To kick off the season of the Netball Super League all eight teams will be competing in the Soft and Gentle Super Cup tournament this Saturday at the Utilita Sports Arena.
The tournament started at 12 noon with four 14 minute matches then a 35 minute interval.
Claire Nelson, Managing Director of the Netball Super League said: “It is a one day event where all teams take to court and when I say it’s exciting, last year we had such unexpected results and teams making the final, it’s such high energy.”
This will be the second year that the stand alone event will be taking place and the teams have new players from across the world.
New players joining the league are Sophie Fawns from the Australian Suncorp league who previously played for the NSW Swifts and is now going to be playing for Manchester Thunder.
Joining Fawns from the Australian league is Eleanor Cardwell who played for the Melbourne Mavericks. She is going back to her home team Manchester Thunder.
Scheduled for the 2026 league the Utilita Sports Arena has committed to doing a series of double header matches so that fans can watch two games under one roof.
Last year the finale of the netball super cup at the O2 arena in London set a world record for the most attended ticketed netball match in the UK since 2002.
Last year was the introduction of the new super shot zone that is where in the last 5 minutes of game play the outer zone in the D counts for 2 points instead of 1.
This two point zone was already used in the Australian Suncorp league and now that it is being used in the UK the hope is for netball in the UK to rise in level and popularity.
The Managing Director of the Netball Super League said how this season will be like no other with more growth and a new cohort of Clubs competing for the NSL trophy.