Netball Unlocked Podcast

Chloe is back from her Australian adventure to join Paul for a bumper news episode.

The focus is the Constellation Cup, and what could prove a damaging series defeat for the Diamonds and head coach Stacey Marinkovich.

Chloe has the deep dive on some trends and patterns to emerge on the court, while we debate who shone, who didn't and what might come next. And await news that New Zealand are officially the best team in the world (even if we know that results show it!)

Aside from that, there is the latest from across the globe as we continue to talk Olympics. Off the back of our interview with World Netball CEO Lisa Pearce, news emerges from Australia that netball is edging ever closer to the biggest stage.

Debate rages around some rule changes in Super Netball - Holding Time, Centre Pass Heists and what chance a penalty shoot out?

Netball Australia Awards Night shows the NSL and England Netball how it should be done and a Liz Ellis medal prompts the question, how good can Georgie Horjus be!

A domestic league in New Zealand remains in limbo after a private investment competition was canned, but Netball NZ claim they have a plan after players voiced their disappointment and concerns.

And there's the latest from England as build up to the Horizon Series continues, a full strength Jamaica will provide an incredible challenge for the Roses.

There is also more change on the coaching front as Laura Malcolm and Chelsea Pitman beef up the Pathway staff.

We round up the a smattering of NSL news and get into up the final qualifier for the Netball World Cup as tickets going on sale for Sydney 2027.

World Netball CEO Lisa Pearce joins Paul and Chloe for an exclusive first interview since taking over at the top of the global game.

Unsurprisingly there is a lot to get through in an extended conversation that takes in all the talking points at a crucial time for netball.

Top of the agenda is Brisbane 2032. With netball trending hopefully towards an Olympics inclusion, what does the bid look like and where are we in the time frame for a decision that could shape the future of the sport - and what sort of impact could it have.

There is no doubt the Olympics verdict will play a part in how the netball calendar looks in the years ahead and Lisa discusses working with governing bodies across the globe to build a sport that can embrace the future.

There are also plenty of challenges to face, not least a netball calendar that maximises windows of opportunity.

With the World Cup announced for Manchester in 2031 and Sydney less than a year away we explore why Manchester was right, and why Sydney will have a new format, designed to bring more competitive matches to the very highest level.

But why the delay in a World Cup every two years? And what of the new biennial tournament we were told told to expect - we get into how that could look in the coming years.

And there's also time to discuss Lisa's journey that has brought her to World Netball, her ambitions for the sport and where she hopes to see the game in the years ahead.

Paul checks in with England camp after a monumental week for the Roses which included Anna Stembridge being confirmed as the permanent head coach until the end of the Netball World Cup in 2027.

On top of that we had the squad for the upcoming Horizon Series being announced.

If you haven't already, check out our emergency Roses pod for our thoughts on England's recruitment strategy, but here - with Chloe in Australia - Paul speaks to the staff and the players in Loughborough as the countdown to the Jamaica series begins.

If you think a trip to the other side of the world is going to stop Chloe, think again, we'll have her thoughts from Down Under on the Roses squad.

Then it's on to 20 minutes in the company of Anna Stembridge and new technical coach Tamsin Greenway. Both discuss their roles, the recruitment process and their plans for the next 10 months.

We have three of the players named in the squad with us, as we hear from Gracie Smith on her first Roses call, and a debut looming in November and December.

Alice Harvey and Alicia Scholes are back in the 13-player squad and discuss the training environment, their hopes of returning to the match day squad and the challenge Jamaica will present.

England have a head coach, after Anna Stembridge was named as Roses head coach through to Sydney 2027.

Chloe and Paul quickly convene to discuss the breaking news and what it means for the national side, with 10 months to go until the showpiece event.

Tamsin Greenway joins the coaching set up as Technical Coach, and Jo Harten retains her position as Technical Coach as the Roses look to bounce back from a fourth placed finish at the Commonwealth Games.

Paul and Chloe consider the process that has led us here, and what it means going forward with confirmation that recruitment for post Sydney 2027 will get underway in the Spring.

Two years on from the heartbreak of missing out the launch of netball 2.0 and the UK's journey to professionalisation, Project Phoenix has been launched in the South West with the ambition of bringing the Netball Super League back to the region.

After going public with their goals recently, we wanted to find out more about what they are up to, what they are doing and where they want to go.

Paul sits down with Emily Siddy, Franchise Manager for Project Phoenix and Netball Manager for Team Bath, to find out how combining the two roles is keeping her busy.

Emily talks us through how the events of a couple of years ago are the driving force for the project, and how the lessons learned will shape any prospective franchise in the years ahead.

Team Bath are backing the ambition, so we discuss how running a pathway and a NXTGen team has been crucial for the area and its athletes, but also the challenge that provides without an end goal for ambitious players.

We dive into the discussion on the process that goes into becoming a Super League franchise, with the goal of putting something in front of England Netball in 2027 - the journey promises to be a fascinating one.

Settle in, we've got a lot to get through, as it turns out a month is a long time in netball.

Chloe and Paul return to get stuck into a stack of news from around the world - and vow that the gap to the next pod won't be anywhere near as long.

Domestically we break down the 2027 Netball Super League fixtures, and take a closer look at double headers, arena games and more - but the huge news that dominates the chat is where NSL 2.0 finds itself after the departure of Managing Director Claire Nelson.

With England yet to make an announcement on the head coach, and the Roses finishing fourth at the Commonwealth Games, there is a whole heap of uncertainty around the game on these shores.

Before that, we start with news on the Netball World Cup returning to England, with Manchester awarded the 2031 tournament, but that also means changes to the stated ambition of a World Cup every two years from 2029, and a brand new biennial tournament.

We get the lowdown from inside the Northern Ireland camp on a nailbiting weekend in Glasgow as the Warriors pip Wales to join Scotland in qualifying for Sydney 2027 - what does that mean for the Feathers?

Sheonah Forbes, Warriors head coach, joins us to discuss what's in store for the next 12 months and what qualification means for the nation. In Africa, Namibia and Malawi also claimed World Cup places, while Uganda beat South Africa to win the Africa Netball Cup.

And we round things off by taking a look ahead to a fascinating Constellation Cup at the end of October, and where both Australia and New Zealand are at the moment after a gold for the Silver Ferns in Glasgow and a bronze for the Diamonds.

Paul and Chloe return to make sense of the conclusion of the signings window in the NSL, and a dramatic run of news from Australia as the Super Netball teams race to complete their rosters.

Before that, there’s a spin through the news, as Singapore and Hong Kong become the latest teams to book their place at the 2027 Netball World Cup, and Wales confirm Reinga Bloxham as their Interim Head Coach.

After, we dive into the final four teams to be confirmed in the Netball Super League and ask a few questions with all 10 teams announced.

Do Hannah Leighton and Hannah Gibson give Lightning enough of a refresh and are Dragons now serious contenders for the Top 4?

A total reboot (again) for Panthers and Rhinos has brought some new faces into the league but both franchises face the question as to whether they can make the leap to contenders.

We then shift focus to Australia as the Super Netball window finally opens, with controversy surrounding Kate Eddy who goes unsigned.

West Coast Fever shake up their attack end, Melbourne Vixens cause a stir but have they missed a trick, and new franchise Sirens make a big splash with Grace Nweke, who is replaced at Swifts by Mary Cholhok.

With only two England Roses across the Super Netball squads, and the flood of Sliver Ferns continuing we ask what it means for the World Cup.

There's a whole lot to dive into, including a busy few weeks which feature U15 franchise Academies at the School Games and on Sunday, August 30, the EMMNA UK National Finals, with tickets still available here.

A final shout out that if you haven’t already, please subscribe to our Spotify and YouTube feeds as they’ll be plenty more to come over the off season.

The netball world is rife with signing news, so in a change of pace, we’re bringing you our latest Big Interview with London Mavericks’ 2027 star import signing, Uneeq Palavi.

Currently unwinding from an industrious Commonwealth Games campaign, Chloe and Uneeq’s wide-ranging conversation begins with Glasgow 2026 and Tonga’s first-ever appearance in the netball tournament. 

Uneeq shares what it means to be part of that historic chapter, and more broadly, her journey with the Tala, which began in earnest after a prompt from her grandmother. 

Talk then turns to Uneeq’s netball origin story, which, somewhat unbelievably, she stresses that it began with a shy, uncoordinated 12-year-old backed with a little bit of basketball know-how.

Rising through the ranks and growing on the way, the Australian-born Tongan recalls the moment Brioney Akle gave her her Super Netball debut in 2024 in Sydney, and just what it meant to finally achieve a lifelong dream.

From the Swifts to the Melbourne Mavericks, Uneeq opens up on her time at the club and reveals the reason why, despite a historic season for the club, she decided to depart for the London Mavericks in the NSL.

Finally, Tamsin Greenway, haggis, fish & chips all feature before Uneeq gives her pitch to the listeners as to why they should follow her and her new team in 2027. 

Enjoy. 

Paul is back alongside a refreshed and recharged Chloe following an heroic stint in Glasgow. Paul offers his thoughts on the Commonwealth Games competition that shook the netball world order and we debate the wider implications.

With England beginning their search for a new head coach, via a LinkedIn post, we ask what the Roses might be looking for in the short and long term - and what they need.

There’s a long overdue dive into the NSL signings, as London Mavericks and London Pulse confirm their squads.

Pulse bring a legend out of retirement with the spectacular capture of Steph Fretwell, while it’s all change for Mavs who bring in five new faces (some familiar!).

Lightning confirm eight returning stars, and we speculate about who the two new faces could be, and Panthers begin their announcements as well.

It’s not only the UK where signings are underway, huge news from Australia as a CBA is agreed, but only for a one-year holding pattern, and the whispers are already suggesting an off-season of huge change.

All is not quite as rosy for Commonwealth gold medalists New Zealand as their domestic league (ANZ) faces huge questions, that could mean even more Silver Ferns on the move.

Plenty to get stuck into, it’s never dull!

Chloe and Lucy lead our final Glasgow-based episode to look back on two big medal games.

From New Zealand's triumphant 56-48 victory over history-makers Jamaica to Australia's 68-50 routing of England, we consider the moments where the games were won and lost and what the results mean for each team going forward.

In an Unlocked special, Chloe was able to interview England Netball Performance Director David Parsons straight after the bronze medal to further contextualise England's second fourth-place finish at a Commonwealth Games.

Then, finally, Lucy and Chloe get a bit emotional reflecting on the Games and have some big thank-yous to share, including to you, the listeners!