NIC Leeds Rhinos 71 Birmingham Panthers 63

By Saskia Holland

The opening home game of the 2025 Netball Superleague season started off with an impressive win for NIC Leeds Rhinos, beating Birmingham Panthers 71-63!

The Birmingham Panthers started strong, quickly converting the first centre pass to goal. The scores remained level in the opening minutes until a crucial turnover by Gabby Coffey gave the Panthers the edge. Capitalizing on this momentum, they extended their lead to 7-3 within the first five minutes. As the supershot period began, both teams secured two-point goals, but another turnover from the Panthers proved crucial for the opposition, allowing Birmingham Panthers to stretch their advantage to 11-21. A final push saw NIC Leeds Rhinos narrowed the gap slightly, but a last-minute goal from the Panthers sealed the quarter with a commanding 23-15 lead.

Harriet Jones started the second quarter with a goal as Leeds chipped away at the deficit. Play was briefly halted after a knock to Gabby Marshall, but she quickly returned to the court, resuming her role at centre. A crucial tip from Betsy Creak just before the supershot buzzer put the Panthers in prime position heading into the final five minutes of the half. Joyce Mvula was the first to land a two-pointer, while a missed opportunity in the Panthers' attack kept the pressure on. A missed shot and a contact call against Sigi Burger gave Leeds an opening, and both Harriet Jones and Joyce Mvula capitalized with supershots, cutting the gap to just one (36-37). However, a final goal from the Birmingham Panthers secured their slim advantage at halftime, leading 38-36.

The second half opened with goals from both sides before a crucial interception from Geva Mentor which brought the game level at 39-39. Intense defensive pressure saw the ball move back and forth through the court, but NIC Leeds Rhinos maintained a steady lead. A key defensive turnover allowed them to extend their advantage (47-42). A missed supershot from Betsy Creak sent the ball out of play, giving the Rhinos the opportunity to hit the 50 goal mark. After a tactical timeout for Birmingham Panthers, Clara Miles wasted no time, sinking a supershot to shift the momentum. However, Harriet Jones responded with a composed two-pointer, closing the quarter with NIC Leeds Rhinos leading 56-49.

Both teams came out battling in the final 15 minutes, but a footwork call in the opposition’s attacking end gave Joyce Mvula the chance to convert. Defensive pressure forced Leeds Rhinos to reset through Geva Mentor, but they quickly found a gap, allowing Mvula to add another goal. Moments later, Cassie Howard secured a crucial turnover on the circle edge, keeping the momentum with the Rhinos. However, a misplaced feed into Mvula saw the ball land off court, allowing the Birmingham Panthers to regain possession from the sideline.

A knock to Ashleigh Dekker led to a reshuffle, with Rosie Harris stepping in at wing defence and Howard moving to centre. Despite the increased intensity from the opposition, NIC Leeds Rhinos remained composed, holding onto their lead to secure a well-earned 71-63 victory.

The Rhinos travel to face London Mavericks for the second round of the Netball Superleague next weekend on Sunday 23rd March.