“We’re coming out swinging, so they better be ready”: St Mary’s netball team set to defend West London Varsity crown
With just one sleep to go until West London Varsity, St Mary’s University netball team is gearing up for a highly anticipated clash against their age-old rivals, Brunel. Determined to clinch the cup for a third consecutive year, both the first and second teams are primed to showcase their skills, determination, and team spirit in what promises to be a thrilling encounter.
Ahead of the big day, the Sports Gazette caught up with Varsity second-team captain Hattie Bulpitt and vice president Tee Edmonds.
Tee, who will be stepping onto the court for her third and final Varsity, issued a bold statement to Brunel: “We’re coming out swinging, so they better be ready.”
Having won in both of her previous Varsity appearances, she is determined to end her university netball career on a high note: “Obviously we’ll be disappointed if we don’t win, but that’s not even in my mind. Every year we’ve won, so going out with a bang is the aim.”
For Hattie, it’s a debut Varsity experience, and the excitement is palpable:
“I think because its mostly third years, everyone’s more enthusiastic to play, because they know it’s going to be their last time playing netball for the uni. There’s a lot more energy.”
Without giving too much away before the contest, she revealed: “There’s a lot more third years this year. We’re trying to give everyone that opportunity.”
While the first team boasts a tried-and-tested winning formula, for the second team, it will be their first time competing as a unit.
“We’ve done a lot of training over the last few weeks to build that team up, bonding-wise and skill-wise, so hopefully we’ve done enough,” Tee said.
She added: “I am a little bit nervous. In previous years, we’ve seen the Brunel team prior to playing, whereas this year we’re basically going in blind. So, it’s about feeling them out in the first quarter and then, hopefully, taking the win again.
The buzz surrounding Varsity coincides with an exciting period for netball. With the recent relaunch of the Netball Super League (NSL 2.0), both players are thrilled to see the sport receiving the recognition it deserves.
“It’s so exciting. Everyone has finally realised that netball is such a great sport, which we’ve known for years. It’s refreshing,” Tee said.
Hattie echoed this sentiment, reflecting on how far the sport has come: “It’s taken more seriously now. When I first played netball for the uni, people didn’t even realise you could play past school.”
As the teams prepare to take to the court, excitement is building. St Mary’s is ready to defend their title and add another memorable chapter to their Varsity story.
Let the games begin!
