ON the final day the Vitality Netball Superleague (VNSL) signing window, Severn Stars revealed their list of players who will be representing them in 2021. The core of the squad remains very similar to Melissa Bessell’s inaugural 2020 team, with only a few minor changes in the side. Draft Central spoke to Bessell about the complications of the signing process this year, and how she hopes her strong team culture will translate into success next season.

After such a long signing period, and a huge amount of excitement surrounding the new squads for all the eleven VNSL franchises, almost all clubs have now revealed who will be wearing their team colours next season. The only exception is Team Bath, who have been granted an extension due to “ongoing discussions around player contracts” and hope to announce in the coming days. It is unclear whether this is in relation to the ankle injury sustained by Serena Guthrie during the Roses second test against New Zealand, or regarding another player in the squad. 

Stars were one of the final teams to announce their lineup and Bessell mentioned how the complications surround the pandemic have impacted the signing process for her side.

“This year has been a little bit more difficult with contracts in terms of COVID-19. There’s a lot more that has to be added to the contracts medical wise and just making sure that from the sporting professional side of things, everyone is okay. That’s been our biggest hurdle at the moment.”

The side have so far retained eight of their ten players from last season, and are hoping to build on the performances from the opening rounds. In 2020, speedy Kiwi midcourter Liana Leota made the switch to Stars from Manchester Thunder and will captain the side in 2021. Her vice-captain is Welsh international Nia Jones, who brings an enormous amount of energy and leadership to the side. Other returning players include Georgia Rowe, who has been making an impact in the goal shooter position for several seasons at VNSL level, along with another fellow Welsh player in Bethan Dyke. Partnering with Rowe in the shooting circle will be crafty goal attack Paige Reed and long-range shooting specialist Lucy Herdman, who impressed fans at the 2019 British Fast 5’s competition. Versatile Lucy Harris is back for a fourth season at the franchise, and Jane Taylor also returns to the fold and will be hoping to be given even more opportunities to shine this season. Stars also announced the signing of Jamaican import Malysha Kelly, who will bolster the side defensively, and former England Roses captain Ama Agbeze is not set to return. Malawi Queen Towera Vinkhumbo has also not yet been named in the squad for this season, there is a slim chance she may snatch the final spot as Stars still have one more player to announce after the deadline. 

The discussion around imports in the league has been ongoing, and it is suspected that visa restrictions may be the reason behind several teams who will be announcing players after the deadline has passed.

“I think the league is definitely going to be a lot different this year, so even myself as a coach, I’m excited to see who has been re-signed and the excitement of any imports this year,” Bessell said. “On our side of the world, it’s going to be a lot difficult to attract import players, so from that point of view, it’s exciting to see who the teams have caught.”

Franchises are now almost all back in training, as the VNSL has been granted elite status in the UK – meaning the players are exempt from ongoing restrictions around playing netball indoors. Bessell has high hopes for next year and what her side can achieve.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m going out there to win this league this year, there are no two ways about it,” she said. “I finished on a high last year by winning against Wasps, and there is no way that COVID has changed my view on where I want to be.”

The Stars squad is brimming with potential, and under the guidance of Bessell last season, they developed their team connection and laid the groundwork for getting to know each other on and off the court. 

“Last year the culture was amazing, and I worked hard on ensuring it was something brand new and different,” Bessell said. “We challenged each other, we did some wacky stuff to push each other out of our comfort box, mentally and physically. I felt we really grew together as a team.”

Over the coming months, fans will hope to see snippets of the franchises in pre-season and warm-up matches to get an indicator of what we can expect in 2021. The extra time to gel should have benefitted this Stars squad, and it will be exciting to see the intensity they put out on the court and whether they can make a claim for top four next season.

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