The Netball Super League (NSL) has today confirmed that the season-ending Grand Final in 2025 will take place at The O2 in London marking the first time in the League’s history that the showcase event will be staged at the iconic venue. The decision to host the Grand Final at the venue reflects the League’s ambition to elevate the sport to new heights and marks a significant milestone as the League continues its journey toward s professionalisation.

The dates and full fixture list for the 2025 season have also been released, with the season set to get underway on Saturday 8 March, on International Women’s Day, with Clubs battling out in the new Netball Super Cup at the Utilita Arena Sheffield. This exciting new one-day tournament will be a standalone event ahead of the regular rounds, with all eight teams preparing to compete for the first honours of the season and giving fans a glimpse of what’s to come. The regular season then gets under way the following weekend with round one, where the first NSL points of the season are up for grabs.
A total of 14 regular rounds then build to the Major and Minor Semi-Finals followed by the Preliminary Final, another exciting new addition to the League that will ensure a longer post-season format across the course of three weekends which will be scheduled as follows:

WEEKEND 1: 20-22 June 2025

• Major Semi Final: 1st place (home venue) v 2nd place from the regular season where the winner progresses straight to the Grand Final
• Minor Semi Final: 3rd place (home venue) v 4th place from the regular season where the winner plays loser from Major Semi Final in the new Preliminary Final

WEEKEND 2: 28-29 June 2025

• Preliminary Final: Loser of Major Semi Final (home venue) v Winner of Minor Semi Final which provides another chance to get into the Grand Final for Major Semi Final loser

GRAND FINAL: 6 JULY 2025

• Winner of Major Semi Final v Winner of Preliminary Final at The O2 Arena

The new structure will allow the top two teams to have a second chance to make the Grand Final as they could potentially lose the first Semi Final, but through the Preliminary Final they could still then progress to the Grand Final. The third and fourth placed teams from the regular season need to win two matches to progress to the Grand Final, and so this season there will be greater emphasis than previously on the League standings throughout the season.

Claire Nelson, the Managing Director of Netball Super League said: “We’re thrilled and extremely proud to bring the 2025 NSL Grand Final to The O2 in London for the very first time and to showcase this electrifying event to our growing audience. It’s only fitting that our showpiece event takes place at one of the most prestigious arenas in the world and this will be a significant moment for our sport as we deliver not just a world class event, but also an unforgettable experience for fans, players and everyone involved.

“This coming Season, our League will be even bigger and better than ever before with lots of exciting new things for our existing and new fans to experience. So bringing our first season in the new era to a climax in a venue as iconic as The O2 will be a major moment for us all, and will make a real statement for the ambitions we have for our League and the boundaries that we will continue to push.”

50% of matches throughout the season will take place at major arenas across the country as part of the League’s drive to fuel the growth of the League and connect and engage with growing audiences as the popularity of the sport builds.

The home venues for the eight teams are:

•Birmingham Panthers Birmingham, Worcester and Coventry – venues to be confirmed.
• LexisNexis Cardiff Dragons: Utilita Arena Cardiff and House of Sport in Cardiff
• London Mavericks: OVO Arena in Wembley, Brentwood Centre in Essex and Hertfordshire Sports Village in Hatfield
• London Pulse: Copper Box Arena in London
• Loughborough Lightning: Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham and Sir David Wallace Arena in Loughborough
• Manchester Thunder: AO Arena in Manchester, M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool and Belle Vue Arena in Manchester
• NIC Leeds Rhinos Netball: first direct arena in Leeds and Canon Medical Arena in Sheffield
• Nottingham Forest Netball: Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham

Tickets for the Netball Super Cup are on sale to England Netball members from 10am on Thursday 10 October and on general sale from 10am on Monday 15 October. Tickets for the home and away regular season rounds are available to purchase from the specific Clubs’ websites. Grand Final tickets at The O2 Arena will go on sale in due course.

All NSL matches throughout the 2025 Season will be available to view, with coverage available on Sky Sports, across BBC Sport and on NetballPass. Further details on broadcast arrangements will be made in due course.

In addition to the fixtures’ announcement, the NSL is proud to reveal a brand-new centralised identity that reflects the League’s growth and ambition created in collaboration with The Collective®, Wasserman’s women – focused impact and advisory business. The refreshed new look includes a new logo inspired by the Clubs’ colours and modern design elements, as well as a vibrant colour palette and strong typographic statements that collectively symbolise the energy and spirit that defines the NSL and will form the cornerstone of our new brand identity.

Discussing the new brand, Claire Nelson added: “We’re incredibly excited to unveil our new brand identity which signals a bold new chapter for the League as we continue to innovate and elevate the sport. The rebrand represents more than just a new look; it’s a brand identity that matches the energy of our players and the passion of our fans and as the League grows, it’s important that we keep pushing boundaries both on and off court.” The new branding will be fully integrated across all NSL platforms including website, social media channels and merchandise in the build-up to the start of the season.

Lead photo shows from left to right: Ruth Hughes, Elle McDonald, Zara Everitt, Ella Clark, Emma Rayner, Rhea Dixon, Ella Bowen and Emma Thacker

With thanks to England Netball

Emirates Stadium will welcome the league back with a bang after the winter break with Arsenal hosting champions Chelsea live on Sky Sports and NOW TV on Sunday 15 January at 12pm.

To round things off on the day, Manchester City will travel to the Chigwell Construction Stadium to face West Ham United at 6.45pm, live on Sky Sports and NOW TV.

The following weekend, there are three more matches, with a reverse of the opening fixtures of the campaign. Manchester City will have the opportunity to avenge their defeat to Aston Villa in their opening game, when they welcome the Midlands club to The Academy Stadium on Saturday 21 January – kick-off 11.30am on Sky Sports and NOW TV.

The following day, Chelsea will look to overturn their opening day loss to Liverpool when they welcome them to Kingsmeadow. The match will kick-off at 12.30pm on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.

Concluding January’s live fixtures will be Arsenal’s trip to Broadfield Stadium to face Brighton & Hove Albion. The Gunners triumphed in the very first match of the 2022/23 campaign, and Brighton will look to reverse that result in front of the Sky Sports cameras at 6.45pm – also live on NOW TV.

Remaining Barclays Women’s Super League matches will be streamed on The FA Player.

Fans overseas should check their local listings for broadcast details.  Countries without a broadcast deal will see all matches available on The FA Player.

The Barclays Women’s Championship has also seen three games selected for live broadcast on The FA Player across rounds 12 and 13. Southampton will host Lewes at St Mary’s on Sunday 15 January at 2pm, while a week later Birmingham City will host Sunderland at St Andrew’s on Sunday 22 January at 2pm. Bristol City will welcome London City Lionesses to Robins High Performance Centre on the same day, kicking off at 3pm.

Barclays Women’s Super League

Barclays Women’s Championship (All FA Player)

With thanks to the FA

Seven members of the 2022 squad have recommitted to the Haines Watts-sponsored Blue & Gold including Imogen Allison and Betsy Creak, fresh from this summer’s Commonwealth Games. Defenders Tash Pavelin and Lily-May Catling are also back, as are exciting young attacking trio Kirsty Harris, Lily Jones and Hannah Passmore, while Academy player Annie O’Rourke steps up from training associate.

England internationals Summer Artman and Kadeen Corbin are both returning to the club where they started their Superleague careers and there are four new faces that fans can look forward to seeing in action at the Team Bath Arena including Bethan Dyke, who starred alongside Creak for Wales at Birmingham 2022.

England Future Roses player Jayda Pechova and fellow rising stars Sophie Kelly and Phoebe Maslen, both part of the Roses Academy, also come into a group that, with an average age of just 22, is ready to grow, develop and thrive into the 2023 season and beyond.

New Team Bath Netball Head Coach Asha Francis said: “I’m really excited about the squad that we have put together and the players who have come on board with us this season. There has been a lot of thought about who we need, what we need, what we want the team to look and feel like, and who is going to add value off court as well as on.

“We have been looking at the whole person – leadership on the court, what are they doing when they aren’t on court, how are they getting behind their team-mates, how are they recognising key moments. I’ve also been asking friends and other coaches about what the players are like – are they going to bring energy and positivity, are they going to be honest with others, are they going to call people up when it’s needed and drive certain behaviours?

“That’s been really key, thinking about what behaviours I want from the players and myself, and who are going to be the people who live those values as well as perform on court. We can’t wait to get working together and I’m excited for the fans to see this group in action.”

Of the new faces in the squad, also supported by Bath Building Society and Rengen, the most familiar to Blue & Gold fans will be goal-keeper Artman and goal-attack/shooter Corbin, both of whom are returning for their third spells with the club.

Commonwealth gold-medallist Corbin was part of the Team Bath Superleague-winning squad of 2013 that Francis captained, with the now Head Coach saying: “Kadeen and I have been reminiscing about the time we spent together as players but while she has a lot of years behind her she still has that desire to get better.

“She also wants to share her knowledge and having players like Kadeen, Summer and Bethan bringing that experience will really help guide and support the younger players. Their input is going to be invaluable.”

Mid-courter Dyke, who has previously represented Celtic Dragons and Severn Stars in the Superleague, joins Team Bath off the back of her third Commonwealth Games where she finished in the tournament’s top 10 for goal-assists with 106.

“I watched Bethan in the Commonwealth Games and am really excited about what she is going to bring,” said Francis. “I spoke to [former Stars coach] Melissa Bessell to find out more about who Bethan is and she spoke really highly about how hard she works and what a great person she would be for the culture of the club. I also asked, as I did around all the players, what they would be like if they were on the bench and Melissa said ‘she won’t be on the bench for you!’.”

Bringing youthful vigour to the squad are three 18-year-olds who will all be combining netball with studying at university. Defender Pechova has come through London Pulse’s prodigious Academy network and made eight Superleague appearances last season, including both league games against Team Bath.

She has been selected alongside Pavelin in the Future Roses squad for the 2022-23 international season and helped England win the Europe Netball U21 title last November.

One of her team-mates in that success was goal-attack Kelly, who made her Superleague debut for Surrey Storm aged just 16 and has gone on to make 19 appearances over the past two seasons.

Kelly was last week re-selected into the Roses Academy for the 2022-23 season along with defensive mid-courter Maslen, who arrives at Team Bath having previously been part of Wasps’ NPL squad.

“There is some real excitement about those players and it’s always great to have youth in the team,” said Francis. “I knew they were coming this way for university and it intrigued me to find out more about who they are and where they are heading. They will bring a vibrancy, an energy, and they really want to learn.”

A 15th member of the Superleague squad will be announced shortly. Fixtures for the 2023 campaign will be released in September along with season and match-day ticket information. Get the details first by signing up to the newsletter at netball.teambath.com/newsletter.

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

Team Bath Netball Superleague Squad 2023: Imogen Allison, Summer Artman, Lily-May Catling, Kadeen Corbin, Betsy Creak, Bethan Dyke, Kirsty Harris, Lily Jones, Sophie Kelly, Phoebe Maslen, Annie O’Rourke, Hannah Passmore, Tash Pavelin, Jayda Pechova.

With thanks to the Team Bath Press Office at Matchtight

The Haines Watts-sponsored Blue & Gold head to Belle Vue on Friday (6.30pm centre-pass) for a Superleague semi-final against a Manchester Thunder side that won all 20 of their matches during the regular season.

The action then moves to London’s Copper Box Arena on Sunday where the victors will meet the winner of Friday’s other semi-final between Loughborough Lightning and London Pulse in the Grand Final (4.15pm). The defeated semi-finalists will meet in the bronze-medal play-off at 2pm.

It is the third successive season that Team Bath have faced Thunder in the semi-finals, with one win apiece so far, and while Thunder are favourites following their perfect league campaign Team Bath Superleague Head Coach Anna Stembridge and her players believe they can upset the form book.

“We wouldn’t be Team Bath if we didn’t have belief in ourselves,” she said. “We are very respectful and aware of the class that Thunder have shown all season, they are a team full of internationals who have played some outstanding netball, but the slate is wiped clean now and anything can happen in semi-finals.

“We have shown at times during the season that we can really compete against the top-level teams, so we can take confidence from that. Whatever happens, I am 100 per cent certain this team will walk off the court knowing they have thrown everything at Thunder and done all they can to produce a performance we can be proud of.

“There have been some cracking semi-finals between Team Bath and Thunder over the years, and I’m expecting this one to be no different. We can’t wait to get out there.”

England and Team Bath star defender Layla Guscoth added: “We’ve got nothing to lose and that’s a nice position to be in. We’re going to the team that’s top of the table and undefeated. The pressure is off but we want to beat Thunder and we have an expectation on ourselves to do our best.”

Team Bath reached their 15th semi-final in 16 seasons by finishing fourth in the 2022 league table, Saturday’s impressive 59-46 win at long-term play-off rivals Saracens Mavericks giving them an eventual nine-point margin over the fifth-placed team.

All 12 members of the match-day squad got some court time during the game and Stembridge said: “Everyone contributed to the overall performance and it was a great opportunity to test different combinations.

“We’ve approached the past two weeks as one big training block towards Finals Weekend and the Mavericks game was a key part of that. Like Belle Vue it is a tough venue to visit, the fans get really behind the home team and Mavs are renowned for their ball speed so it was a good test for what we will face at Thunder, particularly defensively.”

Team Bath are travelling up to Manchester on Thursday evening and will then head straight to London for Grand Final day.

“Thank you to the club and the board for supporting us around the logistics of the weekend,” said Stembridge. “They have definitely allowed us to manage travel and recovery, so we will be prepared to give our best in both games.”

Visit netball.teambath.com/fixtures to find ticket links for both the semi-final in Manchester and Grand Final day. The matches will also broadcast by Sky Sports – visit YouTube.com/TeamBathTV to find the live stream links.

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.

With thanks to the Team Bath Press Office at Matchtight

Tash Pavelin on the ball Photo: Clare Green for Matchtight.

The Haines Watts-sponsored Blue & Gold had treated a capacity crowd to some fantastic netball for the first 45 minutes, only for the league leaders to flip the game completely on its head in the next five minutes as they turned a 42-39 deficit at the end of Quarter 3 into a 49-42 lead.

Team Bath rallied once again in the closing stages but the damage had been done and it was Thunder who left with a 57-53 victory to make it seven wins in a row at the start of the 2022 season.

Anna Stembridge, Team Bath Netball Superleague Head Coach, said: “It’s a hard one to articulate really. We were great for three-quarters of the game and I’m hugely proud of the performance we put out, it was some of our best netball so far this season.

Sophie Drakeford-Lewis challenging Kerry Almond Photo: Clare Green for Matchtight.

“We won two of the four quarters and drew the third but unfortunately they’ve won it in those five minutes of the last quarter. To give them a run like we did, it’s just not OK. We stopped doing the things that had worked well for us and allowed them to go out too far.”

Captain Imogen Allison added: “It’s disappointing. We did well to be leading the game and we believed we could see it out but they went on a run we just couldn’t stop. We need to see how we stop those runs against us.

“We can take a lot of positives from the game, though, and the first three quarters are definitely something we should be proud of.”

Past history between the teams suggested this would be a close-fought contest and so it proved in the first quarter, which went goal for goal for the opening five minutes. It was two interceptions from England defender Layla Guscoth which provided the platform for Team Bath to edge ahead, which – with Sophie Drakeford-Lewis in fantastic shooting form – they took full advantage of to move four goals clear.

The home side were fizzing the ball around confidently but Thunder seized on a couple of errors to make it a one-goal game again at the end of the first quarter, Team Bath holding a narrow 16-15 advantage.

The second quarter started positively for Team Bath as they regained their four-goal advantage but after that it became a tight, tense affair as both sides cranked up the defensive pressure. The hosts made a couple of changes in mid-court, with the Shaw sisters – Jess and Rachel – coming on at C and WA respectively, while Betsy Creak also entered the fray at GS as Team Bath adapted to the challenge being posed by Thunder, who once again closed to one goal with a minute of the half to go.

However, the Shaw sisters combined brilliantly to force a vital turnover that had the crowd roaring and Team Bath took full advantage to go into the interval with a 29-26 lead.

Thunder made some changes of their own at half-time, with player of the match Laura Malcolm moving to WD and Caroline O’Hanlon taking her place at C, and they had an immediate impact as they rattled off the first four goals of the third quarter, only for Team Bath to respond with three of their own.

It was a start that set the tone for an absorbing period of play that saw mini momentum swings in both directions, with Team Bath stretching their advantage to six goals at one point thanks to some fantastic feeds and finishing under pressure from the Shaws, Drakeford-Lewis and Creak.

Home debutant Phumza Maweni, Guscoth and Tash Pavelin were also in fine defensive form but some attacking changes from Thunder helped them rally once again and they closed the gap once more, with the quarter finishing all square on 13-13 and Team Bath’s lead remaining at three.

However, within five minutes of the restart, that lead had turned into a seven-goal deficit as a pumped-up Thunder side – inspired by some wonderful finishing from Eleanor Cardwell – scored ten times without answer to turn the game completely on its head.

With captain Allison back at centre and Kim Borger returning at shooter, Team Bath cleared their heads and fought their way back into the match with a four-goal burst of their own to have the crowd on their feet. However, try as they might, they couldn’t cut the gap any further as Thunder saw out their seventh win of the season.

Next up for Team Bath in their March home run are two matches in as many days at the Team Bath Arena. First they face Celtic Dragons on Sunday 13th March (2pm) before taking on defending champion Loughborough Lightning on Monday 14^th March (5.30pm) in a repeat of last season’s Grand Final.

Tickets for those matches and the other home fixtures at the Team Bath Arena during the 2022 season are on sale now. 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.

Match stats

Team Bath starting 7: GS Kim Borger, GA Sophie Drakeford-Lewis, WA Kirsty Harris, C Imogen Allison, WD Tash Pavelin, GD Layla Guscoth, GK Phumza Maweni. Replacements: Lily-May Catling, Jess Shaw, Rachel Shaw, Betsy Creak, Lily Jones.

Manchester Thunder starting 7: GS Joyce Mvula, GA Eleanor Cardwell, WA Natalie Metcalf, C Laura Malcolm, WD Yasmin Roebuck, GD Shadine van der Merwe, GK Kerry Almond. Replacements: Yomi Eza-Wilson, Caroline O’Hanlon, Lois Pearson, Emma Rayner, Millie Sanders.

Quarter scores (Team Bath first): Q1 16-15. Q2 29-26 (13-11). Q3 42-39 (13-13). Q4 53-57 (11-18).

With thanks to the Team Bath Press Office at Matchtight 

The Haines Watts-sponsored Blue & Gold travelled to Yorkshire on Monday without their regular coaching team due to Covid and missing several experienced players through injury and illness.

The squad stepped up to the plate, though, to produce a brilliant performance and record an impressive 67-47 victory over last season’s fellow semi-finalists – the perfect response to a challenging week and a great springboard for Friday’s eagerly-anticipated homecoming against Surrey Storm at the Team Bath Arena (7.30pm centre-pass).

Team Bath Netball Superleague Head Coach Stembridge said: “Pride is definitely the overwhelming emotion after that performance. The work and effort that went into the match and the whole week building up to it was incredible and it shows the culture we have within the group.

“We are always striving to have a leaderful group of players and that really came to the fore as they not only delivered their own performances but they got the best out of each other. That was the case in training too, with us coaches planning the sessions and the players running them. Everyone was adaptable and agile in dealing with the situation and there was so much to be proud of.”

Stembridge was also keen to thank Jo Vann, who returned to the Army full-time after last season but stepped back into her coaching role for Monday’s match and travelled to Sheffield with the team.

“We are incredibly lucky to have people like Jo as part of our Team Bath family,” said Stembridge. “She is a true Team Bath legend and I couldn’t have asked for anyone better to take on that role this week.”

Leeds Rhinos had gone into their first-ever home match at EiS Sheffield off the back of Friday’s win at Strathclyde Sirens but it was Team Bath who quickly told hold of the proceedings.

Player of the match Imogen Allison and fellow defenders Layla Guscoth and Tash Pavelin were in dominant form from the off, winning plenty of ball that Jess Shaw and Kirsty Harris – playing her first full Superleague match – used brilliantly to provide a constant supply to Kim Borger and Sophie Drakeford-Lewis.

The home defence struggled to get to grips with the attacking duo’s clever movement throughout and their clinical finishing saw Team Bath race into an 12-4 lead midway through the first quarter which was stretched to 34-22 at half-time.

Lily-May Catling came on for her Team Bath Superleague debut and helped the Blue & Gold continue to pull away, with the gap increasing to 49-35 at the end of the third quarter before they wrapped up an impressive 20-goal success.

Molly Hole also gained more court time, while fellow teenager Lily Jones was on the bench alongside her U21 coach and training associate Anya Le Monnier who stepped up to the Superleague squad for the first time.

Attention is now turning to Friday’s match against Surrey Storm, the first chance for Team Bath – who are also backed by Rengen – to run out in front of their home fans since March 2020.

“We are all so excited at the thought of finally playing a home match again,” said Stembridge. “We are so lucky to have had fans travelling to cheer us on at the Copper Box Arena in the back end of last season and then Birmingham for this year’s Season Opener but nothing beats playing in front of your home crowd. It’s going to be a great night, we can’t wait!”

Tickets for Friday’s match and the seven other home fixtures at the Team Bath Arena during the 2022 season are on sale now. 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.

The event, last held in 2018, will reignite one of the greatest rivalries around as three-times champions Manchester Thunder welcome the league’s newest team, Leeds Rhinos.

The battle of the Roses takes place on Saturday 12th March and netballers, netball fans and anyone who loves an afternoon of entertainment and top class sport won’t want to miss it.

Tickets are now on sale at www.manchesterthunder.co.uk/netball-manchester-live and start from as little as £15 for an adult, £12 for an adult and £45 for a family of 2 adults and 2 children.

Manchester Thunder managing director Debbie Hallas said: “After two years when we’ve not been able to play our games in Manchester, we can’t wait to be back in the city that is our home. Nothing gets us more excited than a big game on a big stage and they don’t come much bigger than Netball Manchester Live.

“Now Yorkshire has a team back in the Netball Superleague, our clash with Leeds Rhinos will always be a highlight of the season and I know fans of both teams will want to be there to cheer their star players on.

“So, whether you’ll be crossing the Pennines to support the Rhinos or hopping on the Metrolink to support Thunder, please put the date in your diary, buy your tickets and in return we promise an afternoon of brilliant entertainment, top class sport and a safe and secure event which welcomes netball back to Manchester in style.”

Thunder’s performance operations director, the Commonwealth Games winning England head coach Tracey Neville, said:

“There is nothing better than playing in front of a home crowd who want you to win and cheer every pass, shot and turnover. Our players can’t wait to be back out on court and can’t wait to be back at the AO Arena in the heart of our city in March.

“Netball Manchester Live will have something for everyone – and we need you there. If you love netball, play it every week and wouldn’t miss a game, please buy a ticket and show your support. But also if you’ve never seen a netball match before, don’t know the rules and haven’t a clue what to expect, come along and give it a go – we promise you won’t be disappointed.”

With thanks to Manchester Thunder

Centre courter and former England international Laura Malcolm is rejoining Manchester Thunder from Severn Stars.

The 27-year-old left Thunder to join Severn Stars in 2017 but now she’s back at the club she played for throughout her youth and later senior career.

Laura, who spent seven years at the Black and Yellows before making the move to the Midlands, was part of Thunder’s 2014 VNSL title-winning squad.

Malcolm said: “It’s a brilliant move for me back to Thunder. I enjoyed my time at Severn Stars but it’s going to be exciting to get back to playing in front of Thunder fans who make the most noise.

“Working with Karen Greig again was also a big draw for me. She’s a top coach and a great motivator.”

Debbie Hallas, Manchester Thunder managing director, added: “We’re really pleased to have Malcs back in the fold. She’s an experienced player and will be a real asset to the squad to help us kick on from the third place we achieved in last year’s Superleague.”

Courtesy of Manchester Thunder

The Sitec-sponsored Blue and Gold completed their regular season by going toe to toe with fellow semi-finalists Manchester Thunder in an absorbing encounter, with nothing to separate the teams until the last five minutes when the home side managed to crank up the pressure and secure a 54-47 victory.

Team Bath’s place in the top four was already confirmed, though, following benecosMavericks’ 49-47 defeat at UWS Sirens on Thursday and Superleague Head Coach Stembridge said the performance against Thunder should give her players confidence as they enter the knockout stages.

And she is hoping that the Blue and Gold fans will turn out in force for Saturday’s semi-final against table-topping Wasps (5.45pm centre-pass), which is being played at the University of Worcester Arena.

“The slate is wiped clean now and, as we have seen many times in the past, anything can happen in a semi-final,” said Stembridge.

“We would have liked to go into the game on the back of a win at Thunder but we can certainly take huge positives from the way we performed for 55 minutes of that match against a team that has been in great form in recent weeks.

“We have to do it for 60 minutes but I am really excited because I know that our best performance is still to come and what better time would there be to do it than in the knockout stages?

“We have produced moments of brilliance against all of the top teams in the past couple of weeks and we are more than capable of beating them if we stick to our gameplan and play with confidence and belief.

“My belief in this squad has never wavered and if you want to be the best you have to beat the best. I know we have the ability to do that.

“The fact we are playing the semi-final at Worcester is an amazing opportunity – it is the next closest thing we could get to having a home semi-final as it isn’t too far for our fans to travel. They have been incredible this season and it would be brilliant if they could get behind us again – we’d love to see and hear them there.”

Team Bath have been given an additional boost in the build-up to the semi-final by the return of Jess Shaw, who had been sidelined by an ankle injury since early May.

She was straight back into the thick of the action against Thunder as Mia Ritchie suffered a heavy fall at the start of the second period and had to be withdrawn as a precaution.

“To come on at centre in such a physical, fast-paced match after five weeks out and have the impact that Jess had was absolutely fantastic,” said Stembridge. “It was a real baptism of fire but she dealt with it brilliantly and it’s great to have her back at this critical stage of the season.”

A top-quality Superleague contest saw Team Bath go goal for goal with Thunder before the hosts edged into a 28-24 lead at half-time. They stretched their advantage to eight at one point but the Blue and Gold responded brilliantly and won the second half of the third quarter 10-3 to cut the gap to 38-37 going into the final period.

The visitors then drew level and had a chance to take the lead but the opportunity was missed and Thunder took full advantage.

“It was disappointing how the scoreline blew out like that but it was a brilliant game and great preparation for the Wasps match,” said Stembridge.

Tickets are on sale now for both the semi-final against Wasps and the Grand Final at London’s Copper Box Arena, taking place on July 7 – visit netball.teambath.com/fixtures for details.

Team Bath Netball are sponsored by Sitec and supported by partners  Mogers Drewett, Investigo 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.

The Sitec-sponsored Blue and Gold, fresh from a vital 54-45 victory over top-four rivals benecosMavericks on Friday, set the tone during a phenomenal first quarter as they stormed into a 17-4 lead.

Player of the match Mia Ritchie. Photo: Bryn Vaile for Matchtight.

Scottish franchise Sirens, who had inflicted a surprise defeat on Team Bath in Glasgow nine days ago, kept battling during a physical encounter but the home side played with great intensity throughout and were able to extend their advantage in the second half to boost their goal-average.

The win puts Team Bath level on points with third-placed Manchester Thunder and just three behind Loughborough Lightning and Wasps Netball – their opponents at the Team Bath Arena on the next two Fridays (June 1 and 8).

Anna Stembridge, Team Bath Netball Superleague Head Coach, said: “The way we played was much, much better than when we faced Sirens nine days ago. The ball speed was excellent and we felt composed.

“Credit to Sirens for the way they came back at us in the second quarter but I’m proud of the way the girls handled it. Overall it was a good performance but there are a few creases we can iron out ahead of Loughborough on Friday.

“It’s absolutely critical that our fans continue to get behind us. They were brilliant against Mavericks, they turned out again tonight and we could really do with them being here with us for the next two home games.”

Player of the match Mia Ritchie, who received her Wild About Flowers prize bouquet from Blue and Gold legend Pamela Cookey, added: “We took a lot of confidence from the Mavericks game on Friday and really wanted to put out back-to-back performances, which we did tonight.

“We feel are coming into form at exactly the right time. We believe we can go all the way and the fans believe it as well, we’ve just got to keep putting in those performances game in, game out.”

Sirens included three former Blue and Gold stars in their starting line-up – Shantal Slater at goal-shooter, Rachel Dunn at centre and captain Claire Brownie at wing-defence.

They went into tonight’s match having won two of their past three Superleague matches, including a 51-43 victory over Team Bath at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow nine days ago.

The Blue and Gold had been caught cold in that match but were clearly determined not to let that happen again as they quickly established their dominance in a one-sided first quarter.

A flurry of flying interceptions from the all-action Layla Guscoth, Imogen Allison and Ritchie secured a host of turnovers for the hosts, who were ruthless in attack thanks to the flourishing combination between Kadeen Corbin and Sophie Drakeford-Lewis.

Brownie was switched back to goal-defence as Sirens tried to stem the flow but Team Bath, moving the ball with speed and confidence, were in total control as they finished the quarter with a 17-4 lead.

Guscoth and Eboni Beckford-Chambers were giving Sirens’ attack of Slater and Vanessa Walker no breathing space in the circle but the visitors were able to battle their way into the contest in a much more competitive second quarter.

It was a feisty, physical affair and it was only a Corbin penalty shot with the last action of the quarter that ensured Team Bath edged the second period 12-11 to take a 29-15 lead into half-time.

With goal average potentially playing a decisive part in the final Superleague standings, the Blue and Gold knew they had to up the ante in the third period if they were to increase their winning margin.

They did just that as some energetic and athletic attacking, epitomised by the indefatigable Rachel Shaw, saw them embark on a nine-goal scoring streak midway through the quarter.

They went on to take a 47-23 lead into the final period and continued to pull away in the closing stages as Chelsea Lewis, Paige Reed and Tash Pavelin all came off the bench to contribute to the victory.

The Blue and Gold have two more massive home matches over the next two Fridays – against second-placed Loughborough Lightning on June 8 and table-topping Wasps Netball on June 15. Both start at 7.30pm and tickets are on sale now at netball.teambath.com/fixtures.

Team Bath Netball are sponsored by Sitec and supported by partners Mogers Drewett, Investigo 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.

Match stats

Team Bath Netball starting 7: GS Kadeen Corbin, GA Sophie Drakeford-Lewis, WA Rachel Shaw, C Mia Ritchie, WD Imogen Allison, GD Layla Guscoth, GK Eboni Beckford-Chambers. Replacements: Chelsea Lewis, Tash Pavelin, Paige Reed, Abi Robson, Zanele Vimbela.

Changes: Q4: Lewis – bench to GS; Corbin – GS to GA; Drakeford-Lewis – GA to bench; Pavelin – bench to WD; Allison – WD to bench; Reed – bench to GA; Corbin – GA to bench.

UWS Sirens starting 7: GS Shantal Slater, GA Vanessa Walker, WA Nicola McCleery, C Sara Bayman, WD Claire Brownie, GD Emily Nicholl, GK Nicole Aiken Pinnock. Replacements: Kelly Boyle, Ella Gibbons, Bethan Goodwin, Bethany Sutherland.

Changes: Q1: Sutherland – bench to WD; Brownie – WD to GD; Nicholl – GD to bench. Q3: Boyle – bench to WA; McCleery – WA to bench; Goodwin – bench to GA; Walker – GA to bench.

Quarter-scores: Q1 17-4. Q2 29-15 (12-11). Q3 47-23 (18-8). Q4 60-34 (13-11).

Attendance: 550.

Attached: Pictures of Eboni Beckford-Chambers with Sirens shooter and former Team Bath player Shantal Slater; and player of the match Mia Ritchie. Credit: Bryn Vaile for Matchtight.

Courtesy of the Team Bath press office at Matchtight Ltd