Lightning strike to deny Pulse another Super CupImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Loughborough triumphed in a dramatic finale to the second edition of the Super CupByJohn SkilbeckBBC Sport senior journalist at Utilita Arena, SheffieldPublished21 minutes agoLoughborough Lightning toppled last season’s dominant force London Pulse 18-17 in the Netball Super Cup final as the new campaign got off to a thrilling start.Deposed by Pulse as Netball Super League (NSL) champions in the Grand Final last July, Lightning flipped the tables on their rivals who began a dominant 2025 by winning this event 12 months ago.
These two will be the teams to beat when the new league campaign begins on 27 February, with Lightning the team starting on a huge high.
Head coach Vic Burgess mentioned: “It’s been a really good day from us. We came into this knowing it’s a little bit different. It can be tough and it can be quick, and Pulse nearly caught us.
“I’m really proud of the girls. They were up for it. They were chilled but with a focus on doing well for each other. The girls love winning and I love winning.”
The one-day Super Cup features all eight NSL teams, split into two groups for round-robin matches before the semi-finals and final stage.
The 14-minute matches are far removed from the usual 60-minute games but it was a strong form guide last year when Pulse took the spoils and went on to triumph in the NSL for the first time.
Lightning co-captain Nat Panagarry mentioned there had been a sense of “feeling sorry for yourself” after last year’s Grand Final defeat, fuelling Saturday’s win.
Leeds Rhinos and Cardiff-based Dragons occupied the bottom two spots in the NSL last season but both reached the semi-finals here and looked revitalised.
However, Nottingham Forest, preparing for a second season as a Netball Super League club, fell in the group stage after defeats by Loughborough and Dragons.
