Rayner running with the 'Mini Nat' tag in breakout Thunder season

Manchester Thunder’s Emma Rayner is proudly embracing the ‘Mini Nat Metcalf’ tag. 

The wing attack is enjoying a breakout season in the Netball Super League and has made the bib her own in the absence of Metcalf, who is expecting her first child. 

Rayner was a squad player for the 2022 title win before being a training partner for the past two seasons. 

But it is in 2025 as a part of Thunder’s 10 that the 22-year-old has really started to make a name for herself. 

“At the end of last year and this year, I have kind of been known as a ‘mini Nat’,” Rayner said. 

“I’ve seen that a few times, which I am going to take, and I am going to run with that for sure.

“I’ve been training in and around Nat for quite a few years and have been learning from the best in that sense.

“It is one of them where I am taking it with both hands, wanting to get every opportunity that I can get.

“I have worked so hard over the other years that it feels like it is right that it is my time to make my own little journey.” 

Prior to the announcement of Metcalf’s pregnancy, Rayner had already been named as part of the Thunder squad for the 2025 campaign, with Indya Masser drafted in as Metcalf’s replacement. 

And so far, Rayner has won the battle for the starting place over Masser and has shone, sending 102 feeds into the circle with three intercepts and deflections as she builds out her all-around game. 

She added: “For myself, I am quite a new player coming into the season for some people.  

“I was part of the squad in 2022, got bits of court time here and there but have not ever been able to establish myself as a player. 

Photo courtesy of Ben Lumley

“I do think I bring my own little flair to it. Everyone is saying at the moment how I can jump and things like that.  

“I said it to Nat last year on the bus home from the finals, I hope you don’t mind that I am known as 'Mini Nat’.  

“The first game of the season, our leadership squad did a little note for us, and mine just said, ‘It is time for you to make your own journey and establish yourself’.  

“It is really nice that my teammates are recognising that. I feel like I am just building with confidence each game that comes by in the season.” 

After an opening round defeat to Loughborough Lightning, Thunder have won their last four matches. 

Their winning streak faces its biggest challenge as they take on the undefeated London Pulse at the Copper Box Arena on Friday evening. 

For Rayner, a key to her and Thunder’s success will be that the partnerships in the attacking third and mid court continue to click. 

“This season has been about all that hard work I have done in other seasons; it is putting it into practice,” she explained. 

“The key thing is when I’ve been training partner, it is taking things in and moulding your own game.  

“With Elmeré [van der Berg] in the back, she always says at training ‘just put it in the air and I’ll get it’, so it is that trust that you start to build with Elmeré being there a couple of seasons.  

“And same again with Taylor [McKevitt] and Amy [Carter] and playing with Taylor at England as well, you build those connections. 

“I’ve been in and around it for a couple of years, and you know the Thunder way that comes with it. It is hard to be taught, you kind of just have it from being around it for so many years.”

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