Netball legend Geva Mentor says she is positive about the future of the sport after playing the final game of her career on Sunday.
The 40-year-old retired after Leeds Rhinos’ last game of the Netball Super League season – an 80-61 defeat by Nottingham Forest.
“I’m excited to see where netball goes over the next few years,” the former England international told BBC Sport.
“We are looking at the improvement of the game and making it a real product that everyone can get behind.”
Netball Super League is in the early stages of a move towards a fully professional future.
Most players still have jobs outside the sport, and the transition that began this season, with hefty pay rises for some, is widely seen as a 10-year project as the league looks to catch up with Australia’s Super Netball.
Mentor, who is now based in France, has been a trailblazer of the sport – playing more than 310 games at club level and twice being named the World’s Best Netballer.
She spent 16 seasons playing in New Zealand and Australia and played 175 times for her country, competing at six World Cups and six Commonwealth Games, winning gold in 2018 thanks to the famous win over Australia.
She joined the Rhinos for the 2024 season and, although she was unable to end on a winning note, received a warm reception at Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham – which included being given a guard of honour after the game.
“We probably haven’t had the results or performances we wanted this season,” she added. “But there is a brilliant culture here and it’s pushing and building.
“I wish them all the best for the future and I will be in the crowd cheering them on.
“This is all a bit surreal but it is so nice to be playing in a big arena and good to be up against Forest, who have had a stellar first season and have grown into it.”
