The 2024 season has officially ended, but next year’s competition will see a series of big changes come to the home of top-flight netball in the UK. Here’s what to expect.
The UK is home to some of the best netball players and teams in the world, but the sport has never really got the attention it deserves. Until now, that is, when the Netball Super League (NSL) – the home of top-flight netball in the UK – begins to undergo a massive transformation.
In a bid to elevate the quality and profile of netball across the country, England Netball is preparing to relaunch the NSL in 2025, and the first steps are already underway.
The aim is to create a fully professional league by 2025 by optimising experiences for fans, players and coaches alike, with many changes coming into place over the next year. And with this in mind, there’s never been a better time to get involved with domestic netball in the UK.
So, what kind of things can you expect? Below, we’ve rounded up just some of the reasons to get excited about the future of the NSL and UK netball. Keep reading to check them out.
1. There will be two new teams
While next year’s season will be played with eight teams instead of the usual 10, two new teams are joining the six pre-existing teams who have remained in the league from last season.
At the end of May, we found out those teams would be Birmingham Panthers and Nottingham Forest Netball – the latter of which is owned and managed by the Premier League football club.
The introduction of these new clubs alongside the pre-existing six (LexisNexis Cardiff Dragons, Leeds Rhinos, London Mavericks, London Pulse, Loughborough Lightning and Manchester Thunder), is part of the NSL’s plans to fully professionalise the league over the next few years.
2. Matchdays will be bigger and better
Another reason for changing the teams on the NSL roster is the league’s ambition to make the games bigger and better: 50% of games will be played at major arenas (5,000+ capacity) to ensure more people can watch and enjoy the game.
As part of this, the NSL will also be focused on creating enhanced matchday experiences. While we can’t say what that will involve just yet, the entertainment on offer at this year’s grand final – which ranged from interactive experiences to giveaways and on-court performances – could be a sign of some of the incredible things that are set to come.
3. The league will be more competitive and professional
The NSL is already home to plenty of world-class talent, but the changes in store for next season and beyond will hopefully attract and retain even more brilliant players.
Making the league more competitive is a big focus for the league, with matchday squads being reduced from 12 to 10 in a bid to more evenly distribute talent and ensure matches are even more competitive than in previous years.
And on the professionalisation front, this year’s changes will see players more fairly renumerated for their efforts. Not only are salaries set to increase (with the average salary increasing by at least 60% and the minimum salary payment more than doubling), but the league is going to introduce a new salary cap and banding structure to make things fairer.
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