Sunshine Coast Lightning is proud to announce the Club will enter a team in the 2021 Australian Netball Championships (ANC) tournament to be held in Victoria in September.
The extension of the Club’s elite program will provide tangible opportunities for emerging netball talent and support staff throughout Sunshine Coast and Queensland.
Nurturing the development of the next generation of netballers is integral to the growth and increased professionalism of the sport globally and Lightning recognises the important role it plays.
Lightning General Manager, High Performance Brian Hopley said Lightning’s inclusion in the ANC tournament is a positive step forward for the Club.
“Lightning’s inclusion in the Championships is an excellent result, as we look to leverage our elite program to help develop the nation’s finest emerging talent,” Hopley said.
“The ANC squad will gain exposure to a holistic program with access to elite coaching and game strategy, tailored training regimes and insight into the highly successful Lightning environment.
“Establishing a regional grassroots pathway on the Sunshine Coast has been front of mind in recent seasons, with established connections to USC Thunder and the USC Netball Academy.
“An ANC team further consolidates that professional pathway for athletes across the state and we’re confident selected athletes will greatly benefit.
“We are currently undergoing an extensive talent identification and recruitment process to assemble a highly competitive squad, as well as targeting coaches and support staff who will compliment Lightning’s program.”
In April, Netball Australia announced the reconfigured Australian Netball Championships (ANC) format which will take place in September this year hosted in Traralgon, Victoria.
The competition will replace the Australian Netball League (ANL), which previously ran in conjunction to the Suncorp Super Netball season.
ANC fixtures for 2021 will be announced in the coming weeks by Netball Australia.
