The brilliant goal-attack graduated from the University of Bath – home venue for the Haines Watts-sponsored Blue & Gold – in Integrated Mechanical & Electrical Engineering this summer after four years of combining top-class study and sport.

Now she is fully focussed on a huge year of netball including another Superleague title challenge with Team Bath, also supported by Rengen, taking the vice-captaincy role for this month’s British Fast5 All-Stars Championship and potentially representing England at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

“I really feel at home in Bath,” said Drakeford-Lewis, who was supported by a Bill Whiteley Sports Scholarship during her studies. “I absolutely loved my four years as a student and it was an obvious decision for me to stay down here.

“I love the culture, I love the girls, I love the coaching team and also the facilities here make it so easy for us so it was a clear decision to stay in the Blue & Gold.

“Obviously we were so close to the title in 2021 and I can’t wait to see how we develop and grow off the back of that, and bring performances that we are proud of this season.

“I think there are certainly some things we can fine-tune and if we can develop those while also gaining confidence from what we did put out there on court, that will put us in really good stead for hopefully another Finals Weekend.”

Drakeford-Lewis is also looking to work on her leadership skills during the year ahead and has been named as vice-captain to fellow England Rose and University of Bath graduate Imogen Allison for the fast-paced British Fast5 All-Stars, taking place at London’s Copper Box Arena on Saturday 30^th October.

“It’s an absolute honour to be asked to be vice-captain for the Blue & Gold,” she said. “Getting the call from Anna [Stembridge] was certainly special. Imo is a great leader and I think we’ll work well as a team, we know each other really well.

“Everyone has their own ways of leading on and off the court, and I’m looking forward to developing that part of my game. Fast5 is such a fun, exciting and fast competition too, I think it’s going to be a great day.”

Drakeford-Lewis will also be busy with England over the coming months as they continue their preparations for next summer’s home Commonwealth Games and look to build on the recent successful visit to New Zealand.

“That was a really, really special tour,” said Drakeford-Lewis, who once again excelled in the Roses attack. “Not only was it such a great opportunity for us to get out on court against the Silver Ferns, and come away with two wins, but also the challenges that we underwent, like quarantine, have only brought us closer as a group.

“I can’t wait to see how that will help us in our final preparations leading into Birmingham 2022.”

Drakeford-Lewis is the 14^th confirmed player in Team Bath’s Superleague squad joining fellow returners Allison, Kim Borger, Betsy Creak, Layla Guscoth, Serena Guthrie, Kirsty Harris, Hannah Passmore, Tash Pavelin, Jess Shaw and Rachel Shaw, and newcomers Molly Hole, Lily Jones and Lily-May Catling.

Tickets for the 2022 Superleague season will go on sale later this month. Visit netball.teambath.com/tickets for more information.

Team Bath Netball is supported by its Principal and Pathway Partner, chartered accountants Haines Watts; Rengen Developments, who are an overall Team Bath Partner; Centurion Chartered Financial Planners and Ecus Ltd, our environment partner. Team Bath’s suppliers include O’Neills, 2XU, Pulseroll and Halo Hydration.

Courtesy of the Team Bath Press Office at Matchtight

The goal-attack combines an international and Superleague netball career with studying Integrated Mechanical & Electrical Engineering at the University, where she is supported by a Bill Whiteley Sporting Scholarship.

Drakeford-Lewis, who also received a Full Blue along with fellow Team Bath Superleague player and Santander Sporting Scholar Chartie Curtis, won the vote ahead of Harriet Evans (golf, Pharmacy), Ben Jones (tennis, Management), John Laurenson (rowing, Chemical Engineering) and Elizabeth Stacey (weightlifting, powerlifting and rugby, Sports Performance).

“It’s an honour to have been awarded Sports Personality of the Year and I’d like to say a massive thank you to everyone who voted,” said Drakeford-Lewis. “Being able to study at the University of Bath while playing netball in the Blue & Gold has been incredible.

“To all those in the faculty of Engineering and Design, and those involved in netball here at the University, I can’t thank you enough for all the support you have provided me along the way.”

This year’s Blues Awards, the annual celebration of student sport at the University of Bath organised by The SU Bath Sport, took place online with the winners being announced over the course of a week.

University of Bath Netball won the Club of the Year award, ahead of the mountaineering and sailing clubs.

The Tugendhat Trophy, for student-athletes who have successfully transitioned sports while at University, went to Billy Rawlins and fellow lacrosse player Madison Jones received the David Vanderlinde Award recognising sporting and academic success, while fencer Emil Galanides was named as Gethin John Bevan Club Member of the Year.

Visit www.teambath.com/sport/student/ to find out more about student sport at the University of Bath and www.teambath.com/scholarships to find out more about sporting scholarships – applications now being taken for the 2021-22 academic year.

2021 Blues Awards Roll of Honour

University of Bath Sports Personality of the Year: Sophie Drakeford-Lewis (netball).

Club of the Year: University of Bath Netball.

Gethin John Bevan Club Member of the Year: Emil Galanides (fencing).

The David Vandelinde Award: Madison Jones (lacrosse).

The Tugendhat Trophy: Billy Rawlins (lacrosse).

Full Blue: Becci Curwin (fencing), Sophie Drakeford-Lewis (netball), Chartie Curtis (netball).

Half Blue: Tia Foreman (football, Futsal), Sandy Wilson (athletics), Sam Lyle (badminton), Libby McMorrow (badminton), Samuel Griffin (cue sports), Esmé Shepherd (sailing), Phoebe Charnley (hockey).

Honorary Blue: John Laurenson (rowing), Tomasz Sawko (volleyball), Elizabeth Stacey (weightlifting, powerlifting).

Colour: Andrew Brooker, William Boyes, Emily O’Brien, Olivia Grumitt (lacrosse), Gemma Dawson, Rheanne Lee, Rebecca Holder (netball), Alex Burrage, Angus Hinton, James Fitzmaurice, Michael Parnaby, George Malone (rugby), Merrick Stanley (sailing), Kate Mitrofanov (ultimate frisbee), Darren Wong (volleyball), Bianca Galimberti (volleyball), Keely Horne, Amy Weston (water polo).

Honorary Colour: Courteney Rainey (cheerleading), Harriet Evans (golf), Federica Arcidiaco (volleyball).

Ribbon: Shane Monks, Alex Waldron (touch rugby), Charlotte Draper (taekwondo).

Courtesy of the Team Bath Press Office at Matchtight Ltd.

Sophie Drakeford-Lewis is today confirmed as a Team Bath Netball player for a third successive Superleague season and, as a member of the new-look England squad as well, she is eagerly looking forward to a big year ahead.

“I am really excited to be back in the Blue & Gold for a third season,” said the 20-year-old goal attack. “I am always looking to learn, improve and develop as a player and I feel Team Bath is the best place to do that, I really enjoy the environment here.”

Drakeford-Lewis was one of the league’s standout performers last season, impressing with her slick link-up play, unerring shooting accuracy and tireless work ethic. She also forged an excellent understanding with shooter Kim Commane and is keen to develop that further in 2020.

“I love Kim’s movement and the fact that she leads the line and holds the ball so well,” said Drakeford-Lewis. “I have already learnt so much from her and I’m looking forward to building on that connection.

“The squad is looking good for 2020. We’ve kept a lot of the players from last year, so we already have those connections, and to have netballers of the quality of Khanyisa Chawane and Fi Toner coming in is really exciting.”

Drakeford-Lewis’s superb form since joining Team Bath in 2017 has earned her a place in the senior England squad and she has spent much of the past two months with Jess Thirlby’s Roses, attending training camps and playing in behind-closed-doors matches in Australia and New Zealand.

On top of that she has also started the third year of an Integrated Mechanical & Electrical Engineering degree at the University of Bath, where she is supported by a Bill Whiteley Sports Scholarship.

“I have been quite busy to say the least but I wouldn’t have it any other way,” said Drakeford-Lewis. “Training with England over the past couple of months has been very intense but I have had so many amazing experiences. Obviously the highlight was travelling to Australia and New Zealand. We played seven games out there and I learned so much coming up against that caliber of opposition.

“I haven’t actually been in Bath much since the start of term but I am really lucky in that all of my lectures are recorded so I can catch up while I am on training camp. My lecturers and tutors are also incredibly supportive and I am really grateful for their help and understanding.”

Team Bath Netball Superleague Head Coach Anna Stembridge said: “Sophie, for me, is one of the most exciting young attacking talents in the game. She epitomises excellence in everything she does, both on and off the court, and I am very happy that she will be a part of our 2020 squad.

“Last season her consistency across our 20 games was notable. She built a brilliant connection with Kim and Rachel Shaw in our attacking end, finished the season with an overall shooting average of 87 per cent and, more impressively, put in an absolute shift in both attack and defence – making a name for herself with those trademark interceptions.

“I can’t wait for her to be back in the Team Bath Arena, driving this new-look squad on and displaying the learning she has taken from both last season and her recent England experiences.”

Drakeford-Lewis and her team-mates in Blue & Gold will enjoy their first test of pre-season on December 7&8 when The BiG Showdown takes place at the Team Bath Arena. Also taking part in the two-day tournament are her former club, Saracens Mavericks, and Severn Stars, Strathclyde Sirens and Surrey Storm plus Knights, the UK’s leading men’s netball team.

There will be 16 matches over the course of the weekend and tickets for the tourmanent, as well as Team Bath’s 2020 Superleague home fixtures, are on sale now – visit netball.teambath.com for full details.

Team Bath Netball is partnering with local charity Sporting Family Change in 2020 to help make a difference through sport. Centurion Chartered Financial Partners are Team Bath’s people development partner and Rengen Developments also support the netball programme as part of their overall partnership with Team Bath.

Courtesy of the Team Bath Press Office at Matchtight

The 19-year-old enjoyed an excellent debut campaign with the Blue & Gold during 2018, establishing herself as a regular starter at goal-attack and impressing supporters and team-mates with her slick combination play, maturity and coolness under pressure.

A bronze-medalist with England at the 2017 Netball World Youth Cup, Drakeford-Lewis has once again been selected in the Roses U21 squad for the 2018-19 season and has just completed a six-week training block in preparation for next month’s Netball Europe competition in Belfast.

She returns to the University of Bath tomorrow (Thursday) and cannot wait to get back into training with her Blue & Gold colleagues.

“I am really looking forward to my second season with Team Bath, it’s going to be great to link up again with the returning players and welcome some exciting new faces to the squad,” said Drakeford-Lewis.

“There is a really good mix of youth and experience in the squad and I have learnt so much during the 12 months I have been here. I was so pleased with how much court-time I got last season and my game has definitely improved because of that, I learnt a lot about court craft and combination play.

“I also got to work alongside some truly inspirational players and that has really helped me develop. I’m looking forward to pushing on again in the Blue & Gold in 2019.”

Drakeford-Lewis will wear the famous colours in both the Superleague and for the student side in the British Universities & Colleges Sport [BUCS] competition.

She combines her netball with studying Integrated Mechanical & Electrical Engineering at the University of Bath, where she is supported by a Whiteley sports scholarship.

“My first year at uni was very full on but I expected it would be and I really enjoyed the challenge,” she added. “It was really easy for me to work with the support staff at the University to ensure I made the most of both my sport and studies.”

Jess Thirlby, Team Bath Netball Head Coach, said: “We are so pleased to welcome Sophie back to the Blue & Gold for the 2019 season.

“Given that last year was only her second season playing at Superleague level and her first with Team Bath, she made a huge difference and played with a maturity beyond her years.

“Sophie is a clinical and committed player who is accurate under the post, all the characteristics you need in a goal-attack. She plays with a fearlessness and a sense of calm which gives those around her a lot of confidence.

“She is a real student of the game and is shining not only on the Superleague stage but also with England Futures as she prepares to represent the U21s at Netball Europe in October.”

Drakeford-Lewis is the fifth player confirmed in the Team Bath Superleague squad for 2019, joining Mia Ritchie, Rachel Shaw and Commonwealth Games champions Eboni Beckford-Chambers and Serena Guthrie.

Season and match-day tickets will go on sale when the fixture list is announced in early October – visit netball.teambath.com for further details.

Team Bath Netball are sponsored by Sitec and supported by partners Mogers Drewett, Soldi and Netball South West. Centurion Chartered Financial Planners are supporting the team’s performance analysis and people development capabilities, Viper 10 are their Sportswear Supplier and Skins provide the team with compression wear.

Courtesy of Team Bath Press Office at Matchtight Ltd