Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Born | [1] Sydney, Australia [2] | 16 September 1987 ||
Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
University | University of Hertfordshire | ||
Netball career | |||
Playing position(s): GD, WD, GK | |||
Years | Club team(s) | Apps | |
2005–2006 | Sydney Swifts | 13 | |
2007 | AIS Canberra Darters | ||
2008 | Australian Institute of Sport | ||
2009–2013 | New South Wales Swifts | ||
2011 | → NNSW Waratahs | ||
2014–2016 | Hertfordshire Mavericks | ||
2016–2019 | Wasps | ||
2017–2019 | → University of Hertfordshire | ||
2019–2021 | Loughborough Lightning | ||
Coaching career | |||
Years | Team(s) | ||
2014– | Hatfield Netball Club | ||
2014–2016 | Highgate School | ||
2016– | Haileybury | ||
2019– | Loughborough College |
Samantha May (born 16 September 1987), also known as Sam May, is a former Australian netball player who played for Hertfordshire Mavericks, Wasps and Loughborough Lightning in the Netball Superleague, featuring in five grand finals in 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021, winning three times. In Australia, May played for Sydney Swifts and AIS Canberra Darters in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy and for New South Wales Swifts in the ANZ Championship.
Between 2017 and 2019 May attended the University of Hertfordshire and gained a BSc in Business and Sports Management. [3] May also played netball for the University of Hertfordshire at BUCS intervarsity level. [4]
May made 13 appearances for Sydney Swifts in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy. [5]
In 2007 May played for AIS Canberra Darters in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy. [6]
In 2008 May played for the Australian Institute of Sport in the Australian Netball League. [7]
Between 2009 and 2013, May played for NSW Swifts in the ANZ Championship. In March 2009 she made her debut for Swifts in a pre-season tournament. She then made her ANZ Championship debut in Round 1 of the 2009 season in a match against Canterbury Tactix. [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] In 2011 May was a member of the NNSW Waratahs team that won the Australian Netball League title. [13]
Between 2007 and 2008, May represented Australia at under-21 level. [2] [14] [15] [16] She had earlier represented Australia at under-17 level. [17]
Between 2014 and 2016, May played for Hertfordshire Mavericks in the Netball Superleague. [18] [19] [20] [21] In 2015 she played in her first Netball Superleague grand final, but finished on losing team as Mavericks lost 56–39 to Surrey Storm. [22] [23]
Between 2017 and 2019, May played for Wasps. [2] [20] [21] [24] May helped Wasps win two successive Netball Superleague titles and played in two further grand finals in 2017 and 2018. [25] [26] [27]
In 2019 May signed for Loughborough Lightning. [2] [24] She was subsequently a member of the Lightning team that won the 2019 British Fast5 Netball All-Stars Championship. On 22 June 2021, May announced her retirement from elite netball, following in the footsteps of fellow announcers Karyn Bailey and Jo Trip. In her penultimate game with Loughborough Lightning, she was the POM and after winning the grand final with them on Sunday 27 June 2021, she retired. [28] [29]
May has worked as a netball coach at several schools and netball clubs including Highgate School, Haileybury and Loughborough College. [2] [3] [30]
The Netball Superleague is a top level netball league featuring teams from the United Kingdom. The league is organised by England Netball but features teams based in England, Wales and Scotland. The league was commenced playing at the 2005–06 season, replacing the Super Cup as the elite 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.
New South Wales Swifts are an Australian netball team based in Sydney, New South Wales. Since 2017 they have represented Netball New South Wales in Suncorp Super Netball. Between 2008 and 2016, they played in the ANZ Championship. The team was formed in 2007 when Netball New South Wales merged its two former Commonwealth Bank Trophy league teams, Sydney Swifts and Hunter Jaegers. In 2008, Swifts were the inaugural ANZ Championship winners. Swifts were also grand finalists in 2015 and 2016. They won their second and third premierships in 2019 and 2021.
Surrey Storm is an English netball team based at the University of Surrey. Their senior team plays in the Netball Superleague. Between 2001 and 2005 they played in the Super Cup as London Hurricanes. After forming a partnership with Brunel University London, they became the Brunel Hurricanes. In 2005–06 they were founder members of the new Netball Superleague. Before the 2009–10 Netball Superleague season, they ended their partnership with Brunel University, relocated to the University of Surrey and became Surrey Storm. As Surrey Storm they were Superleague champions in 2015 and 2016.
Ama Agbeze is an England netball international. She was captain when England won the gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. In 2019 she received an for her services to netball. She was also a member of the England team that won the bronze medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. As of 2020, Agbeze has played for at least sixteen different club teams in England, Australia and New Zealand.
Rebecca Bulley, also known as Rebecca Strachan, is a former Australia netball international. Between 2008 and 2015 she made 42 senior appearances for Australia. Bulley was a member of the Australia teams that won the gold medal at the 2015 Netball World Cup and the silver medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Bulley also won three ANZ Championship titles with three different teams – the 2008 New South Wales Swifts, the 2013 Adelaide Thunderbirds and the 2015 Queensland Firebirds. She began her senior club career with Melbourne Kestrels during the Commonwealth Bank Trophy era and finished it playing for Giants Netball in Suncorp Super Netball.
Emma Koster is a former Australian netball player. Between 2003 and 2007, Koster played for Hunter Jaegers and AIS Canberra Darters in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy league. She later played for New South Wales Swifts in the ANZ Championship during the 2008 and 2009 seasons. She was a member of the Swifts team that won inaugural 2008 ANZ Championship. She also represented Australia at under-21 level.
Tamsin Greenway is a former England netball international. She was a member of the England teams that won bronze medals at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and at the 2011 and 2015 Netball World Cups. Between 2006 and 2018 she played in eight Netball Superleague grand finals for three different teams – Team Bath, Surrey Storm and Wasps. During this time she won five Netball Superleague titles as a player and/or coach and a sixth as a director of netball. Greenway also works as a netball pundit for Sky Sports. In 2020, she was appointed head coach of the Scotland national netball team.
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.
Joanne Elizabeth Harten, also referred to as Jo Harten, is an England netball international. She was a member of the England team that won the gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. In 2020 she received an for her services to netball. She was also a member of the England teams that won bronze medals at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and at the 2011, 2015 and 2019 Netball World Cups. At club level she has played in grand finals for Galleria Mavericks, Loughborough Lightning and Giants Netball. Harten has captained Loughborough Lightning, Giants and England teams.
Stephanie Wood, also known as Steph Wood, is an Australia netball international. Wood was a member of the Australia teams that won the silver medals at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and at the 2019 Netball World Cup. Between 2015 and 2016, Wood played for New South Wales Swifts in the ANZ Championship. Since 2017 she has played for Sunshine Coast Lightning in Suncorp Super Netball. Between 2015 and 2019, she featured in five successive grand finalist squads, winning premierships with Sunshine Coast Lightning in 2017 and 2018.
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 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.
Wasps Netball are an English netball team based at the Coventry Building Society 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.
Giants Netball are an Australian netball team based in Greater Western Sydney, New South Wales. Since 2017 they have played in Suncorp Super Netball. The team was formed in 2016 as a joint venture between Netball New South Wales and Greater Western Sydney Giants. Giants have played in two grand finals and have won two minor premierships.
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 which won their first ever Superleague title in 2021. In 2019 she signed for Adelaide Thunderbirds of Suncorp Super Netball.
Layla Guscoth is an England netball international. She was a member of the England squad that won a bronze medal at the 2019 Netball World Cup. At club level, Guscoth has played for Loughborough Lightning, Hertfordshire Mavericks and Team Bath in the Netball Superleague and for Adelaide Thunderbirds in Suncorp Super Netball. She was a member of the Mavericks team that won the 2011 Netball Superleague. She has captained both Mavericks and Thunderbirds. In 2016 she qualified as a doctor.
Claire Maxwell, also known as Claire Brownie, is a Scotland netball international. She captained Scotland at both the 2018 Commonwealth Games and the 2019 Netball World Cup. She also represented Scotland at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and the 2015 Netball World Cup. At club level, she has played for Glasgow Wildcats, Team Bath and Sirens in the Netball Superleague and for Team Northumbria and Loughborough Lightning in the British Fast5 Netball All-Stars Championship.
Julie Fitzgerald is a veteran Australian netball coach. Between 1997 and 2007, Fitzgerald served as head coach of Sydney Swifts in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy league. She guided Swifts to premierships in 2001, 2004, 2006 and 2007. Between 2008 and 2011, she served as head coach of New South Wales Swifts in the ANZ Championship. In 2008, she guided Swifts to the inaugural ANZ Championship title. Between 2014 and 2016, she guided Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic to the Finals Series every year in the ANZ Championship. Since 2017, Fitzgerald has served as head coach of Giants Netball in Suncorp Super Netball, guiding them to two grand finals and two minor championships. In 2020, Fitzgerald was made a Member of the Order of Australia.