Hole confirmed in 2022 Blue & Gold squad
She is one of the most exciting prospects in English netball, can play at both ends of the court, is U21 captain for club and country – and now Molly Hole is also part of the Team Bath Netball Vitality Superleague squad for the 2022 season.
It continues an incredible rise through the ranks for the hugelytalented 18-year-old, who first started with the Haines Wattssponsored Blue & Gold at their regional hub in Dorset five years ago and has gone on to represent every age group.
As well as developing her skills with the Team Bath Netball pathway – first at Bryanston School and then the Wiltshire Academy Development Centre in Salisbury – and her club, Weston Park Blades, Hole has also been part of the England Roses Academy since 2018 and has been named as U21 captain for next month’s Netball Europe competition – an honour she had previously enjoyed with the U17s.
“It was a massive surprise to be named in the Superleague squad,” admitted Hole, who can play at both goal-keeper and goal-shooter.
“I didn’t know what I was going to be doing this year, whether to go to university, but I decided to have a gap year and was so excited to get a call from Anna [Stembridge] to say I was going to be in the Superleague squad. There are some nerves as I’m going to be playing with my idols but I’m super excited.
“I’ve been with Team Bath throughout my career. I first started in the hub when I was 13 and have worked my way up. I did two seasons with the U17s, then U19s for a year before captaining the U21s last season. That was really exciting, especially as I was two years younger than most of the players. Now I’m here doing Superleague.
“I think I bring versatility as I play both attack and defence. I can shoot but if they need a defender I’m very happy to go and intercept some balls and get some gains for the team.”
As someone who has already worn the captain’s armband for club and country, Hole is looking forward to learning from a host of experienced players at Team Bath, who are also backed by Rengen.
“We have some great leaders in the squad and that will help me develop my own leadership role,” she said. “Their work ethic is absolutely amazing as well, so hopefully I’ll be able to pick up some tips that I can take on board to develop my game.”
Hole is also excited at the prospect of playing in front of big crowds as Superleague returns to a home and away format for the 2022 season.
“I’ve been to a few Superleague games at the Team Bath Arena and the atmosphere has been amazing,” she said. “I’ve never played with a crowd before so I’m hoping, if I do get to play, that they boost my energy, levels and excitement, and that helps me get more turnovers or more ball to be able to shoot.”
Hole’s elevation to the senior squad continues a proud tradition of promoting and developing young talent at Team Bath. She joins experienced duo Kim Borger and Rachel Shaw among the first confirmed players in the 2022 Superleague squad.
Shaw is eyeing a trophy double as she goes into her ninth Vitality Superleague season with Team Bath.
As well as targeting the Superleague crown with the Haines Watts-sponsored Blue & Gold, the influential wing-attack is also coach of the University of Bath’s talented student squad who are returning to BUCS [British Universities & Colleges Sport] competition this week after a year out.
“This is my ninth season with Team Bath and I’m just as excited as the first season I stepped out in the Blue and Gold, I can’t wait to get going,” said England international Shaw, an instrumental figure in attack.
“It was great to get so close to the gold last season and we want to take the next step this year. We’re quite hard on ourselves here at Bath, we always want more which is what you have to do when you are striving to be the best in the league.
“There were a few little cracks which stopped us getting the gold medal but we’ll figure out what didn’t get us over the line, refine some things and really concentrate on those improvements.
“Some of the younger players will be a lot more confident taking the bibs this year too. Last season we started to show versatility with the different combinations we can put out and some developing players really started to come into their own.
“I can’t wait to see players like that stepping up again this season. It takes time for units to fully click but I think this year will be when we see the whole starting seven
flow.”
Full pre-season training begins this week for the Superleague players but the student squad that Shaw coaches have been hard at work for the past month ahead of their season opener against Cardiff Met at the Team Bath Sports Training Village last night.
“It’s excellent to have BUCS netball back,” said Shaw. “We have been fortunate enough to continue our netball at Superleague level but some of the girls have missed out on 18 months of matches.
“We have got a nice cohort of freshers, a lot of whom you will hopefully see in the Blue & Gold of Team Bath for the U19s and U21s. It’s an exciting young group and I’m really excited to see what I can do with this group.
“I want to win the BUCS and Superleague this year.”
Shaw is also excited for the return of Superleague matches to the Team Bath Arena, with the 2022 season reverting to a traditional home and away format after last season’s Covid- enforced centralised venue system.
“It’s great to have your home fans there supporting you and cheering you,” she said. “There are going to be a lot of tight games this season and the fans are our eighth player, walking out and hearing those cheers really gets you going.
“Interacting with the fans is one of the things we like the most.
“There are loads of girls who are striving to better their netball careers and dream of stepping out in Superleague, and it’s great to chat to them before and after games, show them what they can be and hopefully be their role models.”