Captain Suzy Excited For New Celtic Dragons Season

Celtic Dragons all smiles after a Vitality National Superleague win last season.

Captain Suzy Excited For New Celtic Dragons Season

Suzy Drane will captain Celtic Dragons for their 2018 Vitality Netball Superleague season.

The first round of fixtures are in February and Dragons open their campaign with back-to-back home fixtures.

benecosMavericks are visitors to Cardiff on Monday, February 12 followed by Team Bath on the following Saturday (both 7pm).

“I’m excited to be part of the Celtic Dragons team again, have the opportunity to pull on the green dress and play in front of our GreenArmy fans,” says Drane, who is from St Mellons.

“It’s a privilege to be named captain, working with great management and team-mates in what will be a hugely important year for the Welsh franchise.

“Our supporters are important to every player and we want all home fixtures to be sold out.”

Bridgend-based Kelly Morgan is vice-captain for Celtic Dragons, saying: “This season is set to be jam-packed with excitement. I simply can’t wait to hear the #GreenArmy roar with us.”

Nia Jones, Cara Lea Moseley, Georgia Rowe and Amanda Varey are the player signings announced by Dragons so far with more expected next week.

All four are returning to the Dragons for the new NSL season.

Jones, 25, who began her stellar career at Mold Netball Club, is back with Dragons having represented Wales in both football and netball.

“With such an exciting netball calendar approaching I could not be happier,” said Jones. “Dragons are a club close to my heart and I can’t wait to play in front of the GreenArmy again.”

Moseley, who runs her own sports psychology business, returns after a time away from the sport.

She has earned more than 50 caps for Wales and represented her country in the 2007 and 2011 World Championships plus the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Caerleon’s Rowe has rejoined Dragons after a spell with Team Northumbria, while

Wing-attack Varey is back with the Welsh franchise after playing of Team Bath.

Other Dragons’ signings among the 10 confirmed so far are Sara Bell, Fern Davies, Eleanor Roberts, Leila Thomas, Megan Powell and Sarah Llewelyn.

Celtic Dragons and Wales are preparing for a big year in 2018.

Cardiff-based Dragons, who play most of their home fixtures out of the Sport Wales National Centre, have started well with their player recruitment and are expected to make a big impact in the NSL.

Wales go to Scotland in January and their aim is to qualify for the World Cup. There are two World Cup places available and three teams competing.

Scottish Thistles, Wales and Northern Ireland play in the qualifiers, while England automatically qualify for the finals  because they are hosting the 2019 championships in Liverpool.

England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland all compete at the Commonwealth Games in Australia next April.

The next test for Wales is their fixture against Team Bath at Ebbw Vale Leisure Centre on Saturday, November 18. There will also be a fan zone from 2pm at the venue where supporters can meet the players for autographs and photographs.

The Vitality Netball Superleague fixtures for 2018 have been announced.

Celtic Dragons begin their season on Monday, February 12 when they host benecosMavericks, while they will be live on Sky Sports during May when they host Loughborough Lightning.

ICYMI: Celtic Dragons tickets are now on sale. Head to Ticketline to get yours: https://tinyurl.com/ycl6px69 

2018 Vitality Netball Superleague – fixture list

Round One

Saturday, February 10

Team Northumbria v Team Bath, 6pm

Loughborough Lightning v UWS Sirens, 6pm

Severn Stars v Manchester Thunder, 6pm

Wasps Netball v Surrey Storm, 7pm (Live on Sky)

Monday 12

Celtic Dragons v benecosMavericks, 7pm

Round Two

Saturday, February 17

Severn Stars v Wasps Netball, 6pm

Team Northumbria v Loughborough Lightning, 6pm

Celtic Dragons v Team Bath, 7pm

Monday, February 19

Manchester Thunder v UWS Sirens, 7pm (Live on Sky)

benecosMavericks v Surrey Storm, 7:30pm

Round Three

Thursday, February 22

Wasps Netball v UWS Sirens, 7pm

Friday, February 23

Manchester Thunder v Team Northumbria, 7:30pm,

Team Bath v Surrey Storm, 7:30pm

Saturday, February 24

benecosMavericks v Severn Stars, 4pm

Loughborough Lightning v Celtic Dragons, 6pm

Round Four

Monday, February 26

Celtic Dragons v Surrey Storm, 7pm

Loughborough Lightning v Manchester Thunder, 7pm (Live on Sky)

UWS Sirens v Team Northumbria 7pm

benecosMavericks v Wasps Netball, 7:30pm

Severn Stars v Team Bath, 7:30pm

Round Five

Friday, March 2

Team Bath v UWS Sirens, 7:30pm

Saturday, March 3

Manchester Thunder v Celtic Dragons, 5pm

Loughborough Lightning v Wasps Netball, 6pm

Severn Stars v Surrey Storm, 6pm

Monday, March 5

Team Northumbria v benecosMavericks, 7pm (Live on Sky)

Round Six

Team Bath v Manchester Thunder, TBC

Saturday, March 10

Celtic Dragons v Severn Stars, 4pm

benecosMavericks v UWS Sirens, 6pm

Surrey Storm v Loughborough Lightning, 6pm (Live on Sky)

Wasps Netball v Team Northumbria, 7pm

Round Seven

Friday, March 16

UWS Sirens v Severn Stars, 7pm (Live on Sky)

Manchester Thunder v benecosMavericks, 7:30pm

Saturday, March 17

Loughborough Lightning v Team Bath, 6pm

Team Northumbria v Surrey Storm, 6pm

Sunday, March 18

Wasps Netball v Celtic Dragons, 6pm

Commonwealth Games April 5 to April 15 2018 – Vitality Netball Superleague takes a break

Round Eight

Saturday, April 21

Manchester Thunder v Surrey Storm, 5pm

Team Northumbria v Severn Stars, 6pm

Loughborough Lightning v benecosMavericks, 7pm

Sunday, April 22

Wasps Netball v Team Bath, 3pm (Live on Sky)

Monday, May 28

UWS Sirens v Celtic Dragons, 7pm

Round Nine

Friday, April 27

Wasps Netball v Manchester Thunder, 7pm

Saturday, April 28

UWS Sirens v Surrey Storm, 2pm

Celtic Dragons v Team Northumbria, 4pm

Severn Stars v Loughborough Lightning, 6pm

Sunday, April 29

benecosMavericks v Team Bath, 5pm (Live on Sky)

Round 10

Monday, March 12

Wasps Netball v Severn Stars, 7pm

Friday, May 4

Team Bath v Celtic Dragons, 7:30pm

Saturday, May 5

UWS Sirens v Manchester Thunder, 2pm

Loughborough Lightning v Team Northumbria, 6pm

Surrey Storm v benecosMavericks, 6pm

Round 11

Monday, May 7

Surrey Storm v Celtic Dragons, 3pm

Manchester Thunder v Loughborough, 5pm

Team Bath v Severn Stars, 5pm (Live on Sky)

Team Northumbria v UWS Sirens, 6pm

Monday, June 18

Wasps Netball v benecosMavericks, 7pm

Round 12

Saturday, May 12

UWS Sirens v Wasps Netball, 2pm

Severn Stars v benecosMavericks, 6pm

Surrey Storm v Team Bath, 6pm

Team Northumbria v Manchester Thunder, 6pm

Monday, May 14

Celtic Dragons v Loughborough Lightning, 7pm (Live on Sky)

Round 13

benecosMavericks v Celtic Dragons, TBC

Team Bath v Team Northumbria, TBC

Friday, May 18

UWS Sirens v Loughborough Lightning, 7pm

Surrey Storm v Wasps Netball, 7:30pm, 7:30pm

Saturday, May 19

Manchester Thunder v Severn Stars, 5pm

Round 14

Friday, May 25

Celtic Dragons v Manchester Thunder, 7pm

Saturday, May 26

UWS Sirens v Team Bath, 2pm

benecosMavericks v Team Northumbria, 6pm

Wasps Netball v Loughborough Lightning, 7pm

Monday, May 28

Surrey Storm v Severn Stars, 7pm (Live on Sky)

Round 15

Friday, June 1

Team Bath v benecosMavericks, 7:30pm

Saturday, June 2

Surrey Storm v UWS Sirens, 6pm

Team Northumbria v Celtic Dragons, 6pm

Loughborough Lightning v Severn Stars, 7pm

Manchester Thunder v Wasps Netball, TBC (Live on Sky)

Round 16

Friday, June 8

Team Bath v Loughborough Lightning, 7:30pm

Saturday, June 9

Celtic Dragons v Wasps Netball, 4pm

Surrey Storm v Team Northumbria, 6pm

benecosMavericks v Manchester Thunder, 6pm

Monday, June 11

Severn Stars v UWS Sirens, 7pm (Live on Sky)

Round 17

Friday, June 15

Team Bath v Wasps Netball, 7:30pm

Saturday, June 16

Celtic Dragons v UWS Sirens, 4pm

benecosMavericks v Loughborough Lightning, 6pm

Severn Stars v Team Northumbria, 6pm

Surrey Storm v Manchester Thunder, 6pm

Round 18

Thursday, June 21

UWS Sirens v benecosMavericks, 5:30pm

Saturday, June 23

Manchester Thunder v Team Bath, 5pm,

Team Northumbria v Wasps Netball, 6pm

Monday, June 25

Loughborough Lightning v Surrey Storm, 7pm (Live on Sky)

Severn Stars v Celtic Dragons, 7:30pm

Semi-finals

1st place v 4th place, 30th June, TBC

2nd place v 3rd place, 30th June, TBC

2018 Grand Final

Saturday, July 7

Winner SF1 v Winner SF2, TBC

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.