NEW NETBALL UNIVERSE

semi-finals.
At the knock-out stage they met 2014 champions and their
Round 6 conquerors, Manchester Thunder. Led by Head
Coach Karen Greig, Thunder arrived at the semi-finals on
wave of acclaim after the franchise had been hit hard by the
exodus of several key players in summer 2016, Helen Housby
& Sara Bayman to name but two. But Wasps proved
a step too far for the North West contenders, winning
63-48 at the Barclaycard Arena with former
Thunder player, Natalie Haythornthwaite starring.
That left a clash of the titans, Grand Final
encounter with none other than Loughborough
Lightning, who went into the game with just one
loss across the entire season.
If semi-finals day provided us with a spectacle then
"Judgement Day" was even better! It was everything a
top-of-the-table clash should be. And with England
Netball and Sky Sports throwing
their full weight behind the
event, the encounter garnered
the kind of media
coverage that the sport is
going to need if it is to attract
the commercial partners
that will ultimately enable
netball to go to the next
level, and see the
UK compete with
the franchise model in Australia and New Zealand.
By the end of the first quarter it was pretty much neck and
neck, with the veteran combination of Greenway and Dunn
linking up well in the Wasps attack. In defence, the outstanding
Hannah Reid was at the forefront of the strategy
aimed at cutting off the supply-line to the dangerous
Proscovia, whilst mid-court whirlwind
Bongi Msomi was at the heart of everything.
It was an all-round team performance worthy
of champions, and deserving of glory. It also
sealed their remarkable "nothing to something"
journey... from nowhere to the pinnacle of franchise
netball in the UK in less than 12 months!
It's the stuff of legend, and us netball fans - to say
nothing of Wasps growing army of supporters -
are unlikely to forget it in a hurry!
But while many associated with the club deserve huge
praise, one person stands out... Tamsin Greenway!
She has been the driving force in the Wasps Netball engine
room. The coach, the leader, and now, the legend! Many
have played their part as already mentioned, but Tamsin has
been the hero, or rather the heroine, of this story.
When she was first approached about a move to the Ricoh,
Wasps knew what they wanted and what they’d be getting
with the England Roses legend. Passion, dedication, commitment,
desire, a ferocious will to win and someone with a
huge track record of success. It's an irresistible combination
that makes her a leader that others willingly follow, a “Netball
General” in every sense.
The players, the sponsors, the hype... Tamsin was right at
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