Wasps take on Surrey Storm as 2018 Superleague season gets underway
Monday 12 February 2018 15:46, UK
Champions Wasps are the Sky Sports hosts on Saturday as the 2018 Vitality Superleague season gets underway with their opener against Surrey Storm.
The pair have won each of the last three Superleague titles between them. Wasps claimed the crown in their debut season last year with victory over Loughborough in the Grand Final.
"We had pressure on us last year but there is even more now that we have won the thing," Sam May told Sky Sports.
"It is important to start from a clean slate like every other team."
They did so after building a team from scratch, with a few key arrivals from Storm the basis of the squad which finished the regular season in second spot and beat Manchester Thunder in the last four before victory over Lightning in June.
Much of last year's title-winning squad return for Wasps, who have also added England international mid-courter Jade Clarke and South African forward Renske Stoltz to an already formidable line-up.
"Last season to actually take a team from nothing, build it up, get out onto court and then win the trophy in the first season is one of my proudest achievements," said Greenway as she prepares to face the club where she enjoyed so much success.
"Our squad is ready, everyone is fit and raring to go, we've brought in some big names in Jade and Rene and we want to build on what we started last year.
"This match against Storm has become a bit of a rivalry for us; it's a big game that will provide a tough test."
In contrast, Storm missed out on the top four having won the title in each of the previous two years and director of netball Tania Hoffman was left with a rebuilding job in her first season with the franchise.
A fifth-placed finished was a reasonable return in the circumstances. It's been a more settled off season at Surrey Sports Park with experienced Jo Trip joined by South African internationals Charmaine Baard and Sigi Burger and Katy Holland believes they are equipped for a bounce-back season.
"The opening game is always exciting - teams use it to put things in perspective and see where we are," Holland told Sky Sports.
"We've been working hard in training and things are looking exciting, hopefully we can take that out onto court
"We have a few new players from last season and we've had a bit of a change around in our defensive end and we have some new shooters as well.
"Last year, we lost a lot of players to Wasps and that was hard - we had to rebuild and it was a development year for a lot of players.
"We've had that development year and now we are looking forward to the future and what the new Surrey Storm can bring."
Also as part of our coverage, we will have a reporter at Loughborough where the 2017 runners-up will host Sirens in another of the weekend's showpiece matches as the season starts with a bang.
Both sides have strengthened in the summer and if the squads are anything to go by, both will hope to be in contention for a place in the top four.
Elsewhere in Round One, there are two other matches on the opening Saturday of the season as Team Northumbria host last year's beaten semi-finalists Team Bath and another of last season final four Manchester Thunder travel to Severn Stars.
The week's fixtures conclude on Monday when Mavericks travel to South Wales to take on the Celtic Dragons who will be out to better their two wins from last season.
The Netball Superleague returns on Saturday, coverage begins on Sky Sports Mix from 6.45pm, with Sky Sports Arena joining the coverage from centre pass at 7pm when Wasps play Surrey Storm at the Ricoh Arena.
Follow the 2018 Superleague season with us on Sky Sports and through our website skysports.com/Netball also our app for mobile devices and iPad, or follow our Twitter account @SkyNetball.
