A sell-out crowd awaits Team Bath Netball for their first home match of the 2016 Vitality Superleague season – and England players Rachel Shaw and Eboni Beckford-Chambers are hoping to give the fans plenty to cheer. Around 1,600 supporters will be at the University of Bath Sports Training Village on Friday to see Team Bath – backed by Carter Jonas – take on 2014 champions Manchester Thunder in a mouthwatering clash sponsored by The Royal...
Team Bath Netball have named an “exciting and dynamic” squad for the 2016 Vitality Netball Superleague season, blending international and Superleague experience with some of the sport’s most promising young players. Captained by England star Eboni Beckford-Chambers, the squad of 15 includes five players who shone at this year’s Netball World Cup and seven who have previously won Superleague titles in the famous Blue and Gold. Remaining in the squad from 2015 are England defender...
Director of Netball Jess Thirlby says she “could not be prouder” after seeing Team Bath Netball complete a productive pre-season friendly programme by winning the Mike Greenwood Trophy in Manchester. The Blue and Gold – backed by Carter Jonas – recorded an excellent 19-14 victory over Manchester Thunder in the final to avenge a narrow 19-17 defeat to the hosts in the round-robin stages. They also beat Team Northumbria 13-8, Loughborough Lightning 14-8, Celtic Dragons...
Team Bath Netball’s encouraging pre-season form continued as they recorded an impressive 66-42 victory against Celtic Dragons at the Sports Wales National Centre in Cardiff. Friday’s fine result followed on from Team Bath’s 62-46 win over the same opposition at the University of Bath last month, as well as victories against Surrey Storm and Hertfordshire Mavericks in the previous week’s tri-tournament. Director of Netball Jess Thirlby said: “It was another positive performance against good opposition....
An exciting blend of World Cup stars, returning favourites and talented newcomers have been named in a 19-strong Team Bath Netball long squad for the 2016 Vitality Superleague season. It includes eight familiar faces from Team Bath’s 2015 campaign - Shaunagh Craig, Asha Francis, Rachel Shaw, Jazz Scott, Mia Ritchie, Kyra Jones, Claire Brownie and Sam Cook. Craig, Shaw and Cook all made strong returns from injury in 2015, with the latter (pictured left) making...
Two South Africans who played starring roles at the 2015 Netball World Cup have joined Team Bath Netball for the 2016 Vitality Superleague season. Karla Mostert (left), who plays at goal-defence or wing-defence, and goal-shooter Lenize Potgieter (right) join a squad already boosted by the return of England defender Eboni Beckford-Chambers and the arrival of Wales star Chelsea Lewis. Potgieter – who describes her move to Team Bath as “the chance of a lifetime” – and...
Team Bath Netball will get their 2016 Vitality Superleague campaign under way against defending champions Surrey Storm during a ground-breaking Super Saturday event featuring all eight franchises. Four matches – all televised live on Sky Sports – will be played during an action-packed day at The NEC in Birmingham on Saturday, January 30, culminating in the prime-time showdown between five-time Superleague champions Team Bath and the current title holders (8pm). It won’t be the first...
Team Bath Netball have thanked Stacey Francis for ten outstanding years of loyal service after the England defender confirmed she would be joining Yorkshire Jets for the 2016 Vitality Superleague season. Francis was Team Bath’s longest serving player, having joined the franchise back in 2005, and was a key performer in all five of the Blue and Gold’s Superleague victories. She was the youngest member of the squad to win the inaugural Superleague in 2006,...
Wales World Cup goal-shooter Chelsea Lewis is to join Team Bath Netball for the 2016 Superleague season. The 21-year-old is rated as one of the best young attacking talents in the game and already has 50 international caps, having made her debut at the age of 16. She marked her half-century of appearances by scoring 32 goals during a convincing 64-41 win over Uganda on Sunday which saw Wales seal seventh place overall at the...
Jess Thirlby says everyone at Team Bath Netball is “over the moon” for Stacey Francis after the defender was named in England’s 12-player squad for the Netball World Cup in Australia. Francis – who won her 50th international cap last month – is joined in the squad by seven former Team Bath players, including captain Geva Mentor and vice-captain Pamela Cookey. And Team Bath Head Coach Thirlby says the selection is just reward for Francis,...
