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Leeds Rhinos Netball gets inaugural Superleague boost thanks to Leeds Beckett partnership
Leeds Beckett University has given the Leeds Rhinos Netball first team squad the perfect preparation ahead of its first ever season in the Vitality Netball Superleague.
Thanks to a long-standing partnership between Leeds Rhinos and the university, players have had extensive use of the new state-of-the-art Carnegie School of Sport facilities to ensure they are in the best possible shape for their first game of the season against Celtic Dragons tomorrow.
Leeds Rhinos Netball was established in 2017 and the Carnegie School of Sport at Leeds Beckett University has been working with the team ever since to support the growth of netball and wider women’s sport across all ages and communities.
The partnership with Leeds Beckett University allows all Leeds Rhinos Netball squads to benefit from the Carnegie School of Sport’s expertise, with staff and PhD students from the university working within the organisation to provide support to maximise their performance.
The sport science support for the Superleague squad is led by Dr Sarah Whitehead who is a lecturer in Sport and Exercise Physiology, and Head of Athletic Performance and development at Leeds Rhinos Netball. Superleague players are also supported by Sarah Chantler, providing nutrition support, and PhD students Cameron Owen, Ross Shand and Anthony Clark, who are providing strength and conditioning, sport psychology and sports science support.
Dr Whitehead said: “Having worked with Leeds Rhinos Netball since it was established in 2017 it has been fantastic to see the club grow. Thanks to the partnership with Leeds Beckett, we are able to provide a high-performance training environment to support the players on their journey in the first season in Superleague.
“Pleasingly, the support provided to all the teams at Leeds Rhinos Netball through our partnership also filters into the wider netball community, with Carnegie School of Sport staff working closely with performance and medical staff from England Netball on a number of research projects. This demonstrates how Leeds Beckett and Leeds Rhinos Netball are supporting the development of netball at both elite and community level.”
Several of Leeds Beckett’s undergraduates and alumni play for the Under 21s team, with Brie Grierson and Brittany Coleman contracted to the Superleague squad.
For further information on the partnership between Leeds Beckett University and Leeds Rhinos Netball visit our partnerships pages.