Netball Super League | Rademan back in the NSL and ready to build on Severn Stars’ surprise season

Lefébre Rademan hopes to bounce back from a long injury layoff and help new club Severn Stars build on their unexpectedly successful previous season.

The South African international played for Cardiff Dragons, under their former name Celtic Dragons, in 2022 and had re-signed for the 2023 season, but never featured after sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. 

And she was named as reserve for the Proteas’ home World Cup in South Africa last July and August.

She said: “I was supposed to go back to the Dragons in 2023 but I had an ACL injury and the opportunity just arose for me to go to Stars. I’m really grateful for them and really happy to be with the Stars team.

“I’m so excited, I can’t wait for the games and for the league to start.”

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— Netball Super League (@NetballSL) February 15, 2024

Stars were one of the surprise teams in the Netball Super League last season, finishing sixth. It was a marked improvement from their 2022 season when they only won three games and finished bottom of the table. 

Rademan said: “I think because they did so well [last year], it’s really exciting to see what we can do this year.

“I know they’ve had lots of injuries and challenges last season so hopefully this year there will be fewer challenges!

“We’re also a team of 12 players who can start, finish, it doesn’t matter.”

One of those players is fellow South African international Sigi Burger, whom she’ll partner in the shooting circle. 

She said: “I’m so looking forward to that, Sigi is looking amazing. She’s really strong and she’s so motivating, and it’s so nice to have a fellow South African in the team as well. We speak a bit of Afrikaans now and then.

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“There’s a lot of South Africans in the league – I think there’s probably the most South Africans there’s been.

“It’s really exciting, great for us South African and Proteas players to come over and play in this elite league.

“It helps us improve our game, make our game better and be better for the Proteas – that’s also really important for us.

“I’d say the Super League is definitely a level higher than the league we have at home. It’s a bit more structured here, every weekend is so intense, every team is so competitive – it’s just better preparation here.

“So when we get together as Proteas, when we play international teams like England, New Zealand, Australia, we have more confidence because we play against so many other teams and types of players and defenders, so it improves our game even more.” 

The 27-year-old trained with locally-based Proteas players as part of her rehabilitation process and was fit enough to return to the squad at the World Cup last summer. 

It’s officially @NetballSL week and the countdown has begun with just 5 days to go🤩

Our superstar shooters are ready to take on the 2024 Netball Super League 💪#UpTheStars #NSL2024 #Netball #NetballSuperLeague #netballfamily pic.twitter.com/xe3iZ01VzN

— Severn Stars NSL (@SevernStars) February 12, 2024

She said: “That was a process that I definitely needed, it was tough. I had the best rehab people, I was so grateful to have them around me.

“It’s a big mental thing but I’m 100% now and I’m just looking forward to playing some good netball. 

“For me, it’s just about being smart, quick, fast, getting my shots in, having a never-say-die, never-giving-up attitude.”

She is emphatic about Stars’ title prospects, as the look to push into the top four for the first time in their history.

“We are [challenging],” she said. “We’re chasing, we want to be the top ones, we want to be top four.”

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