EMMNA on the up

England Men’s and Mixed Netball Association (EMMNA) continues to go from strength to strength, with more opportunities available in men’s and mixed netball than ever before.

At international level, England Thorns – the national men’s netball team – have announced their 2024 squad, a 24-strong group featuring a number of young and emerging players, with an exciting fixture list to look forward to. Several of the Thorns have had the opportunity to train with Netball Super League clubs, expanding their own game while also providing a unique challenge to push players in the Netball Super League (NSL) training environment.

Meanwhile, the UK Men’s and Mixed Netball National Championships, which will take place at Loughborough University from 23-25 August, is set for its biggest year yet, with almost 50 teams signed up, including several who have formed over the last 12 months.

The EMMNA League also continues to expand. “The league ran last year, but this year it’s much bigger,” says Daveena Saranna, EMMNA social media coordinator. “They’ve split off into different divisions, so you’ve got North and South, men’s and mixed – more teams, more competition, and the standard has improved massively since last year.”

At university level, a highly competitive BUCS University Men’s Netball Cup was held at the University of Loughborough and served as trials for the Trailblazers, EMMNA’s pathway squad for young players – while Leeds played host to a youth workshop, which had visits from two of the Leeds Rhinos NSL squad, encouraging more boys to get involved in netball.

“It’s an opportunity for boys to come along and see what netball is like in a boys’ only environment,” adds Daveena. “A lot of the feedback we’ve had from boys who want to be involved in netball at school is that they hold back because it’s a mixed thing. It’s also a chance to grow the sport and show what performance sport can look like.”