Severn Stars added to British Fast5 All-Stars Championship line-up
Wednesday 7 June 2017 17:59, UK
Severn Stars have become the sixth team confirmed for the inaugural British Fast5 All-Stars Championship at London's O2.
The newly-formed franchise have just completed a debut season in the Vitality Superleague with an eighth-placed finish and they join the top five teams in the table in being confirmed for the showpiece in the capital.
Loughborough Lightning, Wasps, Manchester Thunder and Surrey Storm were joined by Team Bath last month and now Stars join the line-up.
Severn Stars, a joint franchise between the University of Worcester and the University of Gloucestershire, will battle it out alongside seven other teams for the £25,000 first prize on Saturday September 23.
Fast5 is a brand new event run by sports promotional company Matchroom Sport and eight five-player teams will compete in a double elimination group stage for a spot in the semi-finals.
In a shake-up to standard netball rules innovations, there will be a double-point Power Play, 5-point line and 12-minute matches, and teams will be allowed to include two global All-Star players in their squad.
Stars director of netball Pamela Cookey said: "This is an exciting new venture from Matchroom Sport and we at Severn Stars are delighted to be part of it.
"The British All Stars Fast 5 Championships is set to bring razzmatazz and showcase a different take on our sport of netball.
"It's a perfect lead in into next season and proves the wonderful growth of netball in Britain."
Barry Hearn, chairman of promoters Matchroom Sport, said: "We are thrilled to have Severn Stars confirmed for the British Fast5 All-Stars Championship in September.
"As one of the Superleague's newest teams, it is to their credit that they have managed to qualify for the Fast5 All-Stars in their very first year.
"Netball is growing at a rapid rate and we hope this exciting new event will continue that push. We're bringing the best British sides to The O2 for one huge event with some exciting twists which will add a new dimension to the sport."
Tickets for the British Fast5 All-Stars Championship are available now from www.theo2.co.uk and start from just £20 with group tickets available priced from £60 for four adults. VIP Courtside tickets are available for £150 from www.fast5allstars.com.
You can follow all the action from Finals weekend on Sky Sports Mix with both semi-finals live from 3.30pm and the Final live on Sunday from 4.30pm
