While football, cricket, boxing, and even snooker were afforded the opportunity of carrying on through the pandemic, netball was ostracised and faced an uncertain future.
The 2020 Superleague season was cancelled with immediate effect in March, and it was over five months later when it was announced the competition would return in February 2021, almost a year after the 2020 edition was cancelled.
If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It
Before the cancellation of the season, the versatile Adean Thomas was talking up London Pulse’s chances of winning a play-off spot. Of course, we were never able to see if Thomas was correct in her prediction, although the evidence was overwhelmingly mounting up in its favour.
They were three wins from three in the Superleague, new signing Sigi Burger was demonstrating what a priceless Goal Shooter she is, Thomas herself was regularly demonstrating her ability to feed the attacking third, while the addition of Lindsay Keable proved vital in helping plug a previously perforated defence.
More valuable than all of the above, they were winning close games that in their debut season, they inevitably lost.
It’s perhaps not a surprise then, that when announcing the official squad for the new season, Pulse didn’t feel the need to make wholesale changes to their squad; what Director of Netball, Samantha Bird had seen in her limited time in the job proved to her that under her guidance, the squad at her disposal could compete at the top end of the league.
‘Amazing Squad’
Speaking to Dan Wootton during the squad announcement launch, Bird admitted she was ‘devastated the league was cancelled’ but described her squad for the upcoming season as ‘amazing’ before adding she’s ‘just so pleased to be working with [them]’.
Pulse have retained the majority of their squad while adding just two new players. Versatile Isabel Stibbs will play her first season in the Superleague after graduating from university, while Goal Attack Lefebre Rademan will be keen to compliment her fellow South African Burger in the attacking third.
New signing Rademan painted a passionate picture of what fans can expect from her this season, saying: ‘I think they [the fans] can expect a hard-working
player who gives it everything. I’m quick and fast and really enjoy taking the shots. I really enjoy playing the game and playing with my heart. I will never stop, and I will give my everything’.
Fellow newcomer Stibbs, discussing the prospect of playing her debut season in the Superleague, said: ‘I couldn’t really believe it [when I was signed]’. I’m thankful to Sam for taking a chance on me, especially considering I’ve never been in the franchise system before’.
Despite the league and all-group training being cancelled, Bird says that group meetings online allowed the team to ‘train together during the whole lockdown’, while indoor group training has now been under resumption for a month.
Pulse will play their first league game back in the Superleague toward the end of February. Specific dates and opponents will be released at a later date.
London Pulse Superleague 2021 squad: Halimat Adio (GD, GK), Ashleigh Dekker (C, WA), Zara Everitt (GD, WD), Michelle Drayne (C, WD), Sigi Burger (GS), Lefebre Rademan (GA), Funmi Fadoju (GD, WD), Lindsay Keable (GD, GK), Ellie Rattu (GD,WD), Isabel Stibbs (C, WA), Kira Rothwell (GA, WA), Olivia Tchine (GA, GS), Adean Thomas (C), Emma Thacker (GA, GS), Monique Thompson (GA, WA).
“Copper Box” by Neilhooting is licensed under CC BY
