Latest news with #EnglandNetball
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Super League 2.0 - how has netball's relaunch gone?
A lick of paint or something more substantial? As the first Netball Super League season since its relaunch reaches a climax with Sunday's Grand Final, what has changed? Player pay rises averaging about 60% have only led a small contingent to commit to full-time professionalism. Advertisement So where is the growth, where might it come next, and what else has been happening? Netball's big day out at the O2 in London offers a timely moment to examine how the professional side of the sport in the UK - specifically England and Wales - is evolving. Big city league, but Lightning strike again Trimming the league from 10 to eight teams for this season involved controversially cutting sides from Guildford, Bath and Worcester, plus Scotland's lone representative, Glasgow-based Strathclyde Sirens. Teams sprung up in Nottingham and Birmingham - Forest and Panthers finishing fifth and sixth respectively - as the league looked to become a big-city operation, with its stronghold in England, given England Netball is the league's organisers. Advertisement Loughborough Lightning are outliers in a sense - a university-based team with a long track record of success. Bath, also with university ties, enjoyed huge success before losing their place in the elite, but Loughborough surely have greater security. England Netball has its headquarters in the Leicestershire town, and the team continue to set high standards. A fifth consecutive appearance in the Grand Final - with London Pulse their opponents - showed the team led by coach Vic Burgess remain an exemplar for league newcomers and established sides alike. Painful reminders The season's opening night served up a cruel reminder that netball players risk serious injury every time they take to the court. Advertisement Teams are offering better training facilities and more opportunities to spend time in the gym, but women in sport remain far more susceptible to non-contact serious injuries than men. That was highlighted when London Mavericks' Vicki Oyesola crumpled to the court floor after landing a little awkwardly against Cardiff Dragons. It was the dreaded anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) knee injury, the bane of many a netballer's career - a season-ender on day one. NSL says women are six times more likely to sustain such a non-contact injury than men, while a National Ligament Registry study has shown there are only more ACLs suffered by women in skiing than in netball. Advertisement More setbacks have followed, with Birmingham Panthers goal shooter Sigi Burger suffering a complete tear of her medial collateral ligament. Manchester Thunder captain Amy Carter, who is a junior doctor and missed the 2022 season with an ACL injury, explained to BBC Sport why netballers suffer so badly. "It's a few different things. Your hips are a little bit wider, your knees are a bit closer together, you're more likely to do your ACL," Carter said. "You've got the menstrual cycle to take into account, which can increase your risk when you're on your period. The nature of the game, the change of directions, the high impact, the stopping still straight away, that can also contribute to it." Advertisement Research continues into how players might mitigate risk, but knees are not the only problem. Panthers' Gabby Marshall retired in May after a second concussion injury in a month. Packing them in More than 50% of games have been played in major arenas this season and there has been a sharp climb in attendances. Average regular-season crowds have been estimated at about 1,500 in 2024, and league officials announced there was a 42% rise this year. For a first season of the so-called NSL 2.0 era, the rise signals strong progress. As an intriguing comparison, the first season of Women's Super League football following a similar reboot in 2014 resulted in average crowds of 728 (from 562 in 2013). Advertisement Capital gains for grand finale The move to switch the Grand Final from Birmingham to London's O2 reflected an ambition to see netball played in the biggest possible indoor venues. The 'think big' approach has been clear all season and England Netball said ticket sales mean the season-ending showpiece will be the best-attended netball event in England since 2002. Big steps - but what about next steps? The introduction of a two-point super shot this season raised eyebrows. In play for the final five minutes of each quarter, NSL hoped it would lead to closer matches. There was also the prospect it could spark thrilling comebacks or blowout wins. Advertisement Some players and coaches liked the idea, some did not. NSL has contentedly reported a 23% increase in games with less than a five-goal winning margin. Off the court, the Women's Sport Trust said NSL enjoyed a 524% increase in TikTok views amid a push to connect with potential new fan bases. But there are issues to examine, with video assistant referee (VAR) technology worthy of ongoing discussion. Leeds Rhinos were upset when they controversially lost to Birmingham Panthers in May. Rhinos were beaten 71-69 after extra time but felt they deserved the win in regulation time after what they believed was a two-point super shot was only credited as a one-point shot. Advertisement Replays appeared to back up Rhinos' claims, but there was no immediate recourse without VAR, with league rules preventing the outcome of a match being altered after the event. All rather unsatisfactory, and food for thought for those pushing the sport forward.
BBC News
06-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Super League 2.0 - how has netball's relaunch gone?
A lick of paint or something more substantial? As the first Netball Super League season since its relaunch reaches a climax with Sunday's Grand Final, what has changed?Player pay rises averaging about 60% have only led a small contingent to commit to full-time where is the growth, where might it come next, and what else has been happening?Netball's big day out at the O2 in London offers a timely moment to examine how the professional side of the sport in the UK - specifically England and Wales - is evolving. Big city league, but Lightning strike again Trimming the league from 10 to eight teams for this season involved controversially cutting sides from Guildford, Bath and Worcester, plus Scotland's lone representative, Glasgow-based Strathclyde sprung up in Nottingham and Birmingham - Forest and Panthers finishing fifth and sixth respectively - as the league looked to become a big-city operation, with its stronghold in England, given England Netball is the league's Lightning are outliers in a sense - a university-based team with a long track record of success. Bath, also with university ties, enjoyed huge success before losing their place in the elite, but Loughborough surely have greater security. England Netball has its headquarters in the Leicestershire town, and the team continue to set high standards.A fifth consecutive appearance in the Grand Final - with London Pulse their opponents - showed the team led by coach Vic Burgess remain an exemplar for league newcomers and established sides alike. Painful reminders The season's opening night served up a cruel reminder that netball players risk serious injury every time they take to the are offering better training facilities and more opportunities to spend time in the gym, but women in sport remain far more susceptible to non-contact serious injuries than men. That was highlighted when London Mavericks' Vicki Oyesola crumpled to the court floor after landing a little awkwardly against Cardiff was the dreaded anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) knee injury, the bane of many a netballer's career - a season-ender on day one. NSL says women are six times more likely to sustain such a non-contact injury than men, while a National Ligament Registry study has shown there are only more ACLs suffered by women in skiing than in setbacks have followed, with Birmingham Panthers goal shooter Sigi Burger suffering a complete tear of her medial collateral Thunder captain Amy Carter, who is a junior doctor and missed the 2022 season with an ACL injury, explained to BBC Sport why netballers suffer so badly."It's a few different things. Your hips are a little bit wider, your knees are a bit closer together, you're more likely to do your ACL," Carter said. "You've got the menstrual cycle to take into account, which can increase your risk when you're on your period. The nature of the game, the change of directions, the high impact, the stopping still straight away, that can also contribute to it."Research continues into how players might mitigate risk, but knees are not the only problem. Panthers' Gabby Marshall retired in May after a second concussion injury in a month. Packing them in More than 50% of games have been played in major arenas this season and there has been a sharp climb in regular-season crowds have been estimated at about 1,500 in 2024, and league officials announced there was a 42% rise this a first season of the so-called NSL 2.0 era, the rise signals strong an intriguing comparison, the first season of Women's Super League football following a similar reboot in 2014 resulted in average crowds of 728 (from 562 in 2013). Capital gains for grand finale The move to switch the Grand Final from Birmingham to London's O2 reflected an ambition to see netball played in the biggest possible indoor 'think big' approach has been clear all season and England Netball said ticket sales mean the season-ending showpiece will be the best-attended netball event in England since 2002. Big steps - but what about next steps? The introduction of a two-point super shot this season raised play for the final five minutes of each quarter, NSL hoped it would lead to closer matches. There was also the prospect it could spark thrilling comebacks or blowout players and coaches liked the idea, some did not. NSL has contentedly reported a 23% increase in games with less than a five-goal winning the court, the Women's Sport Trust said NSL enjoyed a 524% increase in TikTok views amid a push to connect with potential new fan there are issues to examine, with video assistant referee (VAR) technology worthy of ongoing Rhinos were upset when they controversially lost to Birmingham Panthers in were beaten 71-69 after extra time but felt they deserved the win in regulation time after what they believed was a two-point super shot was only credited as a one-point appeared to back up Rhinos' claims, but there was no immediate recourse without VAR, with league rules preventing the outcome of a match being altered after the event. All rather unsatisfactory, and food for thought for those pushing the sport forward.
South Wales Argus
31-05-2025
- Health
- South Wales Argus
Lightning captain Nat Panagarry urges women to 'know their normal'
The Loughborough Lightning captain is determined to continue building greater awareness around women's health, having realised how little she knew about her own body following her wife Katie's cancer diagnosis three years ago. Panagarry has hit new heights on the court, leading Lightning to back-to-back Netball Super League titles, and one of the league's most recognisable faces wants to use her platform to help improve knowledge and education within the sport and beyond. 'I just want to keep being as open and honest as I can,' she said. 'Going through Katie's journey has made me more self-aware about what is going on with my body. 'We are so in tune with her body and what her normal is, it made me thing 'Do I know what my normal is?' 'It has made me more in tune with that, and that is something I want to keep putting out there especially to young girls and young women; how important it is to know your normal. 'Sometimes we think it's just happening, and everyone is going through it, but that is not always the case. 'I have grown up over the years where it was whatever was going on, you just had to get on with it. "Periods and menstrual cycles are such a natural process, but I was taught to just manage it, go on the pill, and if you are going through certain symptoms it is really normal, when that's not the case. 'Over the last few years, you are seeing players step up and talk about the situations they are going through. "Not just female health, but things like grief, and how they are balancing it all. The more open and honest we are as players; I think fans really connect to that.' Support for female-specific health issues has improved dramatically over the course of Panagarry's career, with Lightning now able to provide support around the impact of players' menstrual cycles alongside greater awareness of other issues such as pelvic floor health. England Netball also launched NETBALLHer to provide greater information and support around issues such as sports bras, menopause, menstrual cycles and pelvic health. But the 34-year-old believes there is still more that can be done to support players at both the elite level, and those coming through pathways. 'Through England and through Lightning we fill something out daily called PDMS, which is how tired you are, how sore you are and also tracking your period,' she added. 'For staff and coaches, that helps them offer support. 'The next step for me is tailoring training, if there is a high chance of injury. It is being able to have that support financially to offer that. We are in a great space in netball, but there are still steps we can take such as training programmes being more personalised. 'Knowing what your cycle look like is really important, I wish I had tracked it when I was younger. I don't think I ever knew what was truly happening to my body each week. I could have spoken to my coaches and been more honest with them and they could have helped me.' On the court, Panagarry's focus is on reaching another Grand Final as Lightning chase an unprecedented hat-trick of Netball Super League titles. With this year's Grand Final hosted at London's O2 Arena, Panagarry is ready to chase history in a number of ways having already sealed a top four spot. 'We have had quite a few arena games that have been amazing, it is really building,' she said. 'As a player, to be in the O2, in an arena we have never played at before and how iconic it is, it is really motivating to be on that court. 'The O2 this season has been on everyone's minds, to say you have done it and been there for the first time. It is definitely a motivator for me. 'We would love to be there; we will give everything we can. We don't get carried away with ourselves, but we did celebrate getting that top four spot and getting it early. Those are the little wins.'
Leader Live
30-05-2025
- Health
- Leader Live
Lightning captain Nat Panagarry urges women to 'know their normal'
The Loughborough Lightning captain is determined to continue building greater awareness around women's health, having realised how little she knew about her own body following her wife Katie's cancer diagnosis three years ago. Panagarry has hit new heights on the court, leading Lightning to back-to-back Netball Super League titles, and one of the league's most recognisable faces wants to use her platform to help improve knowledge and education within the sport and beyond. 'I just want to keep being as open and honest as I can,' she said. 'Going through Katie's journey has made me more self-aware about what is going on with my body. 'We are so in tune with her body and what her normal is, it made me thing 'Do I know what my normal is?' 'It has made me more in tune with that, and that is something I want to keep putting out there especially to young girls and young women; how important it is to know your normal. 'Sometimes we think it's just happening, and everyone is going through it, but that is not always the case. 'I have grown up over the years where it was whatever was going on, you just had to get on with it. "Periods and menstrual cycles are such a natural process, but I was taught to just manage it, go on the pill, and if you are going through certain symptoms it is really normal, when that's not the case. 'Over the last few years, you are seeing players step up and talk about the situations they are going through. "Not just female health, but things like grief, and how they are balancing it all. The more open and honest we are as players; I think fans really connect to that.' Support for female-specific health issues has improved dramatically over the course of Panagarry's career, with Lightning now able to provide support around the impact of players' menstrual cycles alongside greater awareness of other issues such as pelvic floor health. England Netball also launched NETBALLHer to provide greater information and support around issues such as sports bras, menopause, menstrual cycles and pelvic health. But the 34-year-old believes there is still more that can be done to support players at both the elite level, and those coming through pathways. 'Through England and through Lightning we fill something out daily called PDMS, which is how tired you are, how sore you are and also tracking your period,' she added. 'For staff and coaches, that helps them offer support. 'The next step for me is tailoring training, if there is a high chance of injury. It is being able to have that support financially to offer that. We are in a great space in netball, but there are still steps we can take such as training programmes being more personalised. 'Knowing what your cycle look like is really important, I wish I had tracked it when I was younger. I don't think I ever knew what was truly happening to my body each week. I could have spoken to my coaches and been more honest with them and they could have helped me.' On the court, Panagarry's focus is on reaching another Grand Final as Lightning chase an unprecedented hat-trick of Netball Super League titles. With this year's Grand Final hosted at London's O2 Arena, Panagarry is ready to chase history in a number of ways having already sealed a top four spot. 'We have had quite a few arena games that have been amazing, it is really building,' she said. 'As a player, to be in the O2, in an arena we have never played at before and how iconic it is, it is really motivating to be on that court. 'The O2 this season has been on everyone's minds, to say you have done it and been there for the first time. It is definitely a motivator for me. 'We would love to be there; we will give everything we can. We don't get carried away with ourselves, but we did celebrate getting that top four spot and getting it early. Those are the little wins.'
Powys County Times
30-05-2025
- Health
- Powys County Times
Lightning captain Nat Panagarry urges women to 'know their normal'
The Loughborough Lightning captain is determined to continue building greater awareness around women's health, having realised how little she knew about her own body following her wife Katie's cancer diagnosis three years ago. Panagarry has hit new heights on the court, leading Lightning to back-to-back Netball Super League titles, and one of the league's most recognisable faces wants to use her platform to help improve knowledge and education within the sport and beyond. 'I just want to keep being as open and honest as I can,' she said. 'Going through Katie's journey has made me more self-aware about what is going on with my body. 'We are so in tune with her body and what her normal is, it made me thing 'Do I know what my normal is?' 'It has made me more in tune with that, and that is something I want to keep putting out there especially to young girls and young women; how important it is to know your normal. 'Sometimes we think it's just happening, and everyone is going through it, but that is not always the case. 'I have grown up over the years where it was whatever was going on, you just had to get on with it. "Periods and menstrual cycles are such a natural process, but I was taught to just manage it, go on the pill, and if you are going through certain symptoms it is really normal, when that's not the case. 'Over the last few years, you are seeing players step up and talk about the situations they are going through. "Not just female health, but things like grief, and how they are balancing it all. The more open and honest we are as players; I think fans really connect to that.' Support for female-specific health issues has improved dramatically over the course of Panagarry 's career, with Lightning now able to provide support around the impact of players' menstrual cycles alongside greater awareness of other issues such as pelvic floor health. England Netball also launched NETBALLHer to provide greater information and support around issues such as sports bras, menopause, menstrual cycles and pelvic health. But the 34-year-old believes there is still more that can be done to support players at both the elite level, and those coming through pathways. 'Through England and through Lightning we fill something out daily called PDMS, which is how tired you are, how sore you are and also tracking your period,' she added. 'For staff and coaches, that helps them offer support. 'The next step for me is tailoring training, if there is a high chance of injury. It is being able to have that support financially to offer that. We are in a great space in netball, but there are still steps we can take such as training programmes being more personalised. 'Knowing what your cycle look like is really important, I wish I had tracked it when I was younger. I don't think I ever knew what was truly happening to my body each week. I could have spoken to my coaches and been more honest with them and they could have helped me.' On the court, Panagarry's focus is on reaching another Grand Final as Lightning chase an unprecedented hat-trick of Netball Super League titles. With this year's Grand Final hosted at London's O2 Arena, Panagarry is ready to chase history in a number of ways having already sealed a top four spot. 'We have had quite a few arena games that have been amazing, it is really building,' she said. 'As a player, to be in the O2, in an arena we have never played at before and how iconic it is, it is really motivating to be on that court. 'The O2 this season has been on everyone's minds, to say you have done it and been there for the first time. It is definitely a motivator for me. 'We would love to be there; we will give everything we can. We don't get carried away with ourselves, but we did celebrate getting that top four spot and getting it early. Those are the little wins.'
