photo taken from @jlf_visuals on instagram
Ahead of the revamp in 2025, England Netball and Netball Super League 2.0 introduced the new U23 league, NXT Gen. This replaced the old U21 NPL League where emerging talents broke through with the NXT Gen consisting of nine teams, all of the Netball Super League sides and the addition of Team Bath. The 2025 competition was a tight one with Loughborough Lightning being champions.
The competition starts tomorrow (23rd January) prior to the new Super League season, with most teams playing the same side they would face in the league as they would in the NXT Gen. This essentially creates a “double header” sort of atmosphere with fans able to watch the game with their match ticket.
Last season, the Netball Super League player pool was reduced with 11 teams becoming 8 and 12 player squads becoming 10 which made it more of a struggle to get into the first team. The league allows players to continue to play under club settings but also will let them have a pathway towards the first team. 15 players are allowed in each side and four of the 15 can be older than 23, the players can also be called up as a temporary replacement into any of the eight NSL sides.
This season has introduced the Super Shot after its debut in the NSL during the 2025 season. For the last five minutes of each quarter, players who score from the zone will get two goal points instead of the usual one. There are also no draws so if a score is level at the end of play, it will continue until a team goes three points ahead with a win equalling three points and a loss having one point. If a game ends with five goals or less between them, there will be one extra point to the losing side.
Many of Team Bath’s players moved on since their removal from the league prior to the revamp but some stayed with the group and joined their NXTGen side. Current Co-Captain Ellie Ervine played for the side in the Netball Super League during her debut season in 2024 wearing the centre court positions. She was competing alongside her studies at University of Bath and stayed with the side while finishing her studies. She is a player to watch this campaign aiming to put the “gold” in blue and gold and using her NSL expertise to help her side improve from last season.
Some players play alongside university, have been in the NSL squads previously or even have played in the senior squads as temporary replacements. Some Players to watch across the league would be London Pulse’s Hannah Gibson, Team Bath’s Ellie Ervine, Manchester Thunder’s Shannon Mahlik, London Maverick’s Hannah Knightbridge and Loughborough Lightning’s Ellen Withington.
After coming through the ranks at Pulse, Hannah Gibson stays with the NXT Gen squad for another season becoming Vice Captain for this season. She was with the England Squad for the World Youth Cup in Gibraltar last year where they won bronze and the attacker looks to help her side this year in the league and even play in the senior side with her skills. She was also NXT Gen’s Player of the Season in the inaugural year.
Manchester Thunder’s Shannon Mahlik was performing alongside the senior squad last season and hopes her experience in the squad will help the thunder side this season. The shooter has been part of the pathway since she was 12 and proves to be a player to watch this season and hope her shooting skills will help her side.
Hannah Knightbridge made the move to London Mavericks this season after being with London Pulse in the past. The centre and wing attack performer was England’s captain in the Netball Youth Cup and after her season with London Pulse in the NXT Gen last year, she is a player to watch helping the movement across the court from the centre pass to the shooting third.
Ellen Withington is a player to watch this season after moving from Birmingham Panthers to Loughborough Lightning for the 2026 campaign. During last season, she made her debut for the Panthers and helped her side when needed during injuries, eventually replacing Gabby Marshall towards the end of the season. She hopes to bring her midcourt expertise to her new side and bring her quick transitional skills between defence and attack.
The games are shown on englandnetball.tv with fans also able to watch the games when in attendance watching the senior side in the NSL. The website offers fans to watch the NXT Gen games as well as the younger players in action such as the PL1 and NPL. Users can pay between £49.99 to £69.99 for a yearly pass depending on the leagues and single tickets cost £5.99 per match with the ticket valid for 2 days after.