Roses legend targets club glory
England legend Serena Guthrie cannot wait to run out in front of the Team Bath Netball fans once again during 2022 after recommitting to the club she loves for the new Vitality Superleague season.
The superstar centre, who last month captained the Roses to a historic series win in New Zealand, last had chance to wear the famous Blue & Gold at the Team Bath Arena in May 2019 before taking time out of the sport during the curtailed 2020 season and playing at centralised venues this year.
The competition is reverting to home and away format for the 2022 campaign, which begins in February, and Guthrie cannot wait to get a vocal home crowd involved again as Haines Watts-sponsored Team Bath pursue a long-awaited sixth Superleague title.
She said: “It’s going to be a really exciting season, I think the league has strengthened once again during this signing window and it’s really cool to be a part of it. We have home and away fixtures again, fans in the stadiums and the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games around the corner – it’s going to be a great year.”
Guthrie was a key figure as Team Bath, who are also supported by Rengen, reached their first Grand Final since 2013 earlier this year. The trophy eluded them on this occasion but she is determined to build on that experience and push again in 2022.
“It was a big step for the club to get to the final as we hadn’t done that for a number of years,” said Guthrie, who won three titles during her first spell with Team Bath.
“This year it will be about building more consistent performances, asking more from our rising stars, getting those connections back and trying to go one further. We feel confident that we’re able to step up again and make it into another final.”
Guthrie is excited by the squad being put together, with Academy graduates Molly Hole and Lily Jones stepping up to the Superleague and Lily May-catling returning to the Blue & Gold from Australia.
“It’s great to have a couple of young girls coming through from the Academy pathway, it shows that it’s working,” said Guthrie, who began her own journey with Team Bath aged 13.”
As well as another Superleague campaign, 2022 will also bring the Birmingham Commonwealth Games and the opportunity for England to defend the gold medal they so famously won for the first time in 2018. Guthrie, who has more than 100 caps for her country, was part of that title-winning team four years ago and led the Roses to a 2-1 series win over World Champions New Zealand recently but is keen not to get carried away.
“It was great to get those wins in New Zealand, it was another historic moment and to be part of that was really cool,” she said. “It was a real team effort and we can take a lot of confidence from it but there is still a long way to go.”
Meanwhile, after an injury-curtailed 2021 season, Jess Shaw (inset)
says she is raring to go and eyeing a happier ending to the 2022 Vitality Superleague campaign after recommitting to Team Bath Netball. The England Futures player was in fantastic form for the Blue & Gold in the early stages of the 2021 season, producing a series of dynamic displays at wing-attack and centre.
Shaw, younger sister of fellow Team Bath wing-attack Rachel, is looking forward to playing at the Team Bath Arena again.
She said. “Even though we knew we had the fans right behind us last season, it’s always better when you can play in front of them especially the Team Bath fans with the noise they generate.”
Alongside Shaw, Tash Pavelin believes Team Bath Netball are ready to produce after the talented defender also recommitted to the club for another year. Pavelin, who plays goal-defence and wingdefence, said: “We’ve got a lot to build on from last season and a lot of unfinished business.”