Watch all 10 franchises taking to court for the Season Opener on Saturday at Arena Birmingham from 10am on Sky Sports Arena and on Sky Sports' YouTube channel
Saturday 22 February 2020 10:43, UK
Showcasing players' athleticism and energy to a wider audience, enhancing sponsorship and moving to semi-professional environments. All are on the agenda as the new Vitality Netball Superleague season prepares to get under way on Saturday in Birmingham.
After a home Netball World Cup last year and the recent Vitality Nations Cup, it is time for the domestic game to step back into the spotlight and continue to drive netball's ever-growing momentum in the UK.
In January, the enticement of international netball saw fans flock to arenas in Nottingham, Birmingham and London for the Vitality Nations Cup and this year's domestic Season Opener has done the same.
It's anticipated that Saturday's season-opening showcase, which features all 10 Superleague sides, will attract the largest-ever crowd for a one-day event in UK netball history.
For those involved with netball from the very beginning, there was a time when the Southern Hemisphere's domestic and international set-ups looked like they were a world away. As a result of the hard work of so many, huge steps forwards have already been made in terms of putting netball on England's sporting agenda.
It's a testament to netball's development in this country that players are having new conversations about the future and these conversations are pointing towards professionalism. This ambitious sport and its players are keen for more.
As the 2020 Season Opener comes into focus, players from every franchise are excited to get onto court. For all, this season marks one of considerable opportunity with international teams starting new four-year cycles and talent being evenly distributed across the league.
Alongside their personal ambitions for success, the players also have a burning desire to see more widespread growth at the domestic level over the coming months.
"We'd like to have more 'random' people tuning in and have those who aren't surrounded by netballers or know netballers, enjoying netball," London Pulse's Lindsay Keable told Sky Sports.
"We need people to get to the place where they just turn the TV on and watch a random game. That's when we'll see a big difference.
"There are people who do that with the darts or snooker. If it's on, it's on and they tune-in. They may not know all of the players in detail, but they watch their skills and sit there say, 'Wow they're quite good'.
"That's what I want them to do when it comes to netball, and say that they're watching really amazing athletes and that these women are brilliant on court.
"At the moment we've got all of this momentum, which is fantastic but we need to change the mindset of the general public."
Surrey Storm's new shooter, and Keable's former team-mate at Saracens Mavericks, Karyn Bailey, is another who has been around the sport for a considerable period.
She speaks from personal experience when she discusses moving from an amateur era towards professionalism, having been in Australia when the transition occurred there.
"Netball is in a really fantastic place here in England, based on results that have come and I would just love to see more exposure for the sport and more sponsors getting on board," Bailey said.
"We know netball is great, we love it, and the product is there. I just think we need those people to jump on board.
"Constantly being in the media and getting the results that England are starting to get now, that will naturally put the sport in this country in the spotlight. I think that's what needs to keep on happening," she shared.
"It was a hard slog for Australia when they first were going through it. I remember starting and getting paid $50 a month to play netball and they've moved forwards by leaps and bounds since then [15 years ago].
Over the last 10 years I've seen it go up step by step and there's such a good motion when it comes to netball at the moment. It's just about making sure that we keep on that upward trajectory, making sure that we're tying in some sponsors and getting the game out there as consistently as we are.
Sitting alongside Katy Hughes at the Sky Sports Superleague media day, Bailey also aired a common view that elite netballers, or netballers who play at a high standard, share.
"People often base their understanding on a social league or having watched their kids play in a match that has lasted for 40 minutes without a goal being put up!
"The most common comment that we get is that they didn't realise how fast-paced and exciting the game is. I think trying continuing to get that exposure will make other people realise this too."
The call from Hughes, and every one of the netballers in the Superleague, is a simple one. Tune in or turn up and be enthralled by the athleticism of these elite athletes.
Someone who is looking beyond the next 12 months, is one of the Superleague's longest-serving players - Rachel Dunn. The shooter has just completed her 15th Superleague pre-season and she shares what life could look like, if the sport does take the next step in its lifecycle.
"I want Superleague to become semi-professional, I don't think that will happen this year," Dunn reflected. "But, moving forwards that's where I'd like netball to go in terms of moving Superleague on.
"The full-time programme that the England squad are a part of, it would be great to have every team in Superleague with players who are able to train more and reduce their hours [at work].
"That's one thing we noticed in New Zealand during our pre-season trip, was the fact that they have access to their players for 20 hours a week. It's is just not practical in our league to replicate that. If we want to get to that point then it does come down to the financial side of things."
As Dunn highlights funding and resources do make the world go around, that's the case in any sport and for netball one lever towards helping to generate that will be continuing to expose a wider audience to netball and catch people's eyes.
Engagement with Vitality Netball Superleague franchises as well as England's Vitality Roses, the Scottish Thistles and the national sides from Northern Ireland and Wales, is vital.
The first chance to do that is on Saturday when every franchise takes to court for the Season Opener at Arena Birmingham.
All five matches are being shown live on Sky Sports and those without a subscription can follow the streams Sky Sports YouTube channel.
Over 8,700 people will be in attendance at Arena Birmingham and it's time for the domestic league to take the baton continue to drive netball's ever-growing momentum in England.
Sky Sports is your home of netball and is back on your screens this month when the new Vitality Superleague season gets underway with all 10 teams in action at the Season Opener from Arena Birmingham on Saturday, February 22.
