2019 Netball Superleague season

Last updated
2019 Netball Superleague season
League Netball Superleague
Sport Netball
Number of teams10
2019 Netball Superleague season
Champions Manchester Thunder
Runners-up Wasps Netball
Minor premiers Wasps Netball
Seasons

The 2019 Netball Superleague season was the fourteenth season of the Netball Superleague, the elite domestic netball competition in the United Kingdom. The season commenced on 5 January 2019. [1]

Contents

Manchester Thunder were the champions and defeated Wasps Netball in the Grand Final at the Copper Box Arena. The Thunder's victory ended Wasps' back-to-back run of titles and was their third championship in the competition. [2] [3]

Overview

Teams

At the end of the previous season, England Netball announced the withdrawal of Team Northumbria from the competition. The organisation revealed a capital-based team (the London Pulse) would take their place, thereby ensuring the league remained at 10 teams. [4]

Team [5] Base
CelticDragonsColours.png Celtic Dragons Cardiff, Wales
LondonPulseColours.png London Pulse Stratford, Greater London
LoughboroughLightningColours.png Loughborough Lightning Loughborough, Leicestershire
ManchesterThunder.png Manchester Thunder Manchester, Greater Manchester
HertfordshireMavericksColours.png Saracens Mavericks Hatfield, Hertfordshire
SevernStarsColours.png Severn Stars Worcester, Worcestershire
SirensNetballColours.png Strathclyde Sirens Glasgow, Scotland
SurreyStormColours.png Surrey Storm Guildford, Surrey
TeamBathColours.png Team Bath Bath, Somerset
WaspsNetballColours.png Wasps Netball Coventry, West Midlands

Format

The format is the same as the previous season, with a double round-robin structure utilised. The top four teams qualify for the semi-finals, with the winners of these matches meeting in the Grand Final. [5]

Regular season

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

Round 7

Round 8

Round 9

Round 10

Round 11

Round 12

Round 13

Round 14

Round 15

Round 16

Round 17

Round 18

Ladder

2019 Netball Superleague ladder
PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1 Wasps (Q)1815031092844+24845Qualified for the Finals series
2 Manchester Thunder (Q)1813051111913+19839
3 Team Bath (Q)181305999933+6639
4 Loughborough Lightning (Q)18130510471022+2539
5 Saracens Mavericks (Q)1812061039881+15836
6 Severn Stars (Q)1870118889334518 [lower-alpha 1]
7 Celtic Dragons (Q)186012930104311318
8 Surrey Storm (Q)186012906102612018
9 Strathclyde Sirens 1830158039951929
10 London Pulse 18201688911142256
Source: [7] [8]
(Q) Qualify for the 2019 Fast5 Netball All-Stars Championship.
Notes:
  1. Severn Stars were deducted three points for fielding an ineligible player in Round 5.

Finals series

Semi-final

Sat 11 May
2.00pm
Report
Stats
Wasps Netball 7454 Loughborough Lightning    University of Warwick Sky Sports

Semi-final

Sat 11 May
4.00pm
Report
Stats
Manchester Thunder 5754 Team Bath    Wright Robinson College Sky Sports

Third-place playoff

Sat 18 May
3.00pm
Report
Stats
Loughborough Lightning 5662 Team Bath    Copper Box Arena Sky Sports

Grand Final

Sat 18 May
5.30pm
Report
Stats
Wasps Netball 5257 Manchester Thunder    Copper Box Arena
Umpires: Gary Burgess and Jackie Mizon
Sky Sports

Related Research Articles

Netball Superleague United Kingdom netball league

The Netball Superleague is a top level netball league featuring teams from the United Kingdom. The league is organised by England Netball and while the majority of teams are based in England, it also features teams from Wales and Scotland. The league was first played for during the 2005–06 season. It replaced the Super Cup as the top level netball competition in England. Since 2016 the league has been sponsored by VitalityHealth and, as a result, it is also known as the Vitality Netball Superleague. League games and grand finals have been broadcast live on Sky Sports. Historically the league's most successful teams are Team Bath, who have won five titles, and the Mavericks, who have played in seven grand finals. In more recent times, Surrey Storm won successive titles in 2015 and 2016 and Wasps have played in three successive finals, winning two titles, between 2017 and 2019. In 2019 Manchester Thunder won their third title. Following disruptions to the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, England Netball took a "difficult decision" to suspend the league until 2021. This followed consultation with the league's board as well as all 10 teams and stakeholders.

Team Northumbria (netball) Former English netball team

Team Northumbria is an English netball team based at Northumbria University. Between 2001 and 2005 they played in the Super Cup as Northern Flames. They also played as Team Northumbria Flames. Between 2005–06 and 2018, their senior team played in the Netball Superleague. The netball team is one of several sports teams based at Northumbria University that use the Team Northumbria brand name. Others include an association football team and a basketball team. In 2018 Northumbria University announced it was withdrawing seven of its national league sports teams due to cuts to its elite sport programme. This included Team Northumbria withdrawing from the Netball Superleague.

Loughborough Lightning is an English netball team based at Loughborough University. Their senior team plays in the Netball Superleague. In 2005–06 they were founder members of the league. They also enter under-19 and under-21 teams in the National Performance League. Using the name Loughborough Students, Loughborough University also enter teams in intervarsity leagues organised by British Universities and Colleges Sport. Together with the women's cricket team and the women's rugby union team, the netball team is one of three women's sports teams based at Loughborough University that use the Loughborough Lightning name.

Team Bath is an English netball team based at the University of Bath. Their senior team plays in the Netball Superleague. In 2005–06 they were both founder members and the inaugural champions of the league. They were Superleague champions again in 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10 and 2013. The netball team is one of several sports teams based at the University of Bath that use the Team Bath brand name. Others include an association football team and a field hockey team.

Manchester Thunder Netball Superleague team

Manchester Thunder are an English netball team based in Manchester. Their senior team plays in the Netball Superleague. In 2005–06, Thunder were founder members of the league. They were Superleague champions in 2012, 2014 and 2019. Between 2001 and 2012 they played as Northern Thunder and were originally based in Bury, Greater Manchester.

Saracens Mavericks is an English netball team based at the University of Hertfordshire in Hatfield. Their senior team plays in the Netball Superleague. In 2005–06 they were founder members of the league. They were Superleague champions in 2007–08 and 2011. Due to various sponsorship deals and partnership arrangements, the team has played under several different names. Between 2005–06 and 2008–09 they played as Galleria Mavericks. Between 2009–10 and 2017 they played as Hertfordshire Mavericks. During this era they were also referred to as University of Hertfordshire Mavericks. During the 2018 season they played as benecosMavericks. They adopted their current name in 2019 after forming a partnership with the rugby union club, Saracens F.C..

Yorkshire Jets Former Netball Superleague team

Yorkshire Jets were an English netball team based at Leeds Beckett University. Their senior team played in the Netball Superleague. Between 2005–06 and 2011 they played as Leeds Met Carnegie or simply Leeds Carnegie. Together with the men's basketball, women's basketball, men's association football, women's association football and rugby union teams, the netball team was one of several sports teams associated with the Carnegie School of Physical Education, now part of Leeds Beckett University, that used the Leeds Carnegie brand name. In 2005–06, Leeds Carnegie were founder members of the Netball Superleague. As Leeds Carnegie, their best Superleague performance came in 2008–09, when they finished fourth. Between 2012 and 2016 they played as Yorkshire Jets. Their best Superleague performance as Yorkshire Jets came in 2015 when they again finished fourth. In June 2016 England Netball announced that Jets had lost their place in the Superleague and the franchise was subsequently wound up.

The 2016 Netball Superleague Grand Final featured Surrey Storm and Manchester Thunder. Having previously played each other in 2012 and 2014, this was the third grand final featuring both teams. Thunder had won both the previous encounters. This was also Surrey Storm's third consecutive grand final, having lost to Thunder in 2014, they defeated Hertfordshire Mavericks in 2015.

Wasps Netball Netball Superleague team

Wasps Netball are an English netball team based at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry, Warwickshire. Wasps Netball was formed in 2016 as a partnership with the Premiership Rugby team, Wasps RFC. Since 2017 their senior team has played in the Netball Superleague. They were Superleague champions in 2017 and 2018.

Strathclyde Sirens are a Scottish netball team based in Glasgow. Since 2017 their senior team has played in the Netball Superleague. Sirens also played in the 2018 Netball New Zealand Super Club tournament. They were originally known as the Scottish Sirens. In 2017 they became the UWS Sirens as a result of a sponsorship arrangement with the University of the West of Scotland. In 2018 they became the University of Strathclyde Sirens, usually shortened to Strathclyde Sirens, after forming a partnership with the University of Strathclyde. Sirens other main partners include Netball Scotland and the Scotland national netball team.

London Pulse is an English netball team based at the Copper Box Arena in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford, London. Since 2019 their senior team has played in the Netball Superleague.

The 2016 Vitality Netball Superleague season saw Surrey Storm retain the title after defeating Manchester Thunder in the grand final. Thunder finished top of the table following the regular season. The league was sponsored by VitalityHealth.

The 2017 Vitality Netball Superleague season saw a new franchise, Wasps, win the title in their inaugural season. In the grand final they defeated regular season winners, Loughborough Lightning.

The 2018 Netball Superleague season was the thirteenth season of the Netball Superleague, the elite domestic netball competition in the United Kingdom.

The 2020 Netball Superleague season was the fifteenth season of the Netball Superleague, the elite domestic netball competition in the United Kingdom. The season commenced on 22 February 2020. Manchester Thunder were the defending champions. In the midst of the fourth round of matches, the league announced the postponement of all future matches until at least 30 April 2020, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. On 27 May 2020, the season was cancelled, with the fixtures declared null and void.

The 2017 Team Bath netball season saw Team Bath finish fourth overall in the 2017 Netball Superleague. Team Bath won seven games in a row to finish fourth in the regular season. Their qualification for the play-offs was only secured on the last day. In the semi-final they were beaten by Loughborough Lightning. They went on to finish fourth overall after defeat to Manchester Thunder in the 3rd/4th place play-off.

The 2018 Team Bath netball season saw Team Bath finish fourth in the 2018 Netball Superleague regular season. They subsequently lost to Wasps in a play-off semi-final. During their pre-season, Team Bath also played in the inaugural Fast5 Netball All-Stars Championship and finished as runners up after losing the final to Loughborough Lightning.

2019 Team Bath netball season Team Bath netball season

The 2019 Team Bath netball season saw Team Bath finish third in the 2019 Netball Superleague regular season and qualify for the play offs. In the semi-finals they lost to the eventual overall champions, Manchester Thunder. Team Bath subsequently defeated Loughborough Lightning in the third place play-off.

The 2020 Team Bath netball season will see Team Bath play in the 2020 Netball Superleague.

Dan Ryan is an Australian netball player, coach, sports journalist and broadcaster. He was head coach of Manchester Thunder during the 2016 Netball Superleague season when they finished top of the table during the regular season and runners up in the grand final. He was subsequently head coach of Adelaide Thunderbirds for the 2017 and 2018 seasons. He was an assistant coach when Thunderbirds won the 2013 ANZ Championship and when Manchester Thunder won the 2019 Netball Superleague title. He is currently the head coach of both Northern Ireland and Leeds Rhinos. As a player, Ryan captained both the Victorian Cyclones and Australia Sonix men's netball teams. As a sports journalist and broadcaster, Ryan has worked for various organisations, including Network 10 and Sky Sports.

References

  1. "Vitality Netball Superleague Super 10 returns". netballsl.com. 1 October 2018.
  2. "Manchester Thunder win Vitality Netball Superleague 2019". Sky Sports Netball. 19 May 2019.
  3. "Netball Superleague Grand Final: Manchester Thunder win 57-52 against Wasps". BBC Sport. 19 May 2019.
  4. "Netball Superleague: London Pulse to replace Team Northumbria in 2019". BBC Sport. 10 July 2018.
  5. 1 2 "2019 Vitality Superleague Fixture". netballsl.com.
  6. "Severn Stars deducted three points for breach of regulations". Netball Superleague. 4 April 2019.
  7. "2019 results and final table". www.teambath.com. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  8. "Table". www.netballsl.com. Retrieved 11 February 2020.