ‘cup tied’ and unable to take part further in the event for any side.

7 – Ties

The number of rounds to be fished will depend upon the number of teams that enter in each area with the format being two knockout rounds, one semi-final in your own region, and the final.

Round one will be a knockout between two or three teams, depending on the draw and the number of teams entered in your local area.

Round two is a match with again two or occasionally three teams competing, again with one team drawn as the home side as before, the other team coming from the same region.

The winning team from this round goes through to their regional semi-final, either the North, Midlands or South, the top seven from these semis then going through to the Grand Final.

8 – The draw

The draw details for each round will be fair and independent, and the first-round draw will be published in Angling Times in the Tuesday, March 7 issue.

All home-drawn teams will be instructed on who to contact from their rival team or teams and, at each side’s request, all sides will be expected to supply their squad list to the other team involved in the match.

9 – Venue selection

Home-drawn teams will have the choice of venue for the fixture ONLY. These venues must be large enough to comfortably accommodate the match and give every angler an equal chance to fish every method at their disposal.

10 – Match dates

The date for ALL first-round Supercup ties will be the weekend of April 21/22. These are the ONLY dates matches can be fished except for cancellations owing to severe weather, in which case an extension will be granted. It is expected that teams will decide among themselves which day their tie is to be fished.

If a team has a prior booking that clashes with these dates, then they must decide between fishing the Supercup or forfeiting their place in the event to honour their original commitment.

11 – Locality

If you enter Supercup and are drawn as a home team then your chosen venue is expected to be within easy travelling distance for all teams concerned – not the other side of London or three counties away!

12 – Practice dates

The home side should also allow the away team to practise twice on the fishery chosen for the match and must designate the pegs or rough area of the venue to be used, whether it is a club or privately-owned water. If these pegs change, all parties MUST be informed. These practice dates must be weekend dates and not midweek, but the business of popular commercial fisheries must also be taken into account by all teams with regard to this.

13 – Fishery rules

Fishery rules will apply, whether on a commercial or club water. Home teams are expected to make their opposition fully aware of these rules to avoid confusion on the day. The home team will have no power to dictate fishery rules unless they own the venue in question.

14 – Number of anglers

All first and second round Supercup ties will be SIX-A-SIDE.

15 – Scoring

ALL Supercup matches will be decided on section points, NOT weight. Sections will contain one angler from each competing team, so will be made up of two or three anglers and will be decided as follows in a tie of three teams:

In the event of a blank, the angler in question will receive one more point than the last-in-section score. So, in a two-team tie, a blank will score three points. If there is a tie on weight, both anglers will receive the points score for that position, not half points.

In the event of a tie on points overall, section countback will be used to decide the winners – for example, the team with more section wins or seconds will triumph. If there is still a tie after this, then aggregate weight will come into play.

16 – Length of match

All Supercup matches will be five hours long.

17 - Placing of anglers

NO TEAM WILL BE ALLOWED TO PLACE ANGLERS UNLESS MORE THAN ONE LAKE IS IN USE

18 – Severe weather

In the event of cancellation due to severe weather conditions, matches will be granted an extension for the tie to be fished. ONLY severe weather conditions will permit this, not any other reason.

19 – Semi-finals

The three semi-finals are to be held at venues to be announced and, at this stage, teams will be restricted SIX anglers to allow us to fit the matches in on these waters. The winners will be judged on section points.

20 – The final say

The adjudication of Angling Times and Bait-Tech on any matter relating to the competition will be final, and absolutely no correspondence will be entered into.

Angling Times/Bait-Tech Supercup 2023 entry form

Name of team ………………………………………………………………...................….................

Secretary/captain’s name ………………………………………………………............................

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Address ………………………………………………………………...................…………..................

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………………………………………………............…..........Postcode ………………….................…

Email …………………………................…………...................................................................

Contact number.....……………………………………………..……...................................……….

Mobile  number……………................…………..................................................................

Area where team is based ………………………………………………...............................……....

How to enter: Send the completed form, plus your squad list and a postal order or cheque (payable to Angling TImes) for £40, to: Supercup 2023, Angling Times, Media House, Lynch Wood, Peterborough, PE2 6EA