Hammer blow for Scottish netball as Strathclyde Sirens priced out of new Super League
There will be no Scottish netball team in the new-look Super League next season after the Strathclyde Sirens were priced out of participating.
The Sirens – who have been part of the existing Super League since 2016 – had hoped to compete in a revamped set-up headed up by England Netball, but Netball Scotland said on Thursday morning that it is “desperately disappointed” to report that it has been unable to find at least an extra £500,000 to field at team for the 2025 campaign. It leaves the future of the Sirens up in the air, with two final home matches at Braehead Arena on June 7 and 15 before this term draws to a close. The governing body says that there will be no redundancies planned for permanent staff after the latest developments.
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Hide AdStrathclyde Sirens currently sit bottom of the current Netball Super League with just one point from 15 matches so far. There are currently ten teams in the NSL; six of the eight teams in the 2025 version already compete in the current league in Leeds Rhinos, London Mavericks, London Pulse, Loughborough Lightning, Manchester Thunder and the renamed LexisNexis Cardiff Dragons. Birmingham Panthers will also join the league to build on the success of Severn Stars and Nottingham Forest Netball is the other new entity, owned and managed by the English Premier League football team. Severn Stars, Surrey Storm and Team Bath join the Sirens in dropping out.


In the revamped league, half of the games will be played in major arenas across the country in an attempt to draw bigger crowds and enhanced match-day experiences for fans, while the average salary will increase by at least 60 per cent, with the minimum salary payment more than doubling. Squad sizes will also be reduced from 12 registered players to 10.
In a statement, Netball Scotland wrote: “Netball Scotland is desperately disappointed to announce that there will be not be a team from Scotland competing in England Netball’s new Netball Super League 2.0 from 2025. Netball Scotland has worked tirelessly to find a model that would work in the long-term interests of the sport in Scotland. This includes pursuing alternative financing, ownership and delivery options plus new sponsorship and partnership opportunities. Despite best efforts, a viable model for a small governing body to sustain what requires at least an additional £500,000 funding each year, could not be found at this time.
"Netball Scotland fully supports England Netball’s vision for creating the best professional netball league in the world, but the additional demands and costs for a professional franchise were beyond its ability and resources at this time. Netball Scotland remains committed to developing professional opportunities for Scotland’s elite athletes and looks forward to working with franchises here in the UK and further afield in supporting these ambitions.
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Hide Ad"Netball Scotland is continuing a review of its long-term strategic plan, to identify the best and most sustainable strategy for the continue growth of netball in Scotland at all levels, from the grassroots to Scottish Thistles. As a key part of that future, we will be announcing the new Thistles Head Coach net week.


"Meanwhile, Netball Scotland is working closely with affected athletes, coaches and staff to understand the implications of this decision and will support them in their next steps. There will be no redundancies for any permanent staff within Netball Scotland as a result of this news.
"We want to thank all our players, coaches, volunteers, staff, fans and supporters, past and present, including Glasgow Life our principal sponsor, the University of Strathclyde, as without them there would have been no Strathclyde Sirens.
"Strathclyde Sirens has been part of the existing Netball Super League since 2016 and we hope Sirens fans past and present will join us in supporting the team to finish the 2024 season on a high in their last two home matches on 7 and 15 June.”
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Hide AdEngland Netball chief executive Fran Connolly said: "Today's announcement [of the teams in the NSL] signifies a pivotal moment for our sport. Professionalisation is part of our 10-year Adventure Strategy to accelerate the growth of the game in this country, and having now completed the exhaustive tender process we know we have the right clubs on board to shape an exciting and sustainable future for the league.
"Following the Roses making history by breaking into their first World Cup final in Cape Town last summer we are experiencing thriving participation figures and record membership numbers, showing that there is incredible momentum behind netball and we are absolutely poised and ready to elevate the sport to new heights. This is without doubt the right time, and the right thing to do for the future of our sport that will help to strengthen every area of the game and inspire generations to come."
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