The University of Nottingham's state-of-the-art facilities at its David Ross Sports Village is to play host to Nottingham Forest Netball's (NFN) training programme as part of a groundbreaking new partnership between the two organisations.
The first team will train at the David Ross Sports Village utilising the indoor courts which are fitted with the latest performance analysis technology, as well as conduct their strength and conditioning sessions in the High Performance Zone.
In addition, to support the England Netball Performance Pathway, the University of Nottingham will also be supporting the next generation of NFN players who will take advantage of the training facilities at both the David Ross Sports Village and Sutton Bonington Sports Centre.
The partnership will offer unique access and a raft of exciting opportunities for the university's thriving community of student athletes, particularly its netball stars of the future – whether they aspire to one day be playing for NFN's first team or have their eye on a career in the sports industry.
Professor Jane Norman, University of Nottingham Vice-Chancellor, said: "We are extremely proud to welcome Nottingham Forest Netball onto our campuses. This is a fantastic new partnership which aligns with our civic ambitions to deeply connect with our local partners and creates life-changing experiences and opportunities for our students."
Nottingham Forest Netball using our campuses as their training base highlights the exceptional quality of the facilities we have. Our students will not only benefit from unique opportunities to learn and train with the team but also from a range of work and volunteering experiences in professional sport at the very highest level. Allowing our students to gain the knowledge and experience to thrive in their chosen careers.
Nottingham Forest Chief Business Officer, Paul Bell, said "We are thrilled to announce our partnership with the University of Nottingham, an institution renowned for its exceptional sports facilities and commitment to athletic excellence. As we enter into Nottingham Forest Netball's first ever NSL season, we are proud to be part of the university's dynamic sporting ecosystem, fostering opportunities for athletes to develop and excel within their state-of-the-art facilities. It is a proud moment for us to have the University of Nottingham's branding on the back of our first-ever netball dress, symbolising a shared dedication to the growth of sport in our city and beyond."
Jo Simpson, Chief Commercial Officer at the University of Nottingham added: "This new partnership brings together one of Nottingham's most iconic sporting brands with our university which has sport in its DNA, having been named Sports University of the Year three times in the last seven years.
"Through our shared passion for excellence, innovation and sport we will work closely together to develop and deliver a world-leading partnership. This is an exciting starting point on our journey together to create a vision that impacts sport across our county and globally."
The University of Nottingham's Netball club is one of the biggest in its Students' Union, with six British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) and two IMS (intra mural sports) development teams. It offers weekly training sessions, access to umpiring and coaching courses and supports all netball players at the university – from those who want to play for fun and fitness to high performance athletes aiming to secure a place on a Netball Super League team or the Roses, England's national netball squad.
The university has a number of current students who are on the Nottingham Forest Netball programme. Anna Fairclough,Tabitha Tooms, Kelechi Ambros, Isabel Cunnington, Lily Smith and Regan Peters all represent NFN in the U23s NXT Gen League, which has been developed to deliver extended opportunities for emerging talent, to nurture and develop world class players and provide a pipeline of talent for the Netball Super League.
A further three students - Issy Donnelly, Madi Baxter and Grace Kinsey – are also part of the NFN U19s performance pathway, working closely with England Netball's Framework to provide opportunities to the next generation of netballers within the region.
Nottingham Forest Netball (NFN) is a newly formed club which has joined the country's best netball teams in the national Netball Super League, the UK's elite level domestic netball competition from 2025.
The team's home fixtures will be played at the Motorpoint Arena, with the club working to develop a unique brand and identity for Nottingham Netball under the Nottingham Forest banner.
Under the new partnership, opportunities for students at the university will include:
- The chance to take place in a training masterclass with NFN Head Coach Chelsea Pitman and University of Nottingham coaching staff
- Appearances at the university by Nottingham Forest Netball players, including its first team stars
- A range of work placements and learning opportunities across the team's press and media, marketing, performance analysis and social media functions
- Discounted tickets to fixtures.
The partnership also offers a rights package that allows the university to have promotional access through the collective global Nottingham Forest channels – including the global fan base for all their teams (including their Premier League football club).
The university brand will feature on the back of the NSL dress, warm up t-shirts and across Nottingham Forest Netball's digital channels.
The season starts on Saturday March 8 at the Utilita Arena Sheffield with a brand-new Netball Super Cup featuring all teams in action, before the regular league season commences with 14 more weekly round matches. This is relaunch of the league with 50 per cent of games to be played in major arenas for the first time and live coverage throughout the season on Sky Sports, reaching a whole new audience for the sport.
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