NETBALL: WASPS director of netball Tamsin Greenway believes her side are almost ready for the Vitality Netball Superleague season – with over a month still yet to go.
The former England international was speaking after this weekend’s 52-37 pre-season win at West Midlands Superleague rivals Severn Stars, where Wasps came from behind in the second quarter to take control of the game.
Wasps Netball trailed 13-11 at the end of the first quarter, but the attacking prowess of Rachel Dunn, Natalie Haythonthwaite and Lucy Parize ensured they took control, particularly in the last two quarters with a 29 point haul.
“This match enabled us to pit ourselves against other Superleague opposition to see how much progress we’ve made, so we’re delighted with the result,” said Tamsin.
“I thought defensively we were solid, which gave us confidence in front of goal providing us with plenty of opportunities and we grew stronger as the game wore on.
“We’re not yet at full strength, and so it’s a really positive sign for us so early on in the season.
“The game provided us with an opportunity to look at different attacking combinations as well, and it was great to see young Lucy Parize chip in with some points alongside some of the more experienced girls we have in Rachel and Natalie.”
The match was played out in front of a sell-out crowd at the Walsall Sports Centre, where Wasps Netball will return for their final pre-season friendly against England Nets on February 11 (7.15pm centre-pass).
Tamsin added: “We attracted 5,000 fans for our previous pre-season game versus the England Under 21s in the Ericsson Indoor Arena, so to see sell-out crowds for pre-season matches goes to show how popular netball is becoming in the Midlands, and all of the girls can’t wait to get started.
Tickets for Wasps Netball’s final pre-season friendly against England Nets start from £5 and are available at waspsnetball.co.uk
Fans can also purchase tickets for Wasps Netball’s first Superleague home game against Hertfordshire Mavericks on March 5 (6pm centre-pass), starting from £10 while under 10s go free.
