Superleague captain Asha Francis to coach next generation of Team Bath Netball players

Superleague captain Asha Francis is to take up a coaching role with Team Bath Netball, helping the successful franchise develop the next generation of players. Francis – who has played internationally for both England and Singapore – will coach Team Bath Toucans in National Premier League 1 next season. Toucans is one of the performance teams based at the University of Bath which underpins the elite Superleague side. It is primarily made up of students...

18 August 2015

New kind of jumps on athletics field as University gets set for European Championships

The University of Bath’s Sports Training Village has undergone a dramatic transformation as the final preparations are put in place for this week’s Modern Pentathlon European Championships. Most eye-catching of all is the installation of a show-jumping arena in the in-field of the athletics track, complete with temporary stables, ready to host the iconic and challenging ride section of the five-discipline sport. A laser-shooting range has also been fitted on the athletics field, while the...

17 August 2015

Pentathlon GB’s Jan Bartu inducted into Team Bath Hall of Fame for Sport

On the eve of the Modern Pentathlon European Championships at the University of Bath, Pentathlon GB’s long-serving National Performance Director Jan Bartu has been inducted into the Team Bath Hall of Fame for Sport. Bartu established the National Training Centre at the University of Bath in 1998, implementing the Performance Pathway System which has seen modern pentathlon become one of Britain’s most successful Olympic sports. Under his guidance, medals have been won at each of...

17 August 2015

Team Bath’s Stacey Francis wins Netball World Cup bronze with England

Team Bath Netball’s Stacey Francis says she is “super thankful” after winning a bronze medal with England at the Netball World Cup in Australia. An excellent 66-44 victory over Jamaica in Sunday’s third-place play-off ensured the Roses – including seven former Team Bath players – bagged bronze for the second successive world championships. Francis, who recovered from a knee injury to take her place in the squad, said on Instagram: “It’s been a mental few...

17 August 2015

University of Bath’s proud history of hosting modern pentathlon – both training and competition

This week’s eagerly-awaited European Championships will be the fourth international modern pentathlon competition to be staged at the University of Bath – the proud long-term home of Pentathlon GB. The sport’s National Training Centre was established at the University in 1998, with a host of pentathletes going on to enjoy both sporting and academic success. Five Olympic medallists have come through the Performance Pathway System during the past 17 years, starting with Dr Stephanie Cook...

16 August 2015

World Junior Champ Francesca Summers ready for senior European stage

Newly-crowned World Junior Champion Francesca Summers will have another chance to test herself on the senior stage next week when she competes in the Modern Pentathlon European Championships at the University of Bath. The 19-year-old warmed up for the Rio 2016 Olympic qualifying event in style by winning two golds at the World Junior Championships in Mexico City last week – the individual women’s title and the women’s relay with Mathematics student Eilidh Prise. She...

15 August 2015

England’s Netball World Cup dream ended by ruthless Silver Ferns

Costly mistakes from England saw them succumb to a 50-39 defeat at the hands of New Zealand in their Netball World Cup semi-final in Sydney on Saturday morning. The Silver Ferns were able to capitalise on numerous England failings in possession to secure their place in the final and send the Roses into a bronze medal play-off against Jamaica. Team Bath Netball’s Stacey Francis was an unused replacement during the semi-final, which saw England trail...

15 August 2015

Freyja Prentice completes Pentathlon GB team for home European Championships

Freyja Prentice has been confirmed as the final member of the Pentathlon GB women’s team for next week's Modern Pentathlon European Championships at the University of Bath. The 25-year-old has recovered from severe bone stress to her tibia to edge out former World Champion Mhairi Spence and join Samantha Murray, Kate French and Francesca Summers in the women's individual competition. “The thought of competing at the Europeans is what has kept me going," said Prentice,...

14 August 2015

Stacey Francis “excited” as semi-finalists England seek Netball World Cup history

Team Bath Netball’s Stacey Francis says she is "excited at the prospect of making history" after helping England reach the semi-finals of the Netball World Cup in Australia. A hard-fought 62-46 win over South Africa in their final Pool F game on Friday set up a last-four showdown with New Zealand on Saturday (3.10am BST). The Silver Ferns are the only team boasting a 100 per cent record in this year's competition and have been...

14 August 2015

Nick Woodbridge hoping for more home success at Modern Pentathlon European Championships

Double Olympian Nick Woodbridge is hoping for more home success when the University of Bath hosts the Modern Pentathlon European Championships next week. Woodbridge - pictured promoting ticket sales for the Europeans - is the most experienced member of the Pentathlon GB men’s squad for the continental competition, which runs from August 18-23 and is a qualifying event for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. During his 11-year senior international career, he has competed on home...

13 August 2015