EMMNA Nationals shows the way

A hugely successful event saw men's and mixed netball take a giant step forward

PHOTOS BY BEN LUMLEY

The EMMNA UK National Championship which took place between 23-25 August in Loughborough was the biggest and best to date by a distance.

An incredible turnout with 30 mixed teams and 14 men’s teams competed in over 160 games across six courts, all of which were live-streamed, with a record number of people tuning in.

There was even a special guest in attendance, as Vitality Roses star Ellie Rattu headed along to watch the action. Hear what she thought of the event and her reflections on the growth of mixed and men’s netball in a special interview here.

The event featured Netball Super League (NSL) talent both on and off court including in coaching roles, with many NSL and Vitality Roses players also dropping in to spectate throughout the weekend. It was also particularly exciting to host the Netball France and Netball America mixed teams, with requests already being received from other nations wanting to be involved next year.

Stunts Netball from Loughborough, coached by former Severn Stars player Rebekah Airey, were crowned Mixed National Champions, marking the first time that a non-London-based team has won, in an incredible final that went into extra time and had everyone on the edge of their seats. London Giants, coached by London Pulse player Halimat Adio, were crowned Men’s National Champions for the third time in four years. Both clubs celebrated their wins proudly with the Lucy Nicholls Trophy.

The event was a great success and has helped to grow the profile of men’s and mixed netball even further, with the team at EMMNA receiving an incredible number of inquiries following the National Championships from people wanting to join men’s or mixed clubs, or seeking support to form their own. Web traffic significantly increased following the competition, up a whopping 183%.

You can find a copy of the championship programme here

The next big milestone event is the ongoing Men’s Netball Championship in St Kitts and Nevis, from 7-22 September.