Netball Super League | Where to Watch: Round 2

After a spectacular Season Opener in Nottingham last weekend, round two of the Netball Super League (NSL) gets underway this week.

The Season Opener delivered two past top-four clashes, some impressive performances from young and established players alike and a thrilling draw to end the day.

This weekend there are five more games to be played, so read on to find out where to watch as Saracens Mavericks take on Leeds Rhinos and Loughborough Lightning host Team Bath, and how to keep up to date on all the other games across the weekend.

Saracens Mavericks v Leeds Rhinos – First Centre Pass at 17:00, Saturday 24 February

A sold-out Hertfordshire Sports Village plays host to this match up on Saturday where both teams will be hoping to secure their first victory of the season. Liana Leota said there was more to come from her Leeds Rhinos side after their round one loss to Severn Stars, and Saracens Mavericks will be ready to fight for a win after they drew in the final seconds of their match against the LexisNexis Cardiff Dragons at the Season Opener.

Saracens Mavericks player to watch: Vicki Oyesola is back with her hometown club this year at Saracens Mavericks and in this match, she takes on her old club Leeds Rhinos. Oyesola played the last three seasons at Rhinos, including playing in the club’s first ever NSL game. Mavericks’ thrilling round one draw saw Oyesola earn her spot in the top five across the league for gains, intercepts and deflections, so she is certainly one to watch in her first home game back with the Mavericks.

Leeds Rhinos player to watch: Caroline O’Hanlon made her 150^th NSL appearance in round one. She provides a steadying presence in the Leeds Rhinos mid-court and will have an essential role to play if Rhinos are to secure their first win of the season, providing the link through the mid-court between Rhinos’ star-studded bookends of Geva Mentor and Joyce Mvula.

Where can I watch?

You can watch on Sky Sports Youtube, the first centre pass is at 17:00. Click below to watch:

Loughborough Lightning v Team Bath – First Centre Pass at 18:30, Saturday 24 February

Reigning NSL champions Loughborough Lightning are excited to welcome fans back to the Sir David Wallace Arena for this match up against six-time NSL winners, Team Bath. With both teams riding high after victories at the Season Opener, who will be able to continue this winning streak into the second round of the season?

Loughborough Lightning player to watch: Bella Baylis entered Lightning’s round one game against Surrey Storm in a high-pressure moment after an injury to captain Nat Panagarry and she certainly made her mark. Picking up the Experience Kissimmee Player of the Match award and earning herself the centre bib in Tamsin Greenway’s Team of the Week, the young player will be looking forward to another opportunity to show the league what she can do this week.

Team Bath player to watch: Another stand out performance from a young player in round one also earnt Sophie Kelly the Experience Kissimmee Player of the Match award in Team Bath’s victory over Strathclyde Sirens, as well as her spot in Greenway’s Team of the Week. Kelly netted 31 goals in the round one match, putting her fourth in the league’s Top Scorer leader board, an impressive feat for a player in the goal attack position. If she can keep slotting the long-range shots, she will go a long way to helping Team Bath to victory in this game.

Where can I watch?

You can watch on BBC Sport and iPlayer, the first centre pass is at 18:30. Click here to watch.

The rest of the round

There are plenty more matchups to come across the round, with the LexisNexis Cardiff Dragons taking on Manchester Thunder at 19:00 on Friday 23 February. If she takes to court, this match will mark Dragons’ captain Nia Jones’ 100^th NSL appearance, and she is determined to bring a strong performance to fans at the sold-out House of Sport in Cardiff as Dragons take on four-time NSL winners, Manchester Thunder.

There is a local derby taking place at Surrey Sports Park, as Surrey Storm host local rivals London Pulse at 18:00 on Saturday 24 February. Both teams made the top four in NSL 2023, but both are hurting after a loss in the opening weekend of NSL 2024, who will come out on top?

Finally, Severn Stars welcome Strathclyde Sirens to Worcester University Arena at the same time, 18:00 on Saturday 24 February. Stars will be hoping to continue their winning ways after victory over Leeds Rhinos in round one, whereas Lesley MacDonald’s Strathclyde Sirens are ready to battle for their first win of the season after a close loss to Team Bath last weekend.

If you would like to go down to any of this weekend’s games, head over to our tickets page where you will find links to all of the team’s ticket pages.

If you can’t make it to the games, you can keep up to date with all the action with updates at half time and full time on the @NetballSL Twitter account. You can also see all the results from round two as they come in on our fixtures & results page.

To keep up with the latest news, make sure to follow the @NetballSL on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok, Netball Super League on Facebook and LinkedIn, and subscribe to our newsletter.

Photo credit: Getty Sport