New teams, new rules, more money - Netball Super League's big relaunch

The Netball Super League has had a revamp. There are new teams, new rules, and a new venue for the Grand Final.

Plans to professionalise the division, the elite league in the UK, were announced in 2023. This will be the first campaign to put those plans in place.

Nottingham Forest and Birmingham Panthers are newcomers to the league. Four teams have dropped out.

Here's everything you need to know about the 2025 relaunched NSL.

Eight teams make up the revamped NSL with all teams playing each other twice - home and away - across the season.

The teams that finish in the top four qualify for the semi-finals, with those in first and second place securing a home semi-final. Winners of those matches then progress to the Grand Final.

For the first time, the Grand Final will be held at London's O2 Arena, on Sunday, 6 July 2025.

Loughborough Lightning are the defending champions after beating Manchester Thunder in last year's final and are targeting a record three titles in a row.

New rules have been introduced for 2025 to create closer competition and more thrilling matches.

The super shot has grabbed the most attention, with opinions split.

This new-to-NSL rule has been in place in Australia's Super Netball league since 2020 and was also initially met with scepticism there.

However, it promises to shake up games, potentially sparking thrilling comebacks or blowout wins.

England international Nat Metcalf, who played in Australia for New South Wales Swifts, has been won over.

"I wasn't a fan at the beginning, but then watching it you can't not love it," Metcalf told BBC Sport. "It is really exciting. It completely changes the game for a third of the game essentially."

Metcalf, 32, announced her pregnancy in November and will sit out the on-court action this season but plans to return to playing for Manchester Thunder.

She will be closely watching the two-point innovation and said: "When the super shot comes into the mix and you hear that horn go, it's not just about changing up structures, it's your mentality."

The relaunched NSL season begins on Friday, 14 March 2025.

One match from each round will be shown live on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app, beginning with London Pulse v Nottingham Forest on Sunday, 16 March at 17:00 GMT.

Fans will also be able to catch up on those matches on BBC iPlayer.

The other three matches in each round will be available to watch on Sky Sports.

Eight teams will compete in the 2025 Netball Super League:

The league has been reduced from 10 to eight teams and squads trimmed from 15 to 10 players to ensure a more even distribution of talent.

Team Bath, Severn Stars, Strathclyde Sirens and Surrey Storm were not selected to be part of the league, while Forest and Panthers are new additions.

The eight clubs were selected after an open tender process which started in October 2023.

Teams have committed to delivering certain standards, including an increase in player salaries and the ability to each host at least two games per season in a large arena.

Clubs were given an opportunity to bring in players during the signing window, which took place between Monday, 1 July and Friday, 23 August 2024.

The final squads were revealed on September 4 2024.

The inaugural Netball Super Cup - a one-day competition to tee up the new season - took place on Saturday, 8 March at Sheffield's Utilita Arena with all eight teams taking part.

London Pulse beat Leeds Rhinos 20-15 in the final to lift the trophy.

Each match lasted 14 minutes, rather than the usual 60, and it was a first opportunity to see the eight refreshed teams with the super shot.

Teams were split into groups of four and Manchester Thunder and Leeds Rhinos topped those standings.

Rhinos then beat Nottingham Forest in their semi-final while Thunder were pipped by Pulse.

The NSL launched in 2005 and 20 years later we are seeing a major push towards professionalisation.

Super League managing director Claire Nelson says the average player salary has increased by 60% for 2025, with the base salary doubled.

"We are at the start of a journey," Nelson told BBC Sport. "The quicker we grow the sport, the more we can reinvest into our people.

"We need more eyeballs on the screens and full arenas. I want to see tens of thousands of fans filling arenas and having a great time so people can see netball's full potential."

The reality is many players are still working or studying alongside their netball careers.

Manchester Thunder head coach Karen Greig told BBC Sport it is going to take "a long time to actually be professional".

Salary structures may differ from club to club. Greig explained that nine of the 10 players in her squad are covered by a salary cap, while the 10th sits outside of those regulations as the marquee player and is paid a minimum of £20,000 for the season.

Six of the other nine are paid £14,000-£19,999, said Greig, while the final three are paid £10,000-£13,999.

The league expects full professionalisation will take around 10 years.

Another addition for 2025 is the NXT Gen league. This is an under-23 feeder league where players who missed out on NSL contracts may be eligible to play.