Pulse put ‘rocky start’ behind them to claim Netball Super Cup

After a draw and a loss in their first two games of the inaugural Netball Super Cup, Sam Bird’s London Pulse showed what they were made of to lift the trophy.

A win against LexisNexis Cardiff Dragons to round out their group stage set up a semi-final against Manchester Thunder with Pulse launching a comeback to book their place in the showpiece.

There they faced NIC Leeds Rhinos, who had inflicted Pulse's defeat in the groups, but there was no repeat of that result.

Instead, Olivia Tchine helped build a commanding lead that Pulse never lost to set the marker for the 2025 season.

"I'm so happy for the club,” Bird said. “We had a bit of a rocky start, but we got better through the day.

“We really took on the feedback and showed what we are made of.

"It's really important for Liv to feel more confident as the day went on, she is obviously a really crucial player for us.

“She really started to enjoy it and we know when Liv is happy, having a bit of fun and we are seeing her moves, that we are in a good place.”

"We have three new players and we are learning lots about those guys, Eliza [Barclay] did really well stepping in today. There's lots to work on but this is a good start.

"We showed a mix of determination and enjoyment, we didn't put too much pressure on ourselves, we came here to enjoy it, play our best netball and come out with a win."

Captain Zara Everitt was named the Kissimmee Player of the Match in the final having steered her side well.

Pulse made amends for their defeat to Rhinos earlier in the day, putting pressure on Lauren Palmer’s side to force errors and turnovers.

For Everitt, she hopes their first experience of a trophy lift sets the tone for the 2025 Netball Super League season which begins on 14 March.

She said: “I'm so proud of the girls, so excited. In previous years, we've just missed out and while we know this isn't the league trophy, hopefully, it gives us a taste of what is to come. We are all so excited to see what we can do this season.

"It's tough to come back from a defeat but we knew this tournament would be full of ups and downs, it's the first time we've all played the Super Shot together. We knew we had to put that behind us, take the learnings from the loss and we definitely did that. Everyone in the team stepped up.

"There will be more of that to come and some stuff that's even better."