TWO of England’s most decorated netballers will go head-to-head in a tournament at the Ricoh Arena this weekend.
Wasps star Jade Clarke and Team Bath’s Serena Guthrie will meet as part of a Tri Tournament at the Ericsson Indoor Arena on Saturday.
Three teams will compete in the pre-season showcase, with Bath, Wasps and Vitality Superleague newcomers London Pulse battling it out on the day.
The packed afternoon of action will see the first centre-pass take place at 3pm, with the final game underway at 5.45pm.
Clarke is used to lining up alongside Guthrie in an England dress, but this will be the first time the duo have played against each other since their time playing in the Australian Suncorp Super League.
They have both been named in the Roses squad for a three-match series against Uganda next month, with Guthrie as captain and Clarke as vice-captain.
The squad also features Wasps’ Rachel Dunn and Bath’s Eboni Usoro-Brown, who are both expected to be in action at the Ricoh Arena Tri-Tournament.
Clarke says she is looking forward to testing herself against one of the world’s best mid-court players.
“We have always had good battles over the years and we love coming up against each other,” she said.
“Serena is one of my best friends and I think you always go harder when you play against your friends.
“She is one of the best in the world in her position and it will be good to test myself against her.
“It’s great for the league that players like Serena are coming back to play in the Superleague which is going from strength to strength.”
It will be the first time netball fans will get the chance to see London Pulse’s Superleague side take to the court after announcing their squad for the 2019 season only last week.
The tournament will also be Wasps’ first outing since lifting the British Fast5 All-Stars title last month.
Clarke added: “We’re very interested to see what London Pulse will bring.
“Their squad has a real mix of quality and I think they will be a dark horse in the upcoming season.
“I’m really excited to be back out there in a Wasps dress.
“We haven’t got long until the new season starts and pre-season tests like this are really important.
“All three teams will be looking to prove themselves on Saturday and it will be a great showcase of netball.”
Wasps Netball season tickets for the 2019 Vitality Superleague campaign are on sale now exclusively to 2018 season ticket holders, with season tickets on general sale on Saturday.
Tickets for the Tri Tournament on Saturday start from £20 for adults and £10 for juniors and can be purchased from www.waspsnetball.co.uk.
