Netball Super League | Huckle joins Manchester Thunder as Wasps Training Partner

Huckle will rejoin Wasps teammate Iona Christian who made the move to Manchester Thunder this summer

Manchester Thunder have announced the arrival of former Wasps captain Josie Huckle as a Wasps Additional Training Partner for the 2023 season.

The 31-year-old had been with Wasps since its inception in 2016 and will now join the reigning champions Thunder following the Coventry side’s departure from the league.

Huckle was a stalwart for Wasps as they finished ninth in the table in 2022 as the defender helped her side to the third-best defensive record in the league.

There will be a familiar face for Huckle at Thunder with Iona Christian having joined from Wasps in the initial signing window.

We have some exciting news to tell you all! 📢@waspsnetball Captain @josiehuckle has joined us a a Training Partner 🤩

Read more about her arrival here 👉https://t.co/lD60NgpcUC pic.twitter.com/kQSpp6Moju

— Manchester Thunder (@thundernetball) December 14, 2022

Manchester Thunder Head Coach, Karen Greig, said, “I’m really happy to have secured Josie as a training partner (TP) for the season.

“We were all devastated for the Wasps players when the franchise folded, so the fact we are able to sign Josie with the support of North West Netball is fantastic.

“She is a seasoned NSL player and will bring even more experience into our defence end. As we have shown in recent seasons, our TPs are vital to our success as a franchise and having not worked with Josie before I’m really looking forward to having her in our environment.”

Huckle will support the likes of Kerry Almond, Shadine van der Merwe and new defensive signing Ella Bowen as Thunder look to stretch the 23-game winning streak that saw them go undefeated en route to the 2022 title.

Huckle said, “I’m so grateful to Thunder for the opportunity to get back into an elite, high-performance environment, and train with some of the best that there are in our league.

“I can’t thank the England Netball North West region enough for their support in making this opportunity happen, and I can’t wait to meet Manchester Thunder fans at Belle Vue.”

Manchester Thunder begin their title defence against Celtic Dragons at the Season Opener in Nottingham on 11 February.

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