Loughborough Lightning (netball)

Loughborough Lightning is an English netball team based at Loughborough University. Their senior team plays in the Netball Superleague. In 2005–06 they were founder members of the league. They also enter under-19 and under-21 teams in the National Performance League. Using the name Loughborough Students, Loughborough University also enter teams in intervarsity leagues organised by British Universities and Colleges Sport.[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]

Loughborough Lightning
Full nameLoughborough Students Netball Club
Nickname(s)Lightning
Based inLoughborough University
RegionsEast Midlands
Home venueSir David Wallace Sports Centre
Loughborough University
Head coachVic Burgess
LeagueNetball Superleague
Websitewww.lboro.ac.uk

Uniform

History edit

In 2005 Loughborough Lightning were named as the East Midlands franchise in the new Netball Superleague. 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][4]

Senior finals edit

Netball Superleague Grand Finals edit

Loughborough Lightning made their Netball Superleague Grand Final debut in 2007–08.[5][6]

Season Winners Score Runners up Venue
2007–08[5][6] Galleria Mavericks 43–39 Loughborough Lightning K2 Leisure Centre
2017[7][8] Wasps Netball 55–51 Loughborough Lightning Barclaycard Arena
2018[9][10] Wasps Netball 55–51 Loughborough Lightning Copper Box Arena
2021[11] 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

Fast5 Netball All-Stars Championship edit

In 2017 Loughborough Lightning won the inaugural British Fast5 Netball All-Stars Championship.[12]

Season Winners Score Runners up Venue
2017 [12] Loughborough Lightning 35–33 Team Bath The O2 Arena
2019 [13][14] 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.[15][16]

Notable players edit

2024 squad edit

2024 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)
  Mary Cholhok GS 3 January 1997 2.01 m (6 ft 7 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)
  Rhea Dixon GA, GS, WA 5 November 1997 1.78 m (5 ft 10 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)
  Annabel Roddy GD, WD, GK 17 August 2000 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
  Bella Baylis C, WA 5 November 2003 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
  Niamh McCall GA, GS 28 April 2000 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
  Nicola Smith GD, GK 25 April 2000 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
  Jade Popoola WD, GD 12/02/2004 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
  Freya Henshall (TP) GS, GA 8/04/2004 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
  Alex Johnson (TP) GD, GK 26 September 2002 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
  Georgie Brock-Taylor (TP) C, WA 19 April 2003
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: 13 September 2023

Internationals edit

  England
  Northern Ireland
  Jamaica
  Scotland
  South Africa
  Uganda
  Wales
  • Rebecca James
  Zimbabwe

Source:[2][17][18]

Head coaches edit

Coach Years
  Margaret Foster[19][20] 2013–2014
  Karen Atkinson[20][21][22][23] 2014–2017
  Anna Carter [24] 2017–2018
  Sara Bayman[25][26] 2018–

Honours edit

Sponsorship edit

In February 2023, clothing retailer Long Tall Sally were confirmed as the team's headline sponsor for the 2023 Netball Superleague season.[27]

References edit

  1. ^ a b "About Us". www.lboro.ac.uk. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Performance netball". www.lboro.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 28 March 2020. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
  3. ^ "Loughborough Lightning". www.lboro.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 21 June 2020. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ a b "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.
  6. ^ a b "Mavericks win Netball Superleague final". www.sportsister.com. 8 April 2008. Archived from the original on 4 February 2020. Retrieved 4 February 2020.
  7. ^ "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.
  8. ^ "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.
  9. ^ "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.
  10. ^ "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.
  11. ^ "Netball Superleague 2021: Loughborough Lightning beat Team Bath in final". www.bbc.co.uk. 27 June 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  12. ^ 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.
  13. ^ "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.
  14. ^ "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.
  15. ^ "Loughborough Lightning". www.netballsl.com. Archived from the original on 16 May 2019. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
  16. ^ "Sports Halls". www.lboro.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 17 July 2019. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
  17. ^ "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.
  18. ^ "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.
  19. ^ "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.
  20. ^ 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.
  21. ^ "A Lightning return for new head coach Karen Atkinson". www.lboro.ac.uk. 19 August 2014. Retrieved 8 February 2020.
  22. ^ "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.
  23. ^ "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.
  24. ^ "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.
  25. ^ "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.
  26. ^ "Lightning Netball confirm coaching line-up for 2019". www.lboro.ac.uk. 9 November 2018. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
  27. ^ "Peterborough fashion retailer Long Tall Sally gives its support to leading netball team". peterboroughtoday.co.uk. 14 February 2023.

External links edit