The Vitality Netball Superleague 2022 is back with a bang and the season opener is set to take place in Birmingham this weekend. After last season’s spectacular final between Loughborough Lightning and Team Bath ended with Lightning securing their first championship title, the 2022 season is set to be more competitive than ever. 

With the event hosted at Birmingham Resorts World Arena, netball fans from around the Midlands have the opportunity to see England stars take to the court alongside local heroes. This includes University of Birmingham students Kira Rothwell, Kat Short, and Louise Marsden, as well as Birmingham alumni Ellie Rattu, Ash Decker, and Fran Williams, the latter being crowned the University of Birmingham Sports Person of the Year in 2020. Williams is a regular England International who will be returning to the West Midlands for the Commonwealth Games this year. Alongside those with a UoB connection, there will be plenty more exciting stars of the present and future on show, treating locals to a real sporting spectacle. 

The season opener will showcase all eleven teams taking to the court at least once across the weekend, all hoping to put an early marker down for the championship. Each day will see five matches, a total of ten over the whole event, and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports as well as streamed on the Sky Sports YouTube channel. The wide-reaching coverage of the event is a fantastic opportunity, especially with a home Commonwealth Games on the horizon, where England will be hoping to defend their gold medal. 

With so many new and exciting players having risen through the ranks, this Superleague season is definitely hard to call. Defending Champions Loughborough Lightning look strong once again, like a side ready to win back to back titles. However, they’ll come up against some fierce competition. Team Bath are out for revenge after losing the 2021 final and, with Serena Guthrie’s experience on their side, they will be pushing for a rematch. Manchester Thunder shouldn’t be ruled out of the fight either having won three championships since the VNSL’s creation. Thunder’s coach, Tracey Neville, will have a vital role to play in Manchester’s campaign to win a fourth title.

But there could be an upset on the cards. Although Strathclyde Sirens and Leeds Rhinos are fairly new clubs in the Superleague, they have the potential to rattle some of the more established teams and could sneak their way into the top four. With the way the 2022 season is shaping up, anything could happen. 

Wasps Captain, Josie Huckle, emphasised the high-speed netball that the Superleague has to offer. ‘It’s loud, it’s vibrant, there are big hits and people taking each other out,’ she told Redbrick, adding, ‘There are some incredible athletes on the court.’ Even for those who have never watched a live netball match, Huckle encourages new fans to join the fun. ‘Some of my friends haven’t been to see a netball game,’ she said. ‘And they came a couple of years ago and they were like, “Oh my god this is absolutely insane!”‘ So what better way to get into netball than to watch the season opener live?

To catch the VNSL Season Opener, tune into Sky Sports on Saturday 5th February at 12pm for Match 1: Loughborough Lightning vs London Pulse. You can also buy tickets for any game across the season. You don’t want to miss it!

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