Geva Mentor

Position: Goal Keeper
Date of Birth: 17.09.1984
NSL Debut: 2001
Previous Club: Team Bath, Adelaide Thunderbirds, Surrey Storm, Melbourne Vixens, Sunshine Coast Lightning, Collingwood Magpies

Geva Mentor CBE returns for a second season with the Rhinos.  The goal keeper, who has twice been named the World’s Best Netballer, captained the Rhinos last season after 16 seasons playing in the ANZ Championship and Suncorp Super Netball.

Mentor made her Vitality Roses debut in 2000 against New Zealand, aged just 16, and has never looked back, going on to represent her country in six Commonwealth Games and five World Cups.  She is on the verge of her sixth appearance in a World Cup as she gets set to play in the tournament for her country this month in South Africa.

The Bournemouth-born player began her career with Team Bath, before testing herself in Australia for the first time with Adelaide Thunderbirds where she played for three seasons.  She returned to the UK to play for Surrey Storm, but since 2010 she has been competing in Australia, firstly playing for the Melbourne Vixens for six seasons.

Here she was named in the All-Star team three times, became the first import to make 100 appearances and won the ANZ Championship in 2014.  In 2017 she signed for new franchise Sunshine Coast Lightning where she was named captain and led them to two Suncorp Super Netball titles.  For the last five years, she has played for Collingwood Magpies where she continued to receive acclaim and was named in the Team of the Year for the third time in 2020.

On the international scene, she won Commonwealth bronze in 2006 and 2010 and two world championship bronze medals, before winning gold in 2018 after beating Australia in an unforgettable Commonwealth Games final.  In 2015 she was voted the World’s Best Netballer and in 2017 won the accolade again. In 2018 she was awarded a CBE for her distinguished contribution to international netball.

From Liana: “I am grateful and excited for Geva returning.  Going into the second half of last season I really saw Geva hold her own and stamp her authority on the team.  She had huge presence and really got into shooters’ heads. I think what some may not have seen was that Geva’s leadership style and our ability to get the best out of the group and how she deals with people and how she has such a calming influence but can also get the job done. I know what she can offer and bring to the team. It’s about closing the loop and having that team feeling and making sure everyone feels valued and heard, which Geva does and is hugely valued by her teammates.”

Joyce Mvula

Position: Goal Shooter / Goal Attack
Date of Birth: 15.04.1994
NSL Debut: 2017
Previous Clubs: Manchester Thunder, Central Pulse
International: Malawi

Goal shooting superstar Joyce Mvula returns to the Rhinos in 2025 for her second season with the club.  The Malawian international was a Super League winner with Manchester Thunder in 2022 before signing for New Zealand side Central Pulse.

During her six years at Thunder, she established herself as one of the competition's best and most consistent shooters.  In her debut season with the Rhinos she scored 667 goals and was the fourth best in the competition.  She won the Players Player and Coaches Player of the year awards.

In 2019 she helped Manchester win the title, playing alongside current Rhinos coach Liana Leota.  She scored an incredible 699 goals in 2021 to see her team through to the semi-finals and the following year topped this with 774 goals in Thunders’ Championship winning campaign.

She made her international debut in 2010 and this year she played in her fourth World Cup for this year, where she was one of the stand out performers in the competition, having previously shone in 2014 tournament with 216 goals.

From Liana: “Joyce will be returning for a second season and I am looking forward to her establishing herself again after a fantastic season and seeing where she can build from last year.”

Harriet Jones

Position: Goal Attack, Goal Shooter
Date of Birth: 30.04.1994
NSL Debut: 2023
Previous Clubs: Manchester Thunder International: Future Roses

Young Future Roses star Harriet Jones had a breakthrough season for the Rhinos Netball in 2024 after joining from Manchester Thunder, making 18 appearances and scoring 171 goals.

She is part of the Future Roses programme where she has recently worked with Rhinos Director of Netball Liana Leota.  She started her playing career with Chester Netball Club whilst also getting selected for Manchester U15s.  She then played for Oldham Netball Club and has been part of the Manchester Thunder Pathway since she was 15.  She first represented her country when she was selected for the England U17s Roses Academy when she was still playing for Oldham U15s.

In 2022 she became a Training Partner for Thunder and last season made the step up to make her debut in the Netball Super League.

From Liana: “Harriet had an outstanding first season with the Rhinos and was a regular in our starting seven.  She is a strong shooter and can turn to the post.  Her partnership with Joyce that really cemented that goal attack position.  For someone so young she has a bright future.  She is part of the Future Roses programme and I’m looking to see how that experience of training with them and the demands coming there brings to her game for her second season.”

Sophie Egbaran

Position: Goal Attack / Goal Attack
Date of Birth: 04.01.2005
NSL Debut: 2024
Previous Clubs: Mavericks
International: Future Roses

Sophie Egbaran joins the Rhinos from Mavericks, having played at Loughborough Lightning after progressing through the Wasps pathway system and representing the franchise in the U17 and U19 age groups. 

In the 2023 Netball Performance League (NPL) season, she played for Central Warriors U21s and was awarded the prestigious Player of the Season award. Sophie featured in 35 of a possible 36 quarters in the NPL in 2023-24, averaging 10 goals per quarter across the season.? 

In 2023, Sophie travelled to Trinadad and Tobago to compete in the Commonwealth Youth Games for Team England, winning a bronze medal. 

Sophie was a member of the Roses Academy in 2023 and has been selected in the Future Roses programme for the first time for 2024-25. 

From Liana: “Sophie comes to us for her first season with the Rhinos.  She is someone I have worked with at Future Roses and is an exciting natural talent,  She oozes so much athleticism and I’m looking forward to seeing how she fits into our team.  She can shoot and is a natural all round player.  For someone so young it will be about seeing how she connects with Joyce and she plays in Future Roses with Harriet so they will be able to build the foundations for their big future together and see what that looks like.”

Cassie Howard

Position: Centre, Wing Attack, Wing Defence
Date of Birth: 12.12.2002
NSL Debut: 2023
Previous Club: London Pulse

Cassie Howard is a centre, who signed from London Pulse as a training partner ahead of the 2023 season and made a big impact in her first year to earn a place in the squad for 2024. 

In her second season, she showed her versatility and was a consistent performer and picked up the Fans Player of the Year award.

At Pulse she was part of the team that won the NPL U21 Championship this year.  In 2021 she was selected from the Roses Academy long squad.

From Liana: “I’m looking forward to seeing Cassie progress after her fantastic season.  She broke into our starting seven last season and really owned it.  I still think there is so much growth to come from her.  She has big shoes to fill her being so young in the midcourt there’s more in her tool box and I know she wants to achieve more.

Rosie Harris

Position: Centre, Wing Defence
Date of Birth: 09.05.1998
NSL Debut: 2019
Previous Club: Wasps, Strathclyde Sirens, Surrey Storm

Rosie Harris returns to the Rhinos for her third spell at the club, having been part of the very first Leeds squad in 2021.

The Sheffield born star, who was educated at The Grammar School at Leeds, can play at centre and wing defence

She played her early Netball with Linden and Leeds Athletic before joining the Yorkshire Jets.  While at University she played for Loughborough for three years and signed her first Superleague contract with Lightning in 2018.

After time out from the game due to a knee injury she switched her attention to triathlons, but she was drawn back the sport to join Leeds Rhinos.

She went on to make eight appearances in her first year.  An athletic and versatile player, she can cover Centre, Wing Attack and Wing Defence and also covered Goal Keeper in 2021.

Following another spell off the court, she was tempted back to the sport after attending the open trials run by the Rhinos and re-signed with her former club for the 2023 season.  After playing for Surrey Storm last season, Harris returns home looking to make her mark on her old club once again.

From Liana: “Rosie returns to us for a third time with the Rhinos.  Her athleticism and range and ability to turn over ball, which we saw last year when she played against us with Storm as well as with us the year before that.  It’s good to have more homegrown players in the Leeds Rhinos dress and it will be good to see what she bring in that centre/wing defence position.”

Bethany Brittain

Position: Centre, Wing Attack
Date of Birth: 09.05.1998
NSL Debut: 2019
Previous Club: Wasps, Strathclyde Sirens, Surrey Storm

Bethany Brittain joins the Rhinos for her first season after a year playing with Surrey Storm, having previously been part of their Pathway.

In 2023 the mid-courter played for Strathclyde Sirens, where last year she was co-captain and was an integral part of the club since joining ahead of the 2021 season. In 2023 she had the third highest feed in the league.

As a teenager Dix was also a part of the England Dodgeball team. She made her debut at the 2014 European Championships in Vienna, and went on to captain her country and to lift a World Cup.

From Liana: “Beth comes from Surrey Storm so she has a connection already with Rosie Harris.  We were looking for a wing attack that could dominate and lead in this space. She is a hard worker and has a confidence to let that ball go into the circle so it will be exciting to see how she links up with our shooters.”

Ashleigh Dekker

Position: Centre, Wing Attack
Date of Birth: 16.02.1999
NSL Debut: 2020
Previous Club: London Pulse and Severn Stars

Ashleigh Dekker is a new recruit for the Rhinos in 2025.  She comes with plenty of experience after playing four seasons at Pulse, where she helped the team to the 2024 Grand Final and last year with Severn Stars.

For the 2023-24  season she earn a place in the Future Roses cohort for 2023-24.  She got her first call up for an England tour to FAST5 World Series which was held in New Zealand, where the squad earned a bronze medal.

From Liana: “Ash Dekker can play wing attack and centre. She brings a different dynamic to the wing attack position.  She is very tall and athletic with a big engine so I think our mid court players are going to be able to run all day.  She offers that height and versatility, something different.  Most wing attacks are small and dynamic whereas Ash is a bit more rangier but still can feed and put good placement on the ball.  I’m very excited by our midcourt this season.”

Ella Bowen

Position: Goal Defence, Wing Defence
Date of Birth: 1 January 2002
NSL Debut: 2022
Previous Clubs: Loughborough Lightning and Manchester Thunder

Ella Bowen joins the Rhinos for her first season in 2025 from Manchester Thunder. 

She first earned a spot in the Roses Academy at just 15 years of age.  The defender was part of the squads that won U17 Netball Europe in early 2019, where she vice-captained the side,?and U21 Europe Netball in 2021. 

After being named Player of the Season for Loughborough Lightning's U19 side in 2021, she received her first Netball Super League call-up for Lightning in the 2022 season and then moved to Manchester Thunder ahead of the 2023 campaign. 

Ella was named in her first senior Vitality Roses overseas tour squad for the Taini Jamison Trophy in 2023. 

She then returned to New Zealand later that same year for the FAST5 Netball World Series, where the team scooped the bronze medal. 

From Liana: “Ella Bowen joins us from the other side of Manchester.  She is a Future Roses player but didn’t get much opportunity at Thunder last season. Her tag team ability and her hustle is everything that epitomises a defence. Ella has it all so it’s just how she can be nurtured and connect with Geva in that aspect.  Now we can give her more opportunity to help her to grow in that wing defence role.” 

Jess Haynes

Position: Goal Defence, Wing Defence
Date of Birth: 13.06.2001
NSL Debut: 2022
Previous Clubs: Loughborough Lightning and Severn Stars

Jess 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.

From Liana: “Jess is a quiet assassin and what her makes her so valuable is that she can cover all three positions.  She has great range and can compete in the air and tag team one on one, but just her ability to keep putting in those repeated efforts is something that will be a huge benefit to the team.  For me it was her personality and charisma and her work ethic around court that made her stand out and I she will benefit from more opportunities in our squad.”