Sportsister - The Women's Sports Magazine - Netball: Player of the Year nominees announced

The nominees for The Co-operative Netball Superleague’s Player of the Year Awards have been announced.

Elite netball players from the nine franchises of The Co-operative Netball Superleague will come together this Friday (April 17) at Birmingham’s ICC to celebrate a hugely successful season.

TeamBath’s captain Pamela Cookey has been nominated for the coveted Kukri Player of the Year award, along with Jade Clarke, Jo Harten, Naida Hutchinson and the England team’s co-captain Sonia Mkoloma. This award recognises an individual who has contributed greatly to the season, and has been an outstanding competitor establishing themselves as ‘the face’ of The Co-operative Netball Superleague season.

The Rookie of the Year Award, will go to the season’s best newcomer who has been influential in her team’s success, nominees include Northern Thunder’s Kerry Almond, Ella Clarke from Mavericks and Glasgow Wildcats’ Rachel Holmes.

England co-captain Karen Atkinson, Carla Dziwoki, Jade Clarke, Sara Bayman, Lesley Macdonald and Becky Nash have all been nominated for the Player’s Player of the Year Award. This award is dedicated to the player who gives her all, week in week out, for her Superleague team and provides constant support and encouragement in their squad.

Team Northumbria, Northern Thunder, TeamBath, Loughborough Lightning and Mavericks have been put forward for The Co-operative Community Award, which is awarded to the Superleague team that has gone out of its way to make a difference in their community, helping and encouraging those less fortunate to grow and develop in the sport of netball.

A new addition to the awards line up is The Lucozade Sport Chairman’s Award, with which Bev Lovatt, Pam Cookey, Olivia Murphy, Karen Atkinson or Claire Brownie could be crowned.

The Co-operative Netball Superleague Player of the Year Dinner also celebrates people involved in the Superleague by dedicating awards to coaches, umpires and volunteers.

Liz Matkin, Sponsorship Manager for The Co-operative Group, said: “The Co-operative Player of the Year Awards dinner is a chance for everyone to come together and celebrate their achievements throughout the season.

“A big part of this evening is about recognising the volunteers for their hard work throughout the season and for the effort they put into raising netball’s profile from grass roots right through to the elite level.”

Louise Hudson, Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine

Nominations

Kukri Player of the Year

Pamela Cookey

Jade Clarke

Jo Harten

Niada Hutchinson

Sonia Mkoloma

Player’s Player of the Year

Carla Dziwoki

Jade Clarke

Sara Bayman