Netball Super League | The biggest transfers of the previous signing window

Sigi Burger of London Pulse who joined from Surrey Storm in the last signing window.

The Vitality Netball Superleague signing window for 2021 officially opened this week and, if previous years are anything to go by, fans can expect excitement right until deadline day.

The signing window is an opportunity for teams to build their squads for the start of the new campaign in February 2021.

In the 2020 window, we saw dozens of retentions and imports from abroad. What really caught the eye, though, were the multiple transfers between our VNSL sides. To give you a taste of what you can look forward to, we’ve compiled a list of five of the biggest transfers from the 2020 window.

Liana Leota – Manchester Thunder to Severn Stars

Severn Stars produced one of the most sensational swoops of last year’s signing window when they announced Liana Leota would be playing at Worcester Arena in 2020.

Leota was viewed as one of the VNSL’s most consistent performers and was joining Stars after a stellar season for Manchester Thunder which resulted in her first Grand Final winners medal in 2019.

🗞️ It's official!

Hear from Liana Leota [@TeamLeota] as she makes the switch from @thundernetball to @SevernStars for #VNSL2020 👇 pic.twitter.com/dH0G1ihbrP

— Vitality Netball Superleague (@NetballSL) September 11, 2019

Also a Commonwealth Games champion with New Zealand, Leota’s transfer stole the headlines as she united with head coach Melissa Bessell once more.

The 34-year-old wing attack started all four matches in Stars’ difficult start to the short-lived 2020 campaign.

Sigrid Burger – Surrey Storm to London Pulse

Sigrid Burger was already an established name in the Superleague thanks to her shooting exploits with Surrey Storm from 2017 to 2019, winning the club’s Player of the Year award in her last season in Surrey.

The Vitality Netball World Cup 2019 star’s move to London Pulse caught much of the Netball Family’s attention.

📝 Sigi Burger has moved to London Pulse as the @NetballSL announce a line-up of players for #VNSL2020

— Sky Sports Netball (@SkyNetball) October 18, 2019

In their first season in the VNSL, Pulse finished bottom but Burger has since cited a fresh start and the opportunity to work under head coach Sam Bird as the major factors in her decision to move further south.

The South African’s decision proved justified almost immediately as her new side recorded three wins from three at the beginning of the 2020 campaign. Burger, a former VNSL Fans’ Player of the Season nominee, scored 124 goals and finished top for shot success at 97.64%.

Sam May – Wasps Netball to Loughborough Lightning

Another eye-catching transfer was Loughborough Lightning’s acquisition of talented defender Sam May from Midlands rivals Wasps Netball.

The former Saracens Mavericks star had played for Wasps for three years and won two Vitality Netball Superleague titles in the black and gold dress.

💬@maymay10 “Hopefully the fans are nice to me! This is a new journey & I’m a player that hopefully, people like to see play regardless of who they follow"

Yesterday we revealed that Sam May will make the switch to Lightning for the 2020 season!

Hear from Sam below ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/p6irAuZze0

— Loughborough Lightning Netball (@LboroLightning) September 11, 2019

Lightning, meanwhile, had just missed out on a third consecutive Grand Final in 2019 and in signing May were hoping to regain their place in the final in 2020.

The versatile defender started in all three of Lightning’s matches while contributing three intercepts, four deflections, and three turnovers.

Jodie Gibson – Severn Stars to Saracens Mavericks

Jodie Gibson joined Saracens Mavericks with a formidable reputation having become a stellar name thanks to her form for club and country.

Gibson became Severn Stars’ first-ever signing in 2017 having played for Loughborough Lightning and won medals for Manchester Thunder in the past.

So we are 2 players short of a full
@NetballSL squad, its time we sorted that out….🤩🤩

9️⃣ @_chloeessam a weapon in the shooting circle 🏐

🔟@Jodiegibsonx CWG Gold medalist 🥇a defensive machine

🖥 https://t.co/IaqsIWG5ej #BeAMaverick ❤️🖤 pic.twitter.com/MYnld7lHDP

— Saracens Mavericks (@SaracensMavs) September 30, 2019

The defender’s career highlight came as part of the Vitality Roses squad to win a historic gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Due to a serious knee injury which ruled her out of the Vitality Netball World Cup 2019, Gibson was unable to play for Mavericks in their three games of 2020 but the 27-year-old will be keen to show what she can do in 2021.

Iona Christian – Severn Stars to Wasps Netball

Another Vitality Rose, Iona Christian also left Severn Stars last year to pursue a new beginning with two-time champions Wasps Netball.

The offensive mid-courter came through the ranks at Manchester Thunder but made her name in the VNSL with Severn Stars, joining in 2017.

We are delighted to announce Fran Williams and Iona Christian as part of our squad for the 2020 season. Iona joins from Severn Stars whilst Fran signs up for her 4th season as a Wasp! #WeAreWasps pic.twitter.com/4Y1KuuHMI8

— Wasps Netball (@Wasps_Netball) September 14, 2019

Christian, with her speed and clean footwork, has become one of the most formidable players in the Superleague which is why Wasps signed the Roses Future for 2020.

Christian made her debut against Manchester Thunder at Season Opener and played in Wasps’ ensuing three fixtures.

We will be covering each 2021 signing in full on our website and are offering a comprehensive overview of 2021 squads on our Transfers page. Don’t miss out!

Make sure you’re following @NetballSL on Twitter and Instagram. You can also sign up for the VNSL Newsletter to stay up to date with news, tickets and transfers!