‘Rollercoaster’ Netball Superleague season set to get underway

The talking is almost over for Jade Clarke as Leeds Rhinos Netball prepare to break new ground with a first appearance in the Vitality Netball Superleague.

Clarke – England’s most-capped player – will spearhead the challenge of the league’s newest side, ready to go toe-to-toe with the country’s very best.

The Rhinos are involved in the 2021 season curtain-raiser on Friday night, facing off against Celtic Dragons at Production Park Studio 001 in Wakefield, live on Sky Sports Main Event from 4.45pm.

With every game this season broadcast live on Sky Sports, a nationwide audience can enjoy all the thrills and spills that the new campaign will bring – one Clarke feels will be as tight as ever.

“We’re just so excited to get going, and it’s a huge honour to be the first game up and we hope everyone is going to be watching,” the Rhinos co-captain said. “All the games are going to be live on TV or on YouTube, and it’s amazing.

“It’s really something to celebrate for the netball community and we hope we can bring some joy and some entertainment to all the netball fans out there.

“I think this season is going to be so competitive, we’ve seen a few girls who have played professionally in Australia return to England, including Beth Cobden for Loughborough Lightning and Layla Guscoth for Bath.

“We’ve seen the standards rise so much in the last couple of years, now you don’t know who is going to beat who and that’s exactly what a good league should be like.

“It’s going to be a rollercoaster ride and I can’t wait to get going with the girls. It’s nice because we had no placing last year, so we go in with no expectations.”

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With more than 150 international caps and an unforgettable Commonwealth gold medal to her name, Clarke is among a plethora of high-profile stars looking to make her mark, with a wealth of talent on show for all teams.

Plenty of challenges await too, not least in the form of Manchester Thunder – with those across the Pennines bidding to defend their Vitality Netball Superleague title.

This season is set to be closer than ever but for captain Emma Dovey, lifting the coveted trophy once again is at the forefront of her mind.

“We had a really good start to last season before the suspension, so we’re out to prove ourselves and pick up that form again, and hopefully we can retain the title this year,” said the 29-year-old, who balances her netball commitments with being a PE teacher.

“Ultimately the aim is to lift the trophy, but we have to just take each game as it comes.

“There isn’t a weak team in the competition and I think it’s going to be one of the best and tightest Superleagues we’ve ever had.”

With big name international players joining exciting homegrown talent, all 11 clubs are ready to drive the game forward together to help the sport and the league Rise. As One.

Putting smiles on the faces of supporters is a key motivator for Dovey, who believes the league’s return will illustrate the strength of the netball community.

She added: “Having all the games available to watch is a great step forward. It’ll be tough not having fans at games because they are your eighth player, and our fans in particular are quite vocal and help push us over the line.

“We will really miss them this year but just knowing that they are watching at home, and that they’re going to be on social media sharing their support is going to spur us on.

“The Sky deal gives us the exposure that we need. It’s been a tough 12 months for netball, but we’re rising together, and having our games out there is definitely going to help raise the profile of the sport and hopefully inspire people to stay engaged in sport.

“It’s taken a lot of hard work behind the scenes to get to this point, but it’s been great to see every franchise come together for the greater good, and I just can’t wait for the first game back now.”

There’s no shortage of action on the opening weekend with the first two rounds of matches taking place across four days from Friday to Monday.

After the Rhinos and Dragons get things under way, defending champions Thunder will look to get their campaign off to a winning start when they do battle with Strathclyde Sirens at 7.15pm.

The Vitality Netball Superleague will return on 12 February 2021 and you can follow the action with all games being shown live on Sky Sports. Visit netballsl.com or follow @netballsl on Twitter and Instagram for more information.