When does Netball Superleague 2017 start? How does it work, who are the teams and how can I watch the matches?
And another question asked by netball fans - why isn't it in the Olympics?
NETBALL is the most widely played female sport played in the UK - in fact it is played worldwide by over 20 million women in more than 80 countries.
The Vitality Netball Superleague is the UK domestic competition that attracts top class players from all over the world and is the highest level of competition outside of the world dominant Australasia - and it's due to start soon.
When does the Netball Superleague 2017 start?
This season is shaping up to be the biggest and most exciting yet and the action kicks off on Friday 17th February.
There is televised extravaganza on Saturday February 25 where ‘Super Ten’ teams will play five matches one after the other at Birmingham’s Genting Arena.
How does Superleague work?
Each week of fixtures is called a ‘round’ and the home and away matches progress over each round between February and June.
The season then culminates in a semi-finals and a grand final showdown to determine the league champions.
Previous Superleague Champions
- 2016 Surrey Storm
- 2015 Surrey Storm
- 2014 Manchester Thunder
- 2013 Team Bath
- 2012 Northern Thunder*
- 2011 Hertfordshire Mavericks
- 2010 Team Bath
- 2009 Team Bath
- 2008 Hertfordshire Mavericks
- 2007 Team Bath
- 2006 Team Bath
* Northern Thunder became Manchester Thunder in 2013
Who are the teams in Netball Superleague 2017
There are three new franchises for the 2017 season meaning a bigger league than ever before with 10 teams.
Celtic Dragons
Based in Wales and with a number of Welsh international player, the Dragons are coached by Trish Wilcox
Hertfordshire Mavericks
A tight-knit team who have finished in the top four each year since the Superleague's inception.
Coached by Robyn Broughton.
Loughborough Lightning
Coached by ex England player Karen Atkinson, Lightning are based at Loughborough University which is known for sporting excellence.
Manchester Thunder
Thunder (formerly Northern Thunder) have been around the top of the Superleague for many years.
Previously coached by the now England coach Tracey Neville, guiding them through 2017 will be former England shooter Karen Greig, who is in her first appointment as head coach.
Severn Stars
One of the three new teams entering the league they are a joint franchise between University of Worcester and the University of Gloucestershire.
Coached by former Australian international player Mo’onia Gerrard and assisted by former England superstar and captain, Pamela Cookey.
Sirens
Another brand new franchise - this time from Scotland and based in the Emirates Arena.
Coached by Scottish national coach Gail Parata.
Surrey Storm
Reigning Superleague champions based in London and Surrey the squad has seen a number of key players depart for 2017.
There’s a lot of new personnel this year, including coach Tania Hoffman who is a former ANZ Championship coach.
Team Bath
Bath have a strong squad and are a breeding ground for England players.
Coached by former England head coach, Anna Stembridge.
Team Northumbria
Based in the North East and coached by former New Zealand international and coach, Te Aroha Keenan in her second season.
Wasps Netball
The final new franchise for the 2017 season and created by Wasps Rugby Club.
They are based in Coventry, and coached by former Surrey Storm championship winning coach and ex-England star Tamsin Greenway.
Wasps have drawn in some key players from elsewhere in the league and will be a strong contender for the title despite being a new franchise.
How can I watch Netball Superleague 2017?
If you can’t get to one of the matches in person, you can watch matches from each round on Sky Sports.
The 2016 season saw a growth of 89% in television viewers and Superleague fixtures often play to sell out crowds.
Details of the fixtures and viewing schedule including how to get tickets can be found on the Vitality Netball Superleague website.
So why isn’t netball played in the Olympics?
In 1995 the International Olympic Committee recognised netball as a sport, yet it still isn’t part of the Olympics.
This is frustrating for fans of the sport given it’s popularity - and did we mention it’s played by 20 million women worldwide?
It is currently part of the Commonwealth Games and there is a petition to try to get netball included in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics- you can sign it at change.org.
