Netball Super League | New Managing Director appointed for the Netball Super League

Claire Nelson has been named as the first-ever Managing Director of the Netball Super League (NSL) to help drive the journey towards professionalisation.

Currently the Group Chief Executive Officer for Netball Scotland and NSL Club Strathclyde Sirens, Claire joins with 15 years’ experience working across the sports and marketing sectors.

She has been instrumental in transforming netball in Scotland, setting new standards for the sport and delivering industry-leading results.

Specialising in commercial strategy, brand, marketing, and partnership acquisition and activation, her remit as the NSL’s first-ever Managing Director will see her work closely with the NSL clubs to strategically leverage the status and reputation of the domestic league, and take it to new heights of visibility and influence.

It has also been announced that Mark Foster will join England Netball as the new Chief Commercial Officer. The former Chief Commercial Officer for the Rugby Football league comes with over 15 years’ experience in commercial, marketing, digital and broadcast leadership within elite sport and will be responsible for driving revenue and audience growth across England Netball and Netball Super League properties through the building and fostering of authentic partnerships.

Speaking on the appointments, Chief Executive of England Netball Fran Connolly said: “I’m delighted that Claire and Mark will be joining us in these critically important roles as we look ahead to an exciting period for the sport.

“They are both highly respected leaders in their fields and will bring a wealth of experience that will help us to realise our ambitions around professionalising the game whilst also supporting us in delivering the vision that we set out in our Adventure Strategy.

“Working closely together, they will look to transform their respected areas to ensure that we are perfectly placed to capitalise on the unprecedented, and continued growth within women’s sport.

“I very much look forward to working more closely with Claire who is already an extremely influential figure within our sport, and to welcoming Mark who has exceptional pedigree from the world of commercial sport to netball.”

Speaking about their new role, Claire Nelson commented: “I am both thrilled and honoured to be appointed as the new Managing Director for the Netball Super League.

“The opportunity to lead the professionalisation of netball at a time when women’s sport is on a significant growth trajectory is one that I am ready to seize with both hands as we unleash our full power and potential on and off the court.

“I have a strong vision for the future of our sport and am committed to ensuring that we build not only the best elite netball league in the world but also the most inspiring, impactful and engaging women’s sports brand in the UK.

“I am looking forward to getting started and to working with our amazing Netball Family as we embark on this exciting new journey in our sport.”

Mark Foster added: “I am excited to be joining England Netball at such an exciting time. Sport has the power to change lives and women’s sport is growing rapidly.

“I have watched with admiration the development of Netball and have always appreciated the athleticism and approachability of the players. The launch of NETBALLHer, the Netball World Cup and the aim to fully professionalise the sport are all huge opportunities.

“In a busy world, sport needs to be entertaining and relevant – we need to offer amazing experiences. I am really looking forward to working with the team at England Netball to ensure we are passionate, innovative and creative and I hope to use my experience from senior commercial and marketing roles in elite sport to help Netball achieve the growth it desires and deserves.”

Mark will join England Netball in May, with Claire joining shortly after, upon conclusion of the current NSL season at the beginning of June.