Latest news with #LoughboroughLightning
BBC News
37 minutes ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Pulse edge out Lightning to reach Grand Final
London Pulse booked their place in the Netball Super League Grand Final with a thrilling 50-49 win over Loughborough who secured top spot at the end of the Netball Super League regular season, ahead of Lightning, had trailed 29-21 at the third quarter saw Pulse seize the upper hand as they battled back into the contest at the Copper quick turnovers from captain Zara Everitt allowed Pulse to chip away at Lightning's Tchine's clinical scoring helped Pulse draw level before she put them in the lead towards the end of the third then held her nerve in the circle with a trio of decisive super shots in the final five Wallace-Joseph scored a super shot at the death but it was not enough to prevent Pulse taking victory and booking their place in the Grand Final on 6 July. 'Grit and determination' Player of the match, Pulse's Olivia Tchine: "I don't think it has sunk in yet but we had to work hard for that. We didn't have the best start - I don't know why. The fact we were still able to come out and grind showed we really wanted this."We haven't been a grand final for two years so it feels good to be back. We came into the changing room and it was like 'do we want this or not' and we came out to show it. In order for us to compete with the big teams we had to show we wanted it."Pulse director of netball, Sam Bird: "I am buzzing after that terrible start we had. I am really proud of the players for the grit and determination to pull it back."By half-time we knew the tide had turned. Defensively we were like a brick wall and it's such a big agile box which is difficult for any team to break through. We'll give our best against whoever we play next."Lightning head coach Vic Burgess: "I thought we had a good start but the third quarter we were hesitant in our plan and made errors."We had opportunities and didn't take them. We have another crack again next week in the preliminary final. We need to keep being consistent and execute things in attack and defence."There's lots positives and it was down to very small margins tonight. It could have gone either way, so we have to make sure our intensity is high and having that belief." Thunder cruise into preliminary final Manchester Thunder eased to a 79-49 victory over London Mavericks to secure a meeting with Lightning in next weekend's preliminary attack Elmere van der Berg led the way in a dominant display for Thunder with 46 goals while goal shooter Paige Reed weighed in with had led 24-13 at the end of the first quarter and never looked back despite the best efforts of Emily Andrew, who finished with 17 goals for the preliminary final will take place on the weekend of 29 June with the victors heading into the Grand Final to face Pulse on 6 July.
BBC News
14 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Scotland captain Malcolm joins Trailfinders Women
Trailfinders Women have signed Scotland captain Rachel 34-year-old flanker has 56 international caps and has scored three tries for her made her Scotland debut in 2016 and took on the captaincy in joins Trailfinders having recently left Loughborough Lightning, where she made 67 appearances, and will link up with Scotland team-mate Francesca McGhie, who joined from Leicester earlier this month."I'm super excited for a new experience down in London. This move had to be right for me as a person as well as a rugby player," Malcolm told the club's website, external. "I wanted to go somewhere where I can challenge myself and strive to be the best player I can be."The exciting group of players that have been put together is one I'm excited to learn from, and hopefully one that I can add too as well."The club has not disclosed the length of Malcolm's contract.
South Wales Argus
a day ago
- Sport
- South Wales Argus
Amy Carter: Mavericks will have point to prove against Thunder
Thunder registered a 67-45 victory over Mavericks at OVO Arena Wembley in Round 14 to ensure a home semi-final with a Preliminary Final clash against Loughborough Lightning or London Pulse on the line for the winners. For third-placed Thunder, it presents the unusual scenario of consecutive matches against their fourth-placed foes in a tactical conundrum for the two sides. But Carter is expecting a refreshed Mavericks side from the one they beat a 22-goal margin just a week ago. 'It will be a different ball game to the result that we played last week so I think they've got a lot to prove,' she said. 'They'll have learned and they'll have taken notes from that and you can't ever underestimate a team just because you played well against them the previous time. 'They can change things up, they can learn a lot, they can put new combinations out but we've also done our homework so it'll be exciting to see them again.' For Thunder, who fell to defeat in the Grand Final last year, losing 70-54 to Loughborough Lightning, that homework has provided an opportunity to fine tune a game plan that has already proved successful this season. The Manchester outfit finished just one point off last year's champions Lightning with London Pulse five points further clear at the top. 'We're just building it back up and taking bits from here and there and amalgamating it into one game plan that covers everything,' explained Carter. 'Things that might not have worked from our game plan last week we might need to change but things that really worked we might want to do a bit more of. 'This week in training we'll do certain setups to emulate what Mavericks did at the weekend and we'll play our team against that and see what different setups we can do and to come back the best.' For both sides in the minor semi-final, the season has been far from straightforward. Mavericks suffered a number of injuries and absences in their attacking third, losing key attackers Paige Reed and Lois Pearson to injury and receiving the happier news of Nat Metcalf's pregnancy. It means Reed is still finding her feet on the netball court after returning from injury, but she feels the run of fixtures ahead of a hopeful Grand Final appearance that the minor semi-final provides can work in her favour. 'Coming back after being out for so long, naturally I'm feeling a bit unsettled, a bit nervous,' she admitted. 'But it helps that I've just been completely surrounded with Manchester Thunder the whole way. 'I feel like my transition has been seamless, but it's me personally just finding my feet again. 'It's so different running in a straight line than it is to be on court where you've got all these other factors that you've got to think about rather than just running in a straight line.' And while the minor semi-final will also provide a taste of how knockout netball feels as Thunder hope to progress further, for Reed that is a pressure the four-time winners have put on themselves all season. 'We're in a really good position where we're able to play more games, feel that pressure and understand what it takes to get over that line,' she said. 'We've been doing that all season anyway. We've been putting that on ourselves. We want to win and we want to keep pushing on. 'We've been striving for this the whole time and we've already prepped what the season would look like.' To keep up with the latest news, make sure to follow the @NetballSL on X, Instagram and TikTok, Netball Super League on Facebook and LinkedIn, and subscribe to our newsletter. The NSL Grand Final will be held at The O2 on 6 July for the first time ever. Get your tickets to experience live elite netball!
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Sam Bird: Pulse excited for the big stage
By James Reid Sam Bird believes her London Pulse side are ready to embrace the big stage ahead of their major semi-final against Loughborough Lightning. Pulse finished top of the regular season table and come into Friday's clash at the Copper Box full of confidence off the back of four straight wins. Advertisement Their last defeat came at the hands of Lightning, who have proved Pulse's nemesis in recent seasons. Pulse's last three campaigns have ended at the hands of Lightning, including defeat in the 2023 Grand Final at the Copper Box. But Bird believes her young squad have matured immeasurably since then and are now relishing the big matches. 'They are so desperate to show what they can do,' said Bird. 'It has gone from being nervous on that big stage to thriving on it. There's no arrogance, there's no complacency but it's an excitement to be involved in these games now opposed to being a bit scared.' London Pulse are coming off the back of four straight wins. (Ben Lumley) Confidence is the watchword for Bird and her Pulse side, who have turned the tears of two years ago into an unwavering determination to achieve a maiden Netball Super League title. Advertisement Twelve wins from their 14 matches this season, including a 77-51 demolition of Lightning away from home in March, has certainly helped. 'It does feel like we have momentum, and the squad is still developing and improving, we are still looking at growth at this point,' added Bird. 'The fact we have won the Super Cup and then league is a good confidence boost, and confidence is really important. 'We know this game is going to be tight on Friday, nobody is going to roll over, but we have confidence to know we can win and that really important going into the game.' The season has not been without its hitches either; a seven-game unbeaten start to the season came to a shuddering halt at the hands of Nottingham Forest in early May before Lightning won at the Copper Box two weeks later. Advertisement The response, however, was exactly what Bird and her side needed in order to go again heading into the post-season. 'There was no finger-pointing, there was a lot of personal accountability both from the coaches and from players,' she revealed. 'We really recognised it was small things that contributed to those losses, and we were still the same strong roster.' Pulse's response on the court, four wins in a row to end the season, earned them top spot and a home major semi-final, meaning victory on Friday will send them straight through to the Grand Final at the O2 Arena. Bird is hoping home comforts can make all the difference, after reflecting that her squad may have been overwhelmed by changes to their routine ahead of last season's semi-final defeat to Lightning. London Pulse finished top of the regular season standings. (Ben Lumley) 'It is really important to us to have this game at home,' said Bird. 'There is nothing better than playing at your home venue, an iconic venue like the Copper Box. It feels like we have done everything we can to put ourselves in a good position. Advertisement 'Everybody is in their own bed, everyone is familiar with the venue. All our support staff are there; we have extra resource there to look after us. '[The major semi-final] is all new, so none of us as coaches have been through this process, so it is a new test for us. 'It feels less stressful to be in the major semi-final than a traditional semi-final, as that is knockout netball. It changes the mindset a little bit. We obviously want to win this game and then have a bit of recovery to peak for the final. That's the ideal route. 'It doesn't feel as edgy as when we played Loughborough last year in the semi-final, having beaten them twice in the league and then lost and it was all over. Advertisement 'I genuinely feel like we couldn't have tried any harder this year, but just trying hard doesn't guarantee you anything.' To keep up with the latest news, make sure to follow the @NetballSL on X, Instagram and TikTok, Netball Super League on Facebook and LinkedIn, and subscribe to our newsletter. The NSL Grand Final will be held at The O2 on 6 July for the first time ever. Get your tickets to experience live elite netball!
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Title-chasing Lightning have 'target on our backs'
Vic Burgess' Lightning are aiming to become the first team in history to win three successive titles [Getty Images] Loughborough Lightning head coach Vic Burgess says her side have had a "target on their backs" all season as they aim for a historic third consecutive Netball Super League title. Lightning visit London Pulse in the major play-off semi-final on Friday (20:00 BST) at Copper Box Arena, looking to seal a seventh Grand Final spot in eight seasons. Advertisement The defending, three-time champions are the only side to beat Pulse at the Copper Box this season and Burgess says Loughborough "will treat the game as our final". "We want to bank our space in that Grand Final as early as possible so we have to give it everything," Burgess told BBC Radio Leicester. Pulse and Lightning finished first and second respectively in the Super League table, with the winner of their 'major' semi-final progressing automatically to the Grand Final on 6 July. The loser still has a second chance to reach the showpiece game, hosting the winner of Friday's 'minor' semi-final between third-placed Manchester Thunder and fourth-placed London Mavericks the following weekend. Advertisement Burgess' side would become the first team in history to complete a 'three-peat' of Netball Super League titles should they reach the final and win. But Lightning head into the semi-final off the back of a loss at Birmingham Panthers, a team in their debut season in the league, on the final day of the regular campaign. "It has been a rollercoaster at times all season, there have been games we haven't been happy with but I hope that will drive us going forward," Burgess added. "Teams have turned up against us. It has meant we haven't been able to drop our guard. We do have that target on our back and we have [had] all season. Advertisement "But we are in this position because we worked hard to get here. It is a privilege to be back-to-back champions. The pressure is a privilege. We just have to give our best selves on Friday."
