Severn Stars netball franchise can confirm it will be working with Monmouth School for Girls to launch a new training facility to develop young netball talent. The school, based in Monmouth, will host a Severn Stars Under 17 Nova Academy in partnership with Stars, which is a joint franchise between the University of Worcester and University of Gloucestershire.

Severn Stars’ Executive Director and Co-founder, Anita Navin, said: “We are delighted at the addition of Monmouth School for Girls, which continues to build upon the expansion of talented players in the Stars’ Nova Academy programme.  The School has a strong background of developing performance players.  We hope that such additions to the programme will maintain and increase the level of success that it has had in the last three years.”

Severn Stars currently runs Nova Academies for Under 17s in educational centres across the West Midlands and South West region, including in Worcestershire, Herefordshire, Staffordshire, Gloucestershire and Shropshire.  The aim is to engage with the surrounding area and develop a pool of young talent.

Each education centre that hosts a Nova Academy, provides talented Under 17 players with weekly training sessions, strength and conditioning programmes and provision, high level technical training, as well as sports therapy and off-court support.

Players attending the Nova Academies will be working towards competing in the Severn Stars Under 17 National Performance League team and, beyond that, the Under 19, Under 21 and professional side.  They have the opportunity to put what they have learned into practice when the Nova Academies compete against each other with monthly match play sessions.  The season usually culminates in the Supernova Tournament in May.  As part of the programme, the players receive Severn Stars training kit, a training journal and a ticket to a Severn Stars home game.

Sian Morgan, a teacher at the School and a former English Universities netball player, will be the Head Coach for the new Monmouth School for Girls’ Nova Academy.

She said: “We have a number of very talented netball players at our school who will benefit greatly from this exciting partnership.

“It will give our girls access to top quality coaching and strength and conditioning, as well as an opportunity to compete against other talented players within the Nova Academy programme.”

The School offers netball to all pupils from Years 3 to 13 and all year groups play in county tournaments.  Girls at Under 16 and Under 18 levels have an opportunity to qualify for the Welsh National Schools Finals.  Monmouth was crowned Welsh Schools’ national champions at Under 18 level in 2017.

Jessica Miles, Headmistress at Monmouth School for Girls, added: “Our girls have had a lot of success on the netball court both locally and nationally this season.

“Our new partnership with Severn Stars will provide our girls with a fantastic pathway, in which they can fulfil their potential and, hopefully, play netball at the highest club level in the UK.”

To find out more about Monmouth School for Girls, please visit: www.habsmonmouth.org/girls/

For further information regarding the Nova Academies and the Severn Stars Talent Pathway visit www.severnstars.co.uk/playerpathway