Team Bath is an English netball team based at the University of Bath. In 2005–06 they were both founder members and the inaugural champions of the Super League. They were Super League champions again in 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10 and 2013, and British Fast5 All-Stars Champions in 2021. In 2023, England Netball announced plans to relaunch the Netball Super League in 2025, with an aim to professionalise the league. During the tender process, the new operating standards for clubs made it unfeasible for Team Bath's senior team to participate in the league and it was disbanded after the 2024 season. The franchise was given a license to continue to deliver the southwest performance pathway on behalf of England Netball including a NXT Gen team.
The netball team is one of several sports teams based at the University of Bath that use the Team Bath brand name. Others include an association football team and a field hockey team.
The modern Team Bath netball team was formed during the late 1990s following the merger of several clubs and teams. These include Bath Netball Club, Bath Tigers and the Toucans Netball Club.[1][2] The Team Bath Toucans name is still used by Team Bath's National Premier League team.[3]
Between 2001 and 2005, Team Bath Force, together with five other franchises – Northern Flames, London Tornadoes, London Hurricanes, University of Birmingham Blaze and Northern Thunder – competed in the Super Cup.[4][5][6] In 2004, with a squad that included Sara Bayman, Rachel Dunn, Jess Garland, Tamsin Greenway and Geva Mentor, Team Bath won the Super Cup.[7][8][9][10] In the final they defeated Northern Thunder 49–43.[11] In 2005, with a squad that included Sara Bayman and Pamela Cookey, Team Bath also won the BUCS netball championship for the first time.[8][10]
In 2005 Team Bath were named as the South West England/West of England franchise in the new Netball Super League. Together with Brunel Hurricanes, Celtic Dragons, Leeds Carnegie, Galleria Mavericks, Northern Thunder, Loughborough Lightning and Team Northumbria, Team Bath were founder members of the league.[12] In 2005–06 with a squad that included Pamela Cookey, Rachel Dunn, Stacey Francis, Jess Garland, Tamsin Greenway and Geva Mentor, Team Bath won the inaugural Netball Super League title.[13][10][14] Team Bath won further Netball Super League titles in 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10 and 2013.[15][16][17][18] In 2023, England Netball announced plans to relaunch the Netball Superleague in 2025, with an aim to professionalise the league. During the tender process, the new operating standards for clubs made it unfeasible for Team Bath's senior team to participate in the league.[19] This was due to the lack of arena provision, which formed a core part of England Netball’s requirements and despite ongoing discussions with potential partners there were no arenas in the region that met the requirements at the time.[19] The team was disbanded after the 2024 season, however the franchise was given a license to continue to deliver the southwest performance pathway including a NXT Gen team.[20]
| Season | Winners | Score | Runners Up | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 [11][21] | Team Bath Force | 49–43 | Northern Thunder | Blackpool |
Between 2006 and 2009–10, Team Bath played in four out of five Netball Super League Grand Finals. They reached their first Grand Final for eight years in 2021.[22]
| Season | Winners | Score | Runners Up | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005–06[13] | Team Bath | 43–35 | Galleria Mavericks | Guildford Spectrum |
| 2006–07[15] | Team Bath | 53–45 | Galleria Mavericks | Guildford Spectrum |
| 2008–09[23][16] | Team Bath | 54–46 | Galleria Mavericks | Coventry Skydome |
| 2009–10[17] | Team Bath | 51–44 | Hertfordshire Mavericks | Trent FM Arena |
| 2013[18][24][25] | Team Bath | 62–56 | Celtic Dragons | University of Worcester Arena |
| 2021[22] | Loughborough Lightning | 49-32 | Team Bath | Copper Box Arena |
Team Bath played in the inaugural British Fast5 Netball All-Stars Championship final in 2017 [26][27] and won the competition for the first time in 2021.[28]
| Season | Winners | Score | Runners Up | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 [29][30][26] | Loughborough Lightning | 35–33 | Team Bath | The O2 Arena |
| 2021[28] | Team Bath | 23-17 | Saracens Mavericks | Copper Box Arena |
Team Bath play their home matches in the Team Bath Arena at the Sports Training Village on the University of Bath campus.[31][32][33]
| 2024 Team Bath roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Player profiles: Team website | Last updated: 12 September 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Coach | Years |
|---|---|
 Lyn Gunson[41][42] |
1999–2005 |
 Jan Crabtree [43][44] |
2005–2008 |
| Jess Thirlby[45][46] |
2008–2015 |
 Anna Stembridge[47][48][49] |
2015–2022 |
| Asha Francis |
2022–2024 |
| NXT Gen Coach | Years |
|---|---|
| Natalie Roddy & Anya Le Monnier |
2025- |
| Coach | Years |
|---|---|
| Lyn Gunson[41] |
2005–2008 |
| Jess Thirlby[45][46] |
2015–2019 |
| Jo Vann [50] |
2019–2021 |
| People |
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| Articles | ||
| Affiliations | ||
| Sport | ||
