THE START OF SOMETHING SPECIAL

The Netball Super League will get underway soon, ushering in a new professional era for our sport. The time for action is now.

Hello Netball Family,

I can’t quite believe it, but here we are, just weeks out from the exciting relaunch of the Netball Super League.

It’s been a huge 18 months preparing for this moment, and every single one of us has played our part in the process in some way. But all that work is just the beginning of our story. It’s all led us to this place, this moment, right now, standing together as a sport looking ahead at an opportunity that so many of us have dreamt about and worked towards for so many years.

We all know by now why we need to professionalise the Netball Super League. We only have to look outside of our own sport at what is happening in the women’s sports landscape to see that women’s football, rugby and basketball, here and over in the US, are growing at an unprecedented pace on and off the field of play because of their professional domestic competitions. With more fans than ever before filling stadiums and arenas and tuning in to watch, brands, broadcasters and backers are finally investing serious money into the sports, clubs and athletes, and this in turn is unlocking more opportunities for women and girls to participate, develop and excel in sport.

And that is what we are here to do with the relaunched Netball Super League. We want to create a product that is so compelling, so exciting and so meaningful that you, the fans, show up in your droves to support YOUR Club, YOUR sport, and YOUR favourite players. Growth in fandom will help to propel us forward on our journey of professionalisation, growing our commercial value and enabling us to reinvest back into the sport. We want to inspire young girls to want to play our sport, and to know that they are strong and powerful, inside and out. We want to create a vibrant talent pool and thriving competition pathway that empowers our Vitality Roses to win on the world stage. And we want to keep growing our amazing community of players, coaches, officials and volunteers to be able to experience the incredible power of netball and all that it stands for, and all that it gives us. We know that we are unique. We know that we are special. And we know that we ARE women’s sport.

Whilst all eyes will be on the action taking place on court, we know that this is about so much more than relaunching a sport’s league. The NSL is the apex of a movement which illuminates the indisputable power of women. As we find ourselves at a turning point for our League and our sport, we are acutely aware of all the women and girls we represent and are proud that through our sport, we have the unique and powerful opportunity to change lives.

But, to realise our dreams and to be able to use our platform to influence cultural and societal change for women and girls, we need collective action. We all need to SHOW UP! Now, I know you’ve heard this before, but it has never been more necessary for us to be the change for our sport. Each NSL Club needs you to fill their venues, ESPECIALLY THEIR ARENAS. They are investing so much money into providing what we know you want and love by showcasing our sport in incredible venues surrounded by loads of amazing entertainment. They’re doing this to drive our growth – to attract more fans, deliver for our broadcast partners and to attract sponsors, all of which fuel our journey. So, we need to give them, and our amazing NSL athletes, our full support by turning up – with our own teammates, our family, our non-netball friends, our schools, our colleagues, our Leagues… everyone we know! Dress up, wear your team colours and just be unapologetically and beautifully you in the stands as we show the UK that NETBALL IS HERE.

I truly and wholeheartedly believe that we have something so unique and powerful as a sport. With three million people playing netball right now, and with the sport still proudly holding the title of the most played team sport by women in England, we have the opportunity to unleash our own indisputable power and make this relaunch HUGE, ensuring that people that matter sit up, take note and take action.

Showing up for our sport has never been more important. We only have one chance to get this right and the future success of our League and our sport depends on what we do now.

So now is the time. Time to pledge your allegiance to your chosen Club and show up for them week in, week out. Time to buy a ticket to an arena match. Time to tune in and watch each game that they play, and time to follow and interact with your Club on social media.

If we want more for our sport, it starts right here, with the relaunch of the Netball Super League. Because we all succeed and thrive when we grow the League. This is our moment, let’s make it count!

#NSL2025

Claire