Team Bath (netball)

Team Bath is an English netball team based at the University of Bath. In 2005–06 they were both founder members and the inaugural champions of the Super League. They were Super League champions again in 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10 and 2013, and British Fast5 All-Stars Champions in 2021. In 2023, England Netball announced plans to relaunch the Netball Super League in 2025, with an aim to professionalise the league. During the tender process, the new operating standards for clubs made it unfeasible for Team Bath's senior team to participate in the league and it was disbanded after the 2024 season. The franchise was given a license to continue to deliver the southwest performance pathway on behalf of England Netball including a NXT Gen team.

Team Bath

Nickname(s)	Blue and Gold
Disbanded	2024 (Super League Team)
Based in	Bath, Somerset
Regions	South West England/ West of England
Home venue	Team Bath Arena Sports Training Village University of Bath
Leagues	NXT Gen Super League previously
Website	netball.teambath.com
Uniform Uniform

The netball team is one of several sports teams based at the University of Bath that use the Team Bath brand name. Others include an association football team and a field hockey team.

History

Early years

The modern Team Bath netball team was formed during the late 1990s following the merger of several clubs and teams. These include Bath Netball Club, Bath Tigers and the Toucans Netball Club.^[1][2] The Team Bath Toucans name is still used by Team Bath's National Premier League team.^[3]

Super Cup

Between 2001 and 2005, Team Bath Force, together with five other franchises – Northern Flames, London Tornadoes, London Hurricanes, University of Birmingham Blaze and Northern Thunder – competed in the Super Cup.^[4][5][6] In 2004, with a squad that included Sara Bayman, Rachel Dunn, Jess Garland, Tamsin Greenway and Geva Mentor, Team Bath won the Super Cup.^{[7][8][9][10]} In the final they defeated Northern Thunder 49–43.^[11] In 2005, with a squad that included Sara Bayman and Pamela Cookey, Team Bath also won the BUCS netball championship for the first time.^[8][10]

Netball Super League

In 2005 Team Bath were named as the South West England/West of England franchise in the new Netball Super League. Together with Brunel Hurricanes, Celtic Dragons, Leeds Carnegie, Galleria Mavericks, Northern Thunder, Loughborough Lightning and Team Northumbria, Team Bath were founder members of the league.^[12] In 2005–06 with a squad that included Pamela Cookey, Rachel Dunn, Stacey Francis, Jess Garland, Tamsin Greenway and Geva Mentor, Team Bath won the inaugural Netball Super League title.^[13][10][14] Team Bath won further Netball Super League titles in 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10 and 2013.^{[15][16][17][18]} In 2023, England Netball announced plans to relaunch the Netball Super League in 2025, with an aim to professionalise the league. During the tender process, the new operating standards for clubs made it unfeasible for Team Bath's senior team to participate in the league.^[19] This was due to the lack of arena provision, which formed a core part of England Netball’s requirements and despite ongoing discussions with potential partners there were no arenas in the region that met the requirements at the time.^[19] The team was disbanded after the 2024 season, however the franchise was given a license to continue to deliver the southwest performance pathway including a NXT Gen team.^[20]

Senior finals

Super Cup

Season	Winners	Score	Runners Up	Venue
2004 [11][21]	Team Bath Force	49–43	Northern Thunder	Blackpool

Netball Super League Grand Finals

Between 2006 and 2009–10, Team Bath played in four out of five Netball Super League Grand Finals. They reached their first Grand Final for eight years in 2021.^[22]

Season	Winners	Score	Runners Up	Venue
2005–06[13]	Team Bath	43–35	Galleria Mavericks	Guildford Spectrum
2006–07[15]	Team Bath	53–45	Galleria Mavericks	Guildford Spectrum
2008–09[23][16]	Team Bath	54–46	Galleria Mavericks	Coventry Skydome
2009–10[17]	Team Bath	51–44	Hertfordshire Mavericks	Trent FM Arena
2013[18][24][25]	Team Bath	62–56	Celtic Dragons	University of Worcester Arena
2021[22]	Loughborough Lightning	49-32	Team Bath	Copper Box Arena

Fast5 Netball All-Stars Championship

Team Bath played in the inaugural British Fast5 Netball All-Stars Championship final in 2017 ^[26][27] and won the competition for the first time in 2021.^[28]

Season	Winners	Score	Runners Up	Venue
2017 [29][30][26]	Loughborough Lightning	35–33	Team Bath	The O2 Arena
2021[28]	Team Bath	23-17	Saracens Mavericks	Copper Box Arena

Home venue

Team Bath play their home matches in the Team Bath Arena at the Sports Training Village on the University of Bath campus.^[31][32][33]

Notable players

2024 squad

2024 Team Bath roster
Players	Coaching staff
Nat. Name Position(s) DoB Height Tash Pavelin GD,GK 22 April 1998 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) Bethan Dyke C, WA 25 December 1994 1.64 m (5 ft 5 in) Kadeen Corbin GS, GA 27 November 1991 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) Lily-May Catling (c) GD, WD, GK 17 March 1995 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) Kirsty Harris WA, C 9 December 1998 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in) Sophie Kelly GS, GA 28 November 2003 – Jayda Pechova GD, GK 21 August 2004 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) Phoebe Maslen C, WD 8 March 2004 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in) Emma Barrie GS 13 April 2002 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) Sloan Burton GA,GS – Lisa Putt GD,GK, WD 2 October 2001 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) Ellie Ervine C, WA – Lily Jones (TP) GS, GA 28 November 2004 –	Head coach Asha Francis Notes (c) – Captain (cc) – Co-captain (vc) – Vice-captain – Injury / maternity leave (TRP) – Temporary Replacement Player
Player profiles: Team website	Last updated: 12 September 2023

Source:^{[34][35][36][37][38]}

Internationals

 England

Ama Agbeze Imogen Allison Sara Bayman Pamela Cookey Kadeen Corbin Sasha Corbin

Shaunagh Craig Sophie Drakeford-Lewis Rachel Dunn Stacey Francis Tamsin Greenway Layla Guscoth

Serena Guthrie Geva Mentor Yasmin Parsons Mia Ritchie Rachel Shaw Jess Thirlby Eboni Usoro-Brown

 Northern Ireland

• Shaunagh Craig
• Fionnuala Toner

 South Africa

• Khanyisa Chawane
• Lenize Potgieter
• Karla Pretorius
• Zanele Vimbela

 Jamaica

• Vangelee Williams

 Scotland

• Claire Brownie

 Wales

• Chelsea Lewis
• Anna Mayes

Source:^[10][39][40]

Coaches

Head coaches

Coach	Years
Lyn Gunson[41][42]	1999–2005
Jan Crabtree [43][44]	2005–2008
Jess Thirlby[45][46]	2008–2015
Anna Stembridge[47][48][49]	2015–2022
Asha Francis	2022–2024

NXT Gen Coach	Years
Natalie Roddy & Anya Le Monnier	2025-

Directors of netball

Coach	Years
Lyn Gunson[41]	2005–2008
Jess Thirlby[45][46]	2015–2019
Jo Vann [50]	2019–2021

Honours

• Netball Super League
  • Winners: 2005–06, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2013: 5
  • Runners-up: 2021: 1
• British Fast5 Netball All-Stars Championship
  • Winners: 2021: 1
  • Runners up: 2017: 1
• Super Cup
  • Winners: 2004: 1
• Mike Greenwood Trophy
  • Winners: 2015: 1
  • Runners up: 2016: 1