Loughborough Lightning (netball)

Netball Superleague team

Loughborough LightningNickname(s)| Lightning

|

Founded| 2005
Based in| Loughborough University
Regions| East Midlands
Home venues|  Motorpoint Arena
Sir David Wallace Sports Centre, Loughborough University
Head coach| Vic Burgess
Premierships| 2021, 2023, 2024
League| Netball Superleague
Website| www.lboro.ac.uk

Home

Away

|

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

|
|
|
|

| Beth Cobden | WD, C, GD  | 3 February 1993  | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
| Alice Harvey  | GK, GD  | 3 April 2001  | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
| Hannah Joseph | WA, C  | 8 February 1994  | 1.67 m (5 ft 6 in)
| Natalie Panagarry (c)  | C, WD  | 27 December 1990  | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
| Ella Clark | GA, GS  | 8 February 1992  | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
| Jodie Gibson | GD, GK  | 30 October 1992  | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
| Bella Baylis  | C, WA  | 5 November 2003  | 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
| Shadine van der Merwe | GD, WD, GK  | 25 November 1992  | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
| Berri Neil | GA, GS  | 12 February 2003  | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
| 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
* – 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

|

Margaret Foster[20][21] | 2013–2014
Karen Atkinson[21][22][23][24] | 2014–2017
Anna Carter [25] | 2017–2018
Sara Bayman[26][27] | 2018–2021
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.

## External links

[edit]

* Loughborough Lightning on Facebook
* Loughborough Students Netball Club on Facebook
* Loughborough Lightning on Twitter
* Loughborough Students Netball Club on Twitter

* v
* t
* e

Netball Super League

Organising bodies|

* England Netball

Current teams|

* Birmingham Panthers
* Cardiff Dragons
* Leeds Rhinos
* London Mavericks
* London Pulse
* Loughborough Lightning
* Manchester Thunder
* Nottingham Forest

Former teams|

* Glasgow Wildcats
* Severn Stars
* Strathclyde Sirens
* Surrey Storm
* Team Bath
* Team Northumbria
* Wasps Netball
* Yorkshire Jets

Seasons|

* 2005–06
* 2006–07
* 2007–08
* 2008–09
* 2009–10
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024
* 2025

Grand Finals|

* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024
* 2025

Related competitions|

* British Fast5 Netball All-Stars Championship

See also|

* Player of the Season

* v
* t
* e

Netball in the United Kingdom

Governing bodies|

* England
* Wales

Competitions|

* Netball Superleague
* British Fast5 Netball All-Stars Championship
* Netball Europe Open Championships
* Super Cup

National teams|

* England
* M
* W
* Northern Ireland
* Scotland
* Wales

Superleague teams|

* Birmingham Panthers
* Cardiff Dragons
* Leeds Rhinos
* London Mavericks
* London Pulse
* Loughborough Lightning
* Manchester Thunder
* Nottingham Forest Netball

By country|

* England
* Scotland
* Wales

* v
* t
* e

Loughborough University

Departments
and institutes|

* Centre for Renewable Energy Systems Technology
* Centre for Research in Social Policy
* Engineering Subject Centre
* Energy Technologies Institute
* Globalization and World Cities Research Network
* Pilkington Library
* School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences

People|

* Academics
* Alumni

Chancellor
Lord Sebastian Coe
Vice Chancellor
Nick Jennings

Student life|

* Students' Union

Sport|

| Clubs and teams|

* Cricket
* Men
* Women
* Field hockey
* Football
* Netball
* Rugby Union
* Men
* Women

|

Facilities|

* National Cricket Performance Centre
* Haslegrave Ground

See also|

* British Swimming
* British Triathlon Federation
* English Institute of Sport
* NCSEM
* Volleyball England

* Category
* Commons

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