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    Loughborough Lightning (netball)

    From Wikipedia - Reading time: 9 min

    Loughborough Lightning
    Nickname(s)Lightning
    Founded2005
    Based inLoughborough University
    RegionsEast Midlands
    Home venues Motorpoint Arena
    Sir David Wallace Sports Centre, Loughborough University
    Head coachVic Burgess
    Premierships2021, 2023, 2024
    LeagueNetball Superleague
    Websitewww.lboro.ac.uk
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    Loughborough Lightning is an English netball team based at Loughborough University. Their senior team plays in the Netball Super League where they have made seven grand finals, winning three in 2021, 2023 and 2024.

    History

    [edit]

    In 2005 Loughborough Lightning were named as the East Midlands franchise in the new Netball Super League. Together with Brunel Hurricanes, Celtic Dragons, Leeds Carnegie, Galleria Mavericks, Northern Thunder, Team Bath and Team Northumbria, Lightning were founder members of the league.[1][2] Together with the women's cricket team, the women's rugby union team, the women's cycling team, the women's football team and the women's wheelchair basketball team, the netball team is one of five women's sports teams based at Loughborough University that use the Loughborough Lightning name.[3]

    Lightning made their first Super League grand final in 2007–08 where the lost to Galleria Mavericks.[4][5]

    They made further grand finals 2017 and 2018 but lost to Wasps Netball both times 55-11.[6][7][8][9]

    Lightning coached by Sara Francis-Bayman and captained by Natalie Panagarry won their first Super League title in 2021, defeating Team Bath.[10] They would go on to make four consecutive grand finals, winning back to back titles in 2023 and 2024.

    Senior finals

    [edit]

    Netball Super Leagueeague Grand Finals

    [edit]

    Loughborough Lightning made their Netball Super Leagueeague Grand Final debut in 2007–08.[4][5]

    Season Winners Score Runners up Venue
    2007–08[4][5] Galleria Mavericks 43–39 Loughborough Lightning K2 Leisure Centre
    2017[6][7] Wasps Netball 55–51 Loughborough Lightning Barclaycard Arena
    2018[8][9] Wasps Netball 55–51 Loughborough Lightning Copper Box Arena
    2021[10] Loughborough Lightning 49–32 Team Bath Copper Box Arena
    2022 Manchester Thunder 60–53 Loughborough Lightning Copper Box Arena
    2023 Loughborough Lightning 57–48 London Pulse Copper Box Arena
    2024 Loughborough Lightning 70-54 Manchester Thunder Resorts World Arena

    Fast5 Netball All-Stars Championship

    [edit]

    In 2017 Loughborough Lightning won the inaugural British Fast5 Netball All-Stars Championship.[11]

    Season Winners Score Runners up Venue
    2017 [11] Loughborough Lightning 35–33 Team Bath The O2 Arena
    2019 [12][13] Loughborough Lightning 61–35 Wasps Netball Copper Box Arena

    Home venue

    [edit]

    Loughborough Lightning play their home games at the Sir David Wallace Sports Centre at Loughborough University and Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham.[14][15][16]

    Notable players

    [edit]

    2025 squad

    [edit]
    2025 Loughborough Lightning roster
    Players Coaching staff
    Nat. Name Position(s) DoB Height
    England Beth Cobden WD, C, GD 3 February 1993 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
    England Alice Harvey GK, GD 3 April 2001 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
    England Hannah Joseph WA, C 8 February 1994 1.67 m (5 ft 6 in)
    England Natalie Panagarry (c) C, WD 27 December 1990 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
    England Ella Clark GA, GS 8 February 1992 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
    England Jodie Gibson GD, GK 30 October 1992 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
    England Bella Baylis C, WA 5 November 2003 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
    South Africa Shadine van der Merwe GD, WD, GK 25 November 1992 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
    England Berri Neil GA, GS 12 February 2003 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
    Trinidad and Tobago Samantha Wallace GS 16 January 1994 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
    Head coach
    • Vic Burgess


    Notes
    • (c) – Captain
    • (cc) – Co-captain
    • (vc) – Vice-captain
    • Injured or on maternity leave – Injury / maternity leave
    • (TRP) – Temporary Replacement Player
    Player profiles: Team website Last updated: 26 October 2024

    Internationals

    [edit]
     England
    • Ama Agbeze
    • Karen Atkinson
    • Sophia Candappa
    • Ella Clark
    • Jade Clarke
    • Beth Cobden
    • Sasha Corbin
    • Chloe Essam
    • Jodie Gibson
    • Layla Guscoth
    • Joanne Harten
    • Hannah Joseph
    • Olivia Murphy
    • Natalie Panagarry
    • Emma Thacker
    • Fran Williams
     Northern Ireland
    • Niamh Cooper
    • Michelle Drayne
    • Michelle Magee
    • Oonagh McCulloch
     Jamaica
    • Shamera Sterling
    • Vanessa Walker
     Scotland
    • Ella Gibbons
     South Africa
    • Maryka Holtzhausen
    • Phumza Maweni
    • Renske Stoltz
    • Shadine van der Merwe
     Uganda
    • Mary Cholhok Nuba
    • Peace Proscovia
     Wales
    • Rebecca James
     Zimbabwe
    • Adelaide Muskwe

    Source:[17][18][19]

    Head coaches

    [edit]
    Coach Years
    New Zealand Margaret Foster[20][21] 2013–2014
    England Karen Atkinson[21][22][23][24] 2014–2017
    England Anna Carter [25] 2017–2018
    England Sara Bayman[26][27] 2018–2021
    England Victoria Burgess[28] 2021-

    Honours

    [edit]
    • Netball Super League: 2021, 2023, 2024 Runners up: 2007–08, 2017, 2018, 2022
    • British Fast5 Netball All-Stars Championship: 2017, 2019

    Sponsorship

    [edit]

    In February 2023, clothing retailer Long Tall Sally were confirmed as the team's headline sponsor for the 2023 Netball Super League season.[29]

    References

    [edit]
    1. ^ "About Us". www.lboro.ac.uk. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
    2. ^ Dr. Louise Mansfield & Dr. Lara Killick (1 January 2012). "The UK Netball Superleague: A Case Study of Franchising in Elite Women's Sport" (PDF). Brunel University, School of Sport and Education, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UK; and University of the Pacific, Department of Health, Exercise and Sport Science, Stockton, CA. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 August 2017. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
    3. ^ "Loughborough Lightning". www.lboro.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 21 June 2020. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
    4. ^ a b c "Third time lucky for magnificent Mavericks". www.whtimes.co.uk. 6 April 2008. Archived from the original on 3 February 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
    5. ^ a b c "Mavericks win Netball Superleague final". www.sportsister.com. 8 April 2008. Archived from the original on 4 February 2020. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
    6. ^ a b "Netball Superleague: Wasps beat Loughborough Lightning in Grand Final". www.bbc.co.uk. 11 June 2017. Archived from the original on 1 March 2020. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
    7. ^ a b "Wasps Netball beat Loughborough Lightning in Netball Superleague Grand Final". www.skysports.com. 15 June 2017. Archived from the original on 1 March 2020. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
    8. ^ a b "Wasps beat Loughborough Lightning to claim back-to-back Netball Superleague titles". www.skysports.com. 7 July 2018. Archived from the original on 27 February 2020. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
    9. ^ a b "Superleague Grand Final: Wasps 55-51 Loughborough". www.bbc.co.uk. 8 July 2018. Archived from the original on 1 March 2020. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
    10. ^ a b "Netball Superleague 2021: Loughborough Lightning beat Team Bath in final". www.bbc.co.uk. 27 June 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
    11. ^ a b "Lightning crowned British Fast5 All-Stars Champions". www.englandnetball.co.uk. 26 September 2017. Archived from the original on 13 February 2020. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
    12. ^ "Loughborough Lightning Netball are crowned 2019 Fast 5 All-Star Champions". www.lboro.ac.uk. 12 October 2019. Archived from the original on 1 March 2020. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
    13. ^ "Jo Harten shoots Loughborough Lightning to British Fast5 Netball All-Stars Championship title". www.bbc.co.uk. 12 October 2019. Archived from the original on 1 March 2020. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
    14. ^ "Loughborough Lightning". www.netballsl.com. Archived from the original on 16 May 2019. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
    15. ^ "Sports Halls". www.lboro.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 17 July 2019. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
    16. ^ "Loughborough Lightning". Netball Super League. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
    17. ^ "Performance netball". www.lboro.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 28 March 2020. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
    18. ^ "Loughborough Netballers get set to compete on World Stage". www.lboro.ac.uk. 11 July 2019. Archived from the original on 27 January 2020. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
    19. ^ "Nine Loughborough netballers selected for Commonwealth Games". www.lboro.ac.uk. 2 March 2018. Archived from the original on 28 January 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
    20. ^ "New Zealand coach appointed to begin new era for Loughborough Lightning". www.lboro.ac.uk. 8 October 2013. Archived from the original on 14 April 2016. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
    21. ^ a b "Karen Atkinson named Loughborough Lightning coach". www.bbc.co.uk. 19 August 2014. Archived from the original on 22 April 2019. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
    22. ^ "A Lightning return for new head coach Karen Atkinson". www.lboro.ac.uk. 19 August 2014. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
    23. ^ "Karen Atkinson: Loughborough Lightning head coach to step down". www.bbc.co.uk. 20 July 2017. Archived from the original on 30 August 2017. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
    24. ^ "Atkinson to step down as Loughborough Lightning Netball Head Coach". www.lboro.ac.uk. 20 July 2017. Archived from the original on 2 November 2018. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
    25. ^ "Carter to step down from Director of Netball position at the end of the season". www.lboro.ac.uk. 22 May 2018. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
    26. ^ "Loughborough Lightning appoint Bayman as new Director of Netball". www.lboro.ac.uk. 12 July 2018. Archived from the original on 1 October 2019. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
    27. ^ "Lightning Netball confirm coaching line-up for 2019". www.lboro.ac.uk. 9 November 2018. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
    28. ^ "Loughborough Lightning: Sara Francis-Bayman takes 18-month leave of absence". Sky Sports. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
    29. ^ "Peterborough fashion retailer Long Tall Sally gives its support to leading netball team". peterboroughtoday.co.uk. 14 February 2023.
    [edit]
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