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South Wales Argus
07-05-2025
- Sport
- South Wales Argus
Confidence the key for Kira Rothwell ahead of Wembley Arena showdown
The 24-year-old has enjoyed a strong start to the season in light blue but missed four matches due to a shock bout of appendicitis after Round 3 that almost spelled an early end to her season. She returned to court for Mavericks' extra-time victory over Cardiff Dragons in Round 8 and is now raring to go for Sunday's derby against London Pulse. 'It was such weird timing and frustrating that when they consented me for surgery, they said I'd be back playing in a week or two,' she said. 'When I came out, they wanted me to sit the rest of the season out. I thought 'you don't know me.' 'None of the surgeons or doctors knew about a return to play [protocol] for appendicitis. There was so much uncertainty. 'As a team but also individually, I feel like I was hitting a peak but thankfully it seems not to have gone too much.' Trips to hospital are something Rothwell has been getting used to this season, having embarked on a graduate medical degree last September. Combined with playing in the Netball Super League, it leaves Rothwell with little free time but she believes balancing the two has brought the best out of her on court. 'Through the whole year I have found it really good,' she said. 'Having the two things helps me with the other one. 'When uni is hard at the moment, I know I can take myself off to netball and not think about it. I think it makes me play better netball, having something to take my mind off it. 'I have just been loving playing netball. I am confident in myself, it has been really good.' The 24-year-old does not need to look too far for inspiration from other netballers who also enjoy impressive careers as doctors. 'I have spoken to Layla [Guscoth] a lot,' she added. 'I have always looked up to her so much. 'It's a bit embarrassing now, but I remember sending her an email back in the day asking about how she balances playing for England and being a doctor. 'I will definitely speak to some of the others like Niamh [Cooper] and Amy [Carter] as I get into the more clinical years, I just think they are all so cool being able to do that.' On the court, Rothwell has certainly taken plenty of confidence from her own performances. The attacker has made a regular impact on matches and shown particular prowess with the Soft & Gentle Super Shot, including a last-second winner against NIC Leeds Rhinos. 'That's possibly the best moment of my career,' she reflected. 'It was so cool. 'In that moment, I didn't even think twice about taking the shot. I was like 'I haven't missed a shot yet this season in the two-point range, why would I not take it?' 'Looking back, I think why did I not take the one to equalise? It definitely gave me a lot of confidence, especially in the two-point range.' Rothwell will hope she can take that confidence onto Mavericks' biggest stage so far this season when they take to Wembley Arena on Sunday. Camilla Buchanan's side lost comfortably in the reverse fixture, but Rothwell believes her side have made strides forward since then and are ready to take the game to the league leaders. Whatever happens, Rothwell believes playing at Wembley is a glimpse of the future for the Netball Super League. 'Pulse have been together as a group longer than we have and came into the season at a higher point than us, but we are very much on an upwards trajectory,' she said. 'It should make for a very good game. 'We will prepare like we do any match, but it is exciting to play there. You want to enjoy the moment, it is such a cool thing but when you are out on court, you don't really hear the crowd. 'It is a hard balance. I try and take in the moment when I walk out for the warm-up. 'The fact that netball is played at arenas like Wembley now is really cool. We are at a really good point this season for a big headline match and we can't wait.' Watch Kira Rothwell and the stars of NSL 2025 live in action - purchase your club tickets today. For the ultimate showdown, secure your seat at the 2025 Grand Final at The O2, London! Visit
The Herald Scotland
07-05-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Confidence the key for Kira Rothwell ahead of Wembley Arena showdown
She returned to court for Mavericks' extra-time victory over Cardiff Dragons in Round 8 and is now raring to go for Sunday's derby against London Pulse. 'It was such weird timing and frustrating that when they consented me for surgery, they said I'd be back playing in a week or two,' she said. 'When I came out, they wanted me to sit the rest of the season out. I thought 'you don't know me.' 'None of the surgeons or doctors knew about a return to play [protocol] for appendicitis. There was so much uncertainty. 'As a team but also individually, I feel like I was hitting a peak but thankfully it seems not to have gone too much.' Trips to hospital are something Rothwell has been getting used to this season, having embarked on a graduate medical degree last September. Combined with playing in the Netball Super League, it leaves Rothwell with little free time but she believes balancing the two has brought the best out of her on court. 'Through the whole year I have found it really good,' she said. 'Having the two things helps me with the other one. 'When uni is hard at the moment, I know I can take myself off to netball and not think about it. I think it makes me play better netball, having something to take my mind off it. 'I have just been loving playing netball. I am confident in myself, it has been really good.' The 24-year-old does not need to look too far for inspiration from other netballers who also enjoy impressive careers as doctors. 'I have spoken to Layla [Guscoth] a lot,' she added. 'I have always looked up to her so much. 'It's a bit embarrassing now, but I remember sending her an email back in the day asking about how she balances playing for England and being a doctor. 'I will definitely speak to some of the others like Niamh [Cooper] and Amy [Carter] as I get into the more clinical years, I just think they are all so cool being able to do that.' On the court, Rothwell has certainly taken plenty of confidence from her own performances. The attacker has made a regular impact on matches and shown particular prowess with the Soft & Gentle Super Shot, including a last-second winner against NIC Leeds Rhinos. 'That's possibly the best moment of my career,' she reflected. 'It was so cool. 'In that moment, I didn't even think twice about taking the shot. I was like 'I haven't missed a shot yet this season in the two-point range, why would I not take it?' 'Looking back, I think why did I not take the one to equalise? It definitely gave me a lot of confidence, especially in the two-point range.' Rothwell will hope she can take that confidence onto Mavericks' biggest stage so far this season when they take to Wembley Arena on Sunday. Camilla Buchanan's side lost comfortably in the reverse fixture, but Rothwell believes her side have made strides forward since then and are ready to take the game to the league leaders. Whatever happens, Rothwell believes playing at Wembley is a glimpse of the future for the Netball Super League. 'Pulse have been together as a group longer than we have and came into the season at a higher point than us, but we are very much on an upwards trajectory,' she said. 'It should make for a very good game. 'We will prepare like we do any match, but it is exciting to play there. You want to enjoy the moment, it is such a cool thing but when you are out on court, you don't really hear the crowd. 'It is a hard balance. I try and take in the moment when I walk out for the warm-up. 'The fact that netball is played at arenas like Wembley now is really cool. We are at a really good point this season for a big headline match and we can't wait.' Watch Kira Rothwell and the stars of NSL 2025 live in action - purchase your club tickets today. For the ultimate showdown, secure your seat at the 2025 Grand Final at The O2, London! Visit
Powys County Times
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Powys County Times
NSL Unwrapped: Thunder and Forest win big in Round 7
Nottingham Forest and Manchester Thunder clinched big wins in Round 7 of the Netball Super League. Loughborough Lightning beat Birmingham Panthers 72-68 whilst London Pulse downed LexisNexis Cardiff Dragons to make it seven wins from seven matches. Forest take the spoils over Rhinos Nottingham Forest moved within two points of the top four with a brilliant 74-60 win over NIC Leeds Rhinos in Round 7 of the Netball Super League. Rhinos came out stronger and took the first quarter 19-12, with Cassie Howard's defensive play wreaking havoc on the travelling side. But the hosts struggled to find consistency and soon fell away as their opposition closed the gap to just a two-point gap at the break. Falling into a comfortable rhythm and supported by Rolene Streutker's shooting skills during the Soft & Gentle Super Shot and Tash Pavelin's interceptions, Forest took the lead for the first time in the third quarter and continued to soar. Pavelin was eventually named Kissimmee Player of the Match with an impressive six gains, five interceptions and five deflections. Thunder take second in the table Manchester Thunder moved to second in the 2024 Netball Super League table with a 59-54 victory over London Mavericks. Both teams were made to work hard defensively in the early stages, with Razia Quashie causing problems in the circle for the home side who held a level 13-10 lead after the first quarter. Elmere van der Berg, second in the league for the Soft and Gentle Super Shot, continued dominating in the final stages of each quarter and extended Thunder's lead to 31-24 at the break. Mavericks came out for the second half with a new spark and played a patient game to sneak up on their hosts and close the gap two just two shots with 15 minutes to go. An all or nothing final quarter saw Thunder once again pull ahead again but it went down to the fire in a close match between the two sides, Thunder ultimately coming out on top. Lightning edge a close battle with Panthers Loughborough Lightning clinched a narrow 72-68 victory over Birmingham Panthers as East met West Midlands. Both sides came into the match off the back of Round 6 wins and Panthers channelled that energy at the Sir David Wallace Arena, coming out all guns blazing but were quickly caught by their hosts as a back-and-forth battle ensued. A high-scoring second quarter for both sides meant that there was just one shot in it at half-time, but the defending champions extended their lead after the break and expertly held their opposition off for the win. Samantha Wallace-Joseph was awarded the Kissimmee Player of the Match after a brilliant performance saw her slot 34 goals and nine super shots, while Gabrielle Coffey shone in defence for the Birmingham side and Betsy Creak continued her impressive run in the shooting circle. After taking their maiden Netball Super League win against Nottingham Forest in Round 6, Panthers are forced to wait for another victory as they continue to challenge the top teams. Pulse push past Dragons League leaders London Pulse kept alive their unbeaten streak to make it seven wins from seven matches after downing LexisNexis Cardiff Dragons 67-52. The two teams entered the match at opposite ends of the table but Pulse were pushed all the way by Dragons in the opening quarter, only leading the bottom-placed side by four points after the opening quarter. By half time, the lead had extended but only just as Pulse entered the interval 32-25 up as Jacqui Newton and Elle McDonald put defensive pressure on the hosts' attach. The London-based side pulled away in the second half, led by Kissimmee Player of the Match Sophie Kelly after a superlative display saw her rain down seven Super Shots along with eight goals. The result sees Pulse move to 21 points at the summit of the standings, while Dragons remain without a win but have a game in hand on most of the table.
The Herald Scotland
28-04-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
NSL Unwrapped: Thunder and Forest win big in Round 7
Forest take the spoils over Rhinos Nottingham Forest moved within two points of the top four with a brilliant 74-60 win over NIC Leeds Rhinos in Round 7 of the Netball Super League. Rhinos came out stronger and took the first quarter 19-12, with Cassie Howard's defensive play wreaking havoc on the travelling side. But the hosts struggled to find consistency and soon fell away as their opposition closed the gap to just a two-point gap at the break. Falling into a comfortable rhythm and supported by Rolene Streutker's shooting skills during the Soft & Gentle Super Shot and Tash Pavelin's interceptions, Forest took the lead for the first time in the third quarter and continued to soar. Pavelin was eventually named Kissimmee Player of the Match with an impressive six gains, five interceptions and five deflections. Thunder take second in the table Manchester Thunder moved to second in the 2024 Netball Super League table with a 59-54 victory over London Mavericks. Both teams were made to work hard defensively in the early stages, with Razia Quashie causing problems in the circle for the home side who held a level 13-10 lead after the first quarter. Elmere van der Berg, second in the league for the Soft and Gentle Super Shot, continued dominating in the final stages of each quarter and extended Thunder's lead to 31-24 at the break. Mavericks came out for the second half with a new spark and played a patient game to sneak up on their hosts and close the gap two just two shots with 15 minutes to go. An all or nothing final quarter saw Thunder once again pull ahead again but it went down to the fire in a close match between the two sides, Thunder ultimately coming out on top. Lightning edge a close battle with Panthers Loughborough Lightning clinched a narrow 72-68 victory over Birmingham Panthers as East met West Midlands. Both sides came into the match off the back of Round 6 wins and Panthers channelled that energy at the Sir David Wallace Arena, coming out all guns blazing but were quickly caught by their hosts as a back-and-forth battle ensued. A high-scoring second quarter for both sides meant that there was just one shot in it at half-time, but the defending champions extended their lead after the break and expertly held their opposition off for the win. Samantha Wallace-Joseph was awarded the Kissimmee Player of the Match after a brilliant performance saw her slot 34 goals and nine super shots, while Gabrielle Coffey shone in defence for the Birmingham side and Betsy Creak continued her impressive run in the shooting circle. After taking their maiden Netball Super League win against Nottingham Forest in Round 6, Panthers are forced to wait for another victory as they continue to challenge the top teams. Pulse push past Dragons League leaders London Pulse kept alive their unbeaten streak to make it seven wins from seven matches after downing LexisNexis Cardiff Dragons 67-52. The two teams entered the match at opposite ends of the table but Pulse were pushed all the way by Dragons in the opening quarter, only leading the bottom-placed side by four points after the opening quarter. By half time, the lead had extended but only just as Pulse entered the interval 32-25 up as Jacqui Newton and Elle McDonald put defensive pressure on the hosts' attach. The London-based side pulled away in the second half, led by Kissimmee Player of the Match Sophie Kelly after a superlative display saw her rain down seven Super Shots along with eight goals. The result sees Pulse move to 21 points at the summit of the standings, while Dragons remain without a win but have a game in hand on most of the table. Buy tickets for the Netball Super League at
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NSL Unwrapped: Thunder and Forest win big in Round 7
Nottingham Forest and Manchester Thunder clinched big wins in Round 7 of the Netball Super League. Loughborough Lightning beat Birmingham Panthers 72-68 whilst London Pulse downed LexisNexis Cardiff Dragons to make it seven wins from seven matches. Forest take the spoils over Rhinos Nottingham Forest moved within two points of the top four with a brilliant 74-60 win over NIC Leeds Rhinos in Round 7 of the Netball Super League. Rhinos came out stronger and took the first quarter 19-12, with Cassie Howard's defensive play wreaking havoc on the travelling side. But the hosts struggled to find consistency and soon fell away as their opposition closed the gap to just a two-point gap at the break. Falling into a comfortable rhythm and supported by Rolene Streutker's shooting skills during the Soft & Gentle Super Shot and Tash Pavelin's interceptions, Forest took the lead for the first time in the third quarter and continued to soar. Pavelin was eventually named Kissimmee Player of the Match with an impressive six gains, five interceptions and five deflections. Thunder take second in the table Manchester Thunder moved to second in the 2024 Netball Super League table with a 59-54 victory over London Mavericks. Both teams were made to work hard defensively in the early stages, with Razia Quashie causing problems in the circle for the home side who held a level 13-10 lead after the first quarter. Elmere van der Berg, second in the league for the Soft and Gentle Super Shot, continued dominating in the final stages of each quarter and extended Thunder's lead to 31-24 at the break. Starting with intent 👊🕴️ Nicola Smith means business as she wins the ball back to set @thundernetball on the attack with Elmeré van der Berg finishing the move!🖥 Catch the action on @BBCSport (UK) and NetballPass (international): — Netball Super League (@NetballSL) April 28, 2025 Mavericks came out for the second half with a new spark and played a patient game to sneak up on their hosts and close the gap two just two shots with 15 minutes to go. An all or nothing final quarter saw Thunder once again pull ahead again but it went down to the fire in a close match between the two sides, Thunder ultimately coming out on top. Lightning edge a close battle with Panthers Loughborough Lightning clinched a narrow 72-68 victory over Birmingham Panthers as East met West Midlands. Both sides came into the match off the back of Round 6 wins and Panthers channelled that energy at the Sir David Wallace Arena, coming out all guns blazing but were quickly caught by their hosts as a back-and-forth battle ensued. A high-scoring second quarter for both sides meant that there was just one shot in it at half-time, but the defending champions extended their lead after the break and expertly held their opposition off for the win. Samantha Wallace-Joseph was awarded the Kissimmee Player of the Match after a brilliant performance saw her slot 34 goals and nine super shots, while Gabrielle Coffey shone in defence for the Birmingham side and Betsy Creak continued her impressive run in the shooting circle. After taking their maiden Netball Super League win against Nottingham Forest in Round 6, Panthers are forced to wait for another victory as they continue to challenge the top teams. Pulse push past Dragons League leaders London Pulse kept alive their unbeaten streak to make it seven wins from seven matches after downing LexisNexis Cardiff Dragons 67-52. The two teams entered the match at opposite ends of the table but Pulse were pushed all the way by Dragons in the opening quarter, only leading the bottom-placed side by four points after the opening quarter. Seven games, seven wins 💯The season's a marathon, not a sprint - but @Pulse_Netball are setting the #NSL2025 pace early 👀📊 Check out the stats: — Netball Super League (@NetballSL) April 27, 2025 By half time, the lead had extended but only just as Pulse entered the interval 32-25 up as Jacqui Newton and Elle McDonald put defensive pressure on the hosts' attach. The London-based side pulled away in the second half, led by Kissimmee Player of the Match Sophie Kelly after a superlative display saw her rain down seven Super Shots along with eight goals. The result sees Pulse move to 21 points at the summit of the standings, while Dragons remain without a win but have a game in hand on most of the table.
