A Vitality Netball Superleague All Stars squad has today been announced, which will see Manchester Thunder Head Coach Karen Greig leading a team of 13 players in a three-part Vitality Netball Legends Series against the Vitality Roses.
Taking place on January 20, 22 and 24, the series will be aired by England Netball broadcast partner Sky across Sky Sports Mix / Arena and YouTube, giving the Netball Family a great opportunity to watch their favourite club and country players in action.
The series will be played behind closed doors in line with Government guidance relating to elite sport, with strict COVID testing and protocols in place, with player and staff safety paramount.
The Vitality Netball Superleague All Stars squad sees an incredible selection of talent from across the Vitality Netball Superleague clubs, with Severn Stars’ Liana Leota named as Captain and both Loughborough Lightning’s Sam May and Saracens Mavericks’ Jo Trip supporting her as Vice Captains.
Looking ahead to the games, Head Coach Karen Greig said: “I’m really looking forward to working with such an exciting group of athletes, as you look across the court areas we have potential for some strong units that will hopefully challenge the Vitality Roses. With athletes from various nations any impactful change will offer us different styles, which I am confident will throw challenges to the Vitality Roses within the game. I’m excited to see what this group can achieve over the three tests.
“Working with Mel Mansfield and Sheonah Forbes in their role as Assistant Coaches is something I’m particularly looking forward to. Mel has been doing great work in the Superleague over the years now leading Wasps Netball, as coaches we are learning every day so to get the opportunity to lead this group with her will be a good experience for me. Having worked with Sheonah at Manchester Thunder this is a huge opportunity to work with senior athletes at this level.
“I’m happy to announce that our leadership team will consist of Liana Leota as Captain, with Sam May and Jo Trip supporting her as Vice Captains. Liana was an obvious choice, having worked with her previously I know she is a great leader on and off the court and demands high standards of herself and her team-mates, she will be perfect to bring this group together. Both vocal leaders on court Sam and Jo have been playing in the Superleague for a long time and have tons of playing experience which will be invaluable going into the series as a new group.”
The full squad selected for the series is as follows:
| Name | Vitality Netball Superleague team | Nation | Positions |
| Gezelle Allison | Wasps Netball | Jamaica | GA, GS |
| Caroline O’Hanlon | Manchester Thunder | Northern Ireland | C, WA |
| Gia Abernethy | Strathclyde Sirens | Australia | C, WA, WD |
| Jo Trip | Saracens Mavericks | New Zealand | GD, GK |
| Joyce Mvula | Manchester Thunder | Malawi | GS, GA |
| Liana Leota | Severn Stars | New Zealand | WA, C |
| Loreen Ngwira | Manchester Thunder | Malawi | GK, GD |
| Natalie Panagarry | Loughborough Lightning | England | C, WD |
| Rebekah Robinson | Celtic Dragons | Jamaica | GA, GS |
| Samantha May | Loughborough Lightning | Australia | GK, GD, WD |
| Summer Artman | Team Bath | England | GK |
| Yasmin Parsons | Surrey Storm | England | WA, C |
| Fionnuala Toner | Leeds Rhinos | Northern Ireland | WD, GD |
The All Stars management team is as follows:
| Karen Greig | Head Coach |
| Mel Mansfield | Assistant Coach |
| Sheonah Forbes | Assistant Coach |
| Georgina Thow | Team Manager |
| Ned Partridge | Strength and Conditioning Coach |
| Ian Brewer | Physiotherapist |
The Vitality Roses squad set to face the All Stars can be seen here.
Vitality Roses Head Coach, Jess Thirlby, added: “I am so pleased that an All Stars team has been formed to provide us with a great challenge on the court over the next week. To have so many of our Superleague clubs represented across the player group and coaching staff is so positive and shows what is possible with some collaboration and a shared commitment to not only help support our preparations as Vitality Roses ahead of Birmingham next year but also to help keep netball front and centre of everyone’s minds at such challenging times.
“I was really humbled by the support shown by the Superleague clubs and the individuals who have sacrificed so much to be a part of this unique and highly anticipated event. Not only does this shine a light across the talent that we have got across Superleague but it allows us to hit out against some of the best players across multiple Commonwealth nations. It feels like a win win situation for the players, the Superleague and the sport as a whole. And of course I’d like to say a special thank you to our fans for their continued support.”
