71 mins

ENGLAND NETBALL REVEAL ATHLETES SELECTED FOR NXT ROSES PROGRAMME

Roses Pathway Head Coach Josie Pointon has selected 15 athletes who will make up the inaugural cohort of the new programme to the England Netball pathway.

All 15 athletes selected have had stand-out seasons in the Netball Super League (NSL), NXT Gen League or NPL (Netball Performance League). The cohort features 18-year-old Shannon Mahlik who has recently signed her first NSL contract with reigning champions AO Manchester Thunder, and rising star Eleanor Sadler who made an impact on court as a replacement player for London Mavericks in the 2026 NSL season.

NXT Roses squad: Athlete	Club (2026 season unless stated otherwise)	Court area
Alanna Pullen	Birmingham Panthers NSL	Midcourt
Ane De Wet	Birmingham Panthers NXT Gen	Shooter
Charlotte Savory	Loughborough Lightning NXT Gen	Defender
Eleanor Sadler	London Mavericks NSL	Defender
Emily Pawlett	Loughborough Lightning NXT Gen	Midcourt
Hannah Gibson	London Pulse NXT Gen	Shooter
Jasmin Akrasi	London Pulse NXT Gen	Shooter
Jessica Tolson	Loughborough Lightning NPL	Midcourt
Lily Smith	Nottingham Forest Netball NXT Gen	Shooter
Marlene Lange	NIC Leeds Rhinos NSL	Defender
Neve Wright	London Mavericks NXT Gen	Defender
Rihanna Luke	Nottingham Forest Netball NXT Gen	Midcourt
Sascha Dale*	London Mavericks NXT Gen	Midcourt
Shannon Mahlik	AO Manchester Thunder NSL (2027 season)	Shooter
Zaneya Cunningham	London Pulse NXT Gen	Defender

“It's an exciting group, bringing together players who have consistently performed across the NPL, NXT Gen and NSL, and having demonstrated significant potential and the qualities needed to thrive in international netball. We look forward to supporting their continued development as they build the skills, behaviours and international readiness required to shape the future of the Roses.”