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.
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 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.
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 2015 Netball Superleague season saw Surrey Storm finish as champions for the first time after defeating Hertfordshire Mavericks in the grand final. Manchester Thunder finished top of the table following the regular season but they subsequently lost to Mavericks in the semi-finals. Thunder eventually finished third overall. Yorkshire Jets were the surprise team of the season, finishing third during the regular season and fourth overall. This was the first season in Superleague history that Team Bath did not qualify for the semi-finals.
The 2015 Surrey Storm season saw them finish as Netball Superleague champions for the first time. Between 2011 and 2014, Surrey Storm played in three out of the four grand finals. After finishing as runners up in all three, Surrey Storm won their first Netball Superleague title in 2015. During the regular season they finish second behind Manchester Thunder. They subsequently defeated Yorkshire Jets at the semi-final stage before defeating Hertfordshire Mavericks in the grand final.
The 2016 Surrey Storm season saw them retain the Netball Superleague title after defeating Manchester Thunder in the grand final. During the regular season they finish second behind Thunder.
Beth Cobden is an England netball international. She was a member of the England teams that won gold medals at the 2017 Fast5 Netball World Series and the 2018 Commonwealth Games. At club level, she was a member of the Northern Thunder/Manchester Thunder teams that won Netball Superleague titles in 2012 and 2014. She also played in two grand finals for Loughborough Lightning. In 2019 she signed for Adelaide Thunderbirds of Suncorp Super Netball.
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 2012 FIAT Netball Superleague season saw Northern Thunder finish as champions for the first time. In the grand final they defeated Surrey Storm. 2012 saw the introduction of a new format, featuring three distinct phases, including a Showdown Weekend.
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 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.
Leeds Rhinos Netball are an English netball team based in Leeds. They were founded in 2017. Together with the men's rugby league and women's rugby league teams, they are part of the Leeds Rhinos family of clubs. In 2018–19 they entered an under-19 team in England Netball's National Performance League. They are due to join the Netball Superleague in 2021.
The 2016 Team Bath netball season saw Team Bath finish third overall in the 2016 Netball Superleague. In the third-place play-off they defeated Hertfordshire Mavericks 49–48 to finish the season as bronze medallists. During the regular season they finished fourth, level on points with Surrey Storm and Hertfordshire Mavericks in second and third place respectively. Manchester Thunder topped the table. Team Bath lost 53–46 at Manchester Thunder in the play-off semi-finals.
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 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.
Netball Superleague Player of the Season. The following is a list of Netball Superleague players named Player of the Season.
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.
