Rhinos reveal squad for 2025 Netball Super League season

Leeds Rhinos Netball confirmed their 2025 Netball Super League squad with the help of sporting legends, Hollywood actors, sponsors and local media.

In a change to previous seasons and to mark the start of Netball Super League 2.0  all eight clubs announced their squads on the same day.  Leeds Rhinos revealed their squad in locations around the city of Leeds, including the first direct Arena which will host some of the team’s games in 2025 and sponsors Bartercard, Moda, NIC FM Services and First Bus.

Leeds Rhinos and England Rugby League legend Kevin Sinfield CBE features in the announcement video reveal as well as Harry Potter star and Leeds-born actor Matthew Lewis.  There was also a cameo from one of the team’s new players, Bethany Brittain who got the chance to join in a Leeds Rhinos Rugby League session.

It has been a busy off season for the Leeds Rhinos coaching staff led by Rhinos Director of Netball, Liana Leota, who welcomes back four players and six new recruits for 2025. For the new phase of Netball Super League, each squad is now restricted to ten contracted players, down from 15, including training partners, from the previous four years.

Netball legend and Commonwealth gold medal winner Geva Mentor CBE returns for a second season along with last year’s top goal scorer, Malawi international Joyce Mvula.  Young Future Roses star Harriet Jones, who had an impressive debut season is back for year two looking to continue the partnership she formed with Mvula in 2024.  Fans’ Player of the Year, Cassie Howard, who had a breakout year after making the step up from training partner last season has committed her future to the club for 2025.

Sophie Egbaran, who can play goal attack and goal shooter, joins the Rhinos after impressing with Mavericks last season. The former Loughborough and Wasps Pathway player has worked with Leota in the Future Roses set up and she represented her country in the Commonwealth Youth Games in 2023.

Sheffield-born mid court player Rosie Harris makes a welcome return to the Rhinos for a third time.  Harris, who started her career with Yorkshire Jets, was part of the first ever Rhinos squad in 2021 and has re-signed for 2025 after playing for Surrey Storm last season.

Ashleigh Dekker and Bethany Brittain complete the mid-court for the Rhinos.  Dekker played four seasons for London Pulse before joining Severn Stars last season and was part of the 2023-24 Future Roses programme.  Brittain made her Super League debut in 2019 and has played for Wasps, Strathclyde Sirens and last year was an almost ever present for Surrey Storm where she featured alongside Rosie Harris.

In defence, Ella Bowen has made the switch from Manchester Thunder and Jess Haynes joins the club after two impressive seasons for Severn Stars.  Bowen earned her Super League debut with Loughborough in 2022 after a stand-out season for the Lightning U19s.  She played in her first senior Vitality Roses game in the overseas tour for the Taini Jamison Trophy in 2023. Haynes started her career with Loughborough Lightning before joining Severn Stars in 2023.  She was a regular for Stars last season and helped them to their best finish with a place in the semi-final against Manchester Thunder.

Speaking about her squad Leota said: “We have a big year coming up in our sport and it’s great to see all the hype and interest around the squad announcements.  I think we have got a great squad for 2025, with two of the most respected and experienced players in Geva Mentor and Joyce Mvula returning, along with some very talented young players with lots of potential.

“What I am very excited about is our midcourt players.  We have real versatility and depth between all four. They are the engine room and are the ones that are going to go and go and it’s good that all four can transition between two positions which makes them extremely valuable now we are going down to ten players. 

“I think the shooters with having Sophie and Harriet as goal attack and shooter options is exciting.  Again we are trying to make sure we are covering our bases, but for Sophie and Harriet to both be Future Roses and potential England U21 representatives next year is going to help them build a relationship. The fact they can interchange in that goal attack position is going to be huge.  How each of them play that role differently will change our game. 

“Obviously bringing Joyce back was a no brainer, on any given day we just need to give her the ball and she will put it away.  Her son will be coming over with her this year and hopefully that makes the move so much easier and we may see another level up for her. 

“In the defence, especially Jess and Ella having that hustle, the grind and that tag team defence that will never give up added to the middies I think that there will be a lot of ball that we are able to turn over.

“As always you have to have that missing piece  X-factor of a leader and Geva Mentor is that.  The way she communicates with the girls and the way she makes them involved in decisions meant she got the best out of our team. We certainly saw the benefit of that towards the end of last season.

“I am very excited by how dynamic and versatile our group is. With squads now down to just ten players, you have to think about cover across all positions. We are going to be a team that works hard and does things really well, so and I am looking forward to what 2025 offers and the start of 2.0.“