Pulse dethrone 'devastated' Lightning to win first Netball Super League title

8 hours ago 5

London Pulse players celebrate with the Netball Super League trophy.

Tom Mallows

BBC Sport journalist

London Pulse secured their first Netball Super League title and denied Loughborough Lightning an unprecedented three-peat with a thrilling 53-45 Grand Final win at the O2 Arena in London.

Victory wraps up a magnificent treble for Sam Bird's side, who topped the regular season table and won the inaugural Netball Super Cup in March.

The final whistle sparked wild celebrations from the majority of the 10,000 fans inside the venue, with the Pulse players embracing before sinking to the floor.

Their victory was based on a solid defensive display by player of the match Funmi Fadoju, who ended with eight deflections, three intercepts and eight gains.

The foundation set by Fadoju allowed Pulse to be aggressive and pushed Lightning back up the court, forcing the champions into uncharacteristic mistakes and restricting them to their lowest score of the season.

Pulse never relinquished the lead after nudging in front inside the opening five minutes and always looked to have another gear if required.

Pulse's Gracie Smith, who was sitting her GCSE exams last month, was introduced at half-time to become the youngest player to feature in a Grand Final aged just 16.

'It was like a game of chess'

London Pulse defender and player of the match Funmi Fadoju: "It feels so amazing. I am so proud of the girls. We went out there and did what we had to do.

"We knew exactly what our set-ups were, we knew we had to work together, and that's what we did.

"There's no words to describe it. I knew we could do it and we did."

Pulse coach Sam Bird told Sky Sports: "I'm so happy for the club, the girls, our sponsors, our fans. It is such a great day. It was such a hard game. It was like a game of chess. The strategy involved was really tough and I'm just really proud we got across the line."

Loughborough head coach Vic Burgess: "I'm pretty devastated. Credit to Pulse, they came out and did a great job. There was always going to be a massive battle and they came out on top. That's the nature of sport."

Pulse richly deserved first-time winners

It's been all Thunder and Lightning of late, with a Manchester and Loughborough duopoly of the NSL title over the past five seasons, but the clouds have broken and there's a new champion team in town. Just like this year, Pulse also topped the regular-season standings in 2023, but on that occasion the team from the Copper Box lost out to Loughborough in the Grand Final.

This turning of the tables in British netball's biggest match means Pulse have become NSL champions within 10 years of the club's formation. At courtside, Pulse boss Bird - CEO and director of netball at the club - earns the success she has been craving since joining in May 2019 after a stint with Severn Stars. On the court, her players are richly deserved first-time winners.