Leeds Rhinos Netball ready to welcome fans to EIS Sheffield

Six years after the demise of Yorkshire Jets and 12 months after they first took to the court as Leeds Rhinos, a professional netball team representing the White Rose county will play in front of a home crowd again tonight.
By Nick Westby
Published 13th Feb 2022, 16:00 BST
Rhea Dixon of Leeds Rhinos in action during the Vitality Netball Superleague Semi Final match between Loughborough Lightning and Leeds Rhinos at Copper Box Arena on June 26, 2021 in London, England. (Picture: Morgan Harlow/Getty Images)Rhea Dixon of Leeds Rhinos in action during the Vitality Netball Superleague Semi Final match between Loughborough Lightning and Leeds Rhinos at Copper Box Arena on June 26, 2021 in London, England. (Picture: Morgan Harlow/Getty Images)
Rhea Dixon of Leeds Rhinos in action during the Vitality Netball Superleague Semi Final match between Loughborough Lightning and Leeds Rhinos at Copper Box Arena on June 26, 2021 in London, England. (Picture: Morgan Harlow/Getty Images)

Leeds Rhinos welcome Vitality Superleague opponents Team Bath to the English Institute of Sport today (5.30pm), the Sheffield venue one of three across the region they will play in this season as they look to grow a county-wide fanbase.

Rhinos will also play home games at the first direct Arena in their home city of Leeds and at the Allam Sports Centre in Hull over the coming months.

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“I am so excited for the home games to see all our home fans, especially for the homegrown girls,” said Sigi Burger, a South African international who joined Rhinos after their impressive maiden campaign in UK netball’s elite tier.

Leeds Rhinos’ England international defender Vicki Oyesola, left, with new club signing Sigi Burger. (Picture: English Netball)Leeds Rhinos’ England international defender Vicki Oyesola, left, with new club signing Sigi Burger. (Picture: English Netball)
Leeds Rhinos’ England international defender Vicki Oyesola, left, with new club signing Sigi Burger. (Picture: English Netball)

“What’s awesome is we’re doing the tour of Yorkshire playing games in Hull, Sheffield and Leeds.

“The fact we can go and showcase netball everywhere is huge for us.

“Yorkshire as a county is such a netball-enthusiastic county, but after Yorkshire Jets got disbanded it left the fans travelling to Manchester or down to Coventry to see the Wasps to get their netball fix.

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“What we’re hoping is that we play such good, exciting netball that the fans want to and will make effort to come.

“There are plenty of netball clubs in Yorkshire, we just need to get them keen.”

As well as helping grow the game, Rhinos want to establish themselves as a force in Superleague.

They laid the platform last year, reaching the end-of-season play-offs after finishing fourth out of 11 teams.

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And they have made an encouraging start this year, winning 45-43 up at Strathclyde Sirens on Friday night.

Tickets can be purchased on the door tonight or from tickets.rhinosnetball.co.uk up until 2pm.Or call 0371 423 1315. Phone lines are open from 10.30am - 3.30pm (Monday – Friday excluding Bank Holidays). The ticket office at Headingley Stadium is closed.

Related topics:Leeds RhinosRhinosYorkshire

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