The University of Hertfordshire’s netball team has beaten the top twelve university netball teams in the UK, to win the final of the national Cup Competition against Bath University which took place in Nottingham last week.
The competition, run by British University and Colleges Sport (BUCS), is the only time the top teams in the Northern and Southern Premier Leagues compete against each other. Hertfordshire beat Loughborough, renowned for their sporting success, in the semi-finals.
This is the first time that the University of Hertfordshire has won a BUCS National Championship. Head of University netball Mel Mansfield, who combines her coaching role with a Senior Lecturing role in Radiography, achieved history with an outstanding victory over the University of Bath, having also beat the University of Loughborough in the semi-final. Many student athletes who complete at this level also play in national teams. Team Captain Beth Sutherland will be representing Scotland in the forthcoming Commonwealth Games in Australia, whilst Goal Shooter Georgie Fisher is a full-time member of the England Netball squad.
'Our first national title is an incredible achievement and one of which we are all very proud'
David Connell, Director of Sport at the University of Hertfordshire, said: 'Our first national title is an incredible achievement and one of which we are all very proud. To beat netball teams from long-established sporting universities, like Loughborough and Bath, shows that our recently introduced strategy for Sport and Active Lifestyles, with a focus on 6 key performance sports, including netball, is already paying dividends.
'I am confident that this is the start of more national success in the coming years and that our team of very talented and dedicated staff and players will continue to go from strength to strength.'
'I am so proud to have led the University of Hertfordshire to their first national title'
Beth Sutherland, captain of the University of Hertfordshire’s netball team, said: 'I am so proud to have led the University of Hertfordshire to their first national title. The team performed superbly and to beat a team we had lost to twice this season on the biggest stage and under such pressure is incredibly rewarding.
'The BUCS final was a great build up to the Commonwealth Games and I am so excited to get out to the Gold Coast and compete for Team Scotland. It is a massive honour to be selected and an experience of a lifetime.'