Netball Queensland is thrilled to confirm the Gold Coast Titans will join the HART Sapphire Series competition in 2022.
The new license is a tremendous coup for the league, in its second license cycle after launching in 2019.
The decision is equally exciting for the Titans, with the National Rugby League club expanding its sporting footprint on the Coast.
“I’m absolutely thrilled to be welcoming the Titans into the HART Sapphire Series,” Netball Queensland High Performance Director, Demelza Fellowes said.
“Our aspiration is for the League to thrive as a premier competition where players, coaches and officials realise their potential and are raised up as local heroes for our Queensland community.
“To be stepping into a new phase of expansion for the League after just three years is testament to the foundations laid by our inaugural Clubs; and to be attracting partners of the calibre of the Gold Coast Titans indicates the value that lies in belonging to the HART Sapphire Series and greater netball family.
“The Titans’ commitment to netball ensures the next wave of unearthed gems can access a world class high performance environment on the Gold Coast, this can only mean good things for netball and women’s sport in Queensland.
“We’re looking forward to seeing how the influence of the professional NRL club can lead the way and change the game for this next growth phase for the HART Sapphire Series.”
Titans CEO Steve Mitchell says the Club is very excited to be able to expand it’s programs into netball and the role this will play in uniting our communities on the Gold Coast.
“For us as a Club, it’s about providing talented kids on the Gold Coast a pathway to elite competition that allows them to stay locally on the Coast,” he said.
“You’ve seen this in our NRL program with young players like AJ Brimson and Moeaki Fotuaika progressing from our Junior Titans System all the way to State of Origin.
“Our NRLW side is stacked with local girls who want to make their community proud and represent the region where they grew up.
“We are thrilled that we can now the offer that pathway to the thousands of young netballers that play the sport on the Coast.
“Our purpose as a Club is to make our communities proud, inspire them through energy and unite them through success.
The Titans have added extra excitement announcing that former World Cup and Commonwealth Games winning Silver Fern Temepara Bailey will coach the club’s inaugural side.
“With Temepara guiding our netball high-performance program and pathways, we’ve got no doubt that we can achieve that purpose,” Mitchell said.
“Temepara is one of the true greats of the sport, but aside from being a quality netballer, she is also a fantastic person who demonstrates our Club values.
“As a Club, our focus is always on our communities, and it’s great that we’ve got the support of all of the local associations here on the Gold Coast.
“We aspire to eventually add a Titans team to the Suncorp Super Netball competition, meaning our brand would sit across three elite competitions (SSN, NRL and NRLW) and provide pathways for from grassroots to the professional level across these sports."
