“It’s going to be massive”: Hannah Passmore on the future of netball and Step One partnership
Exciting times lie ahead for English netball.
The 2025 Vitality Netball Nations Cup kicks off next week, and, in March, the revamped Netball Super League officially launches.
As netball continues to grow, and remains England’s largest women’s team sport, the Sports Gazette spoke to Hannah Passmore. Having previously represented England at the Under-21 level, she is now part of the prestigious Future Roses initiative for the 2024/25 season.
“It’s a brilliant setup,” Passmore explained. “Excellent coaching, excellent players, three days a week. Being able to do that is just amazing, and it’s brilliant for our progression as players and as people.”
Along with gaining international experience, the Future Roses programme helps bridge the gap between emerging talent and the full-time Roses. England’s rise in recent years reflects the commitment to these pathway programmes. As Passmore highlighted, the various age-group camps often overlap, allowing younger players to interact with and observe more experienced athletes.
“It’s really great that there is such a link. It’s such an essential necessity to progression in the England pathway, because these are your young players that you need to nurture and bring up.”
She added: “It’s great to get some international experience and be able to play against different countries and styles. It’s really like a different ball game with a lot of different countries – Jamaica plays so differently from Australia, who play so differently from England.”
Alongside netball, Passmore has partnered with Step One. Originating from Australia, this pioneering underwear brand cares about the environment, and doesn’t compromise on quality.
“It’s honestly such a great brand, and I’m so honoured to be working with them,” Passmore told the Sports Gazette.
Shooting for the stars
Growing up in South Africa, where netball is hugely popular, Passmore spent much of her time outdoors playing games. After moving to England, like many girls in the country, she continued playing netball at school.
Progressing rapidly, she developed through Team Bath’s pathways and earned her first professional contract at just 16. While attending the University of Bath, she spent nearly six years with the team, during which they achieved second- and third-place finishes in the NSL in the 2021 and 2022 seasons, respectively.
She then joined the LexisNexis Cardiff Dragons for the 2024 season while continuing her studies at the University of Bath.
“I took a big risk last year, changing clubs and franchises. It’s always a scary thing to do, going into a new environment, especially after being at Bath for almost six years,” Passmore explained.
“I just wanted a change, a fresh start, and to try something new. I absolutely loved it there, and the move paid off because I got my first senior contract with the Roses in the Future Roses this year.”
The goal shooter delivered a Player of the Match performance on her debut for the Dragons and achieved a 100% shooting rate against Manchester Thunder the following week.
Balancing court and career
Passmore, like many netball players, balances her life as a professional athlete with her career outside the sport.
“It’s never easy to juggle both. You’re essentially working a full-time job alongside playing, because you’re not earning enough within the UK league. So, it is difficult.”
She spent four years studying at Bath while working a part time job and playing professional netball in the NSL.
“That was difficult to manage, particularly in my final year when I moved to Cardiff to play, but I was still living and studying in Bath. The travel definitely takes it out of you, and it really means you’ve got to figure out what social events to go to, who you see, and what training you can make.
“It does mature you a lot as well. I definitely had to make sacrifices and make decisions about where I was going and what I was doing quite early, and communicating that to everyone as well.”
After leaving university, Passmore’s life became even busier. She now works full-time as an accountant for EasyJet, while studying for her chartered accountancy exams and continuing to pursue her netball career.
“It’s always a challenge, but I’m someone who loves trying to do everything and balance the life.
“Netball isn’t exactly a sport you can live off at the moment. Hopefully, it’s moving in the right direction – things look positive, and it is progressing. But for now, you need a bit of something else and a steady income.”
The growth of netball and NSL 2.0
The work is far from done, but netball in England is undeniably in a promising and steadily improving position.
As Passmore said: “When I first started out, not many people really knew about the sport. Not many watched it or knew about the games, and most didn’t even know about the professional league. So, I think how far we’ve come in that regard is amazing.
“It’s so nice to be given the recognition you deserve, and that your sport deserves too. You’re putting in the same hours as most other athletes, but the recognition isn’t necessarily there, because of TV rights and funding.
“That’s been the main progression I’ve seen – the funding and the interest and more games being televised.”
The relaunch of the Netball Super League, dubbed NSL 2.0, signals a major step forward for the sport. Beginning in March, every match will be televised across Sky Sports, BBC Sport, and NetballPass.
“That’s amazing because it’s about accessibility, and I think that’s what’s been recognised this year,” Passmore said.
“We’re still quite a small sport, and I think fans are our income and our progression – the way forward. It’s about growing the sport, with visibility and engagement.”
Along with increased coverage, NSL 2.0 promises bigger venues, more competitive games, higher pay, and improved matchday experiences. It follows in the footsteps of Australia’s thriving, fully professional Suncorp Super Netball League.
“I think it’s going to be massive and will hopefully grow though sponsorships and funding. Hopefully one day it will reach a point where players can commit fully to just full-time netball.”
She added: “At the end of the day, it’s the players who are important in this. While we are going bigger and better, and spending more on TV and venues, it’s about ensuring the small things are still in place, and that the players are still looked after, monitored, and valued.”
Step One
Passmore is one of many athletes who represent Step One, the first Australian clothing company to achieve FSC certification.
The underwear retailer is highly regarded for its sustainable, ethical practices and high-quality products for a range of body types. Using bamboo-derived viscose, Step One offers unparalleled comfort, breathability, and odour-resistance for your underwear.
“As someone who spends their life in gym kit and netball kit, it’s always hard to find a good pair of sports underwear that doesn’t show sweat or roll down – and these are perfect,” Passmore said.
“They’re an amazing brand to work with, promoting inclusivity and making you feel valued.”
