The Soft & Gentle Netball Super Cup 2026, delivered in partnership with Netball Super League, returned to the Utilita Arena Sheffield to ignite a new chapter for elite domestic netball. Following last year’s landmark relaunch, the league stepped confidently into its next phase — raising standards on and off the court and setting the tone for the season ahead.
For us, the Super Cup once again provided the platform to showcase how innovative sport presentation and technical event production can elevate a one-day competition into a statement moment for the league.
Kick-starting the Season
The Super Cup has quickly established itself as more than an opening fixture. It is a season curtain-raiser designed to signal ambition, professionalism and entertainment at scale.
With all teams taking to court across a packed schedule, the format created a fast-paced, high-energy environment inside the arena. Every transition, introduction and key moment required precision timing and seamless coordination — ensuring the intensity on court was matched by the atmosphere in the stands.
From the first player walkout to the final whistle, the event was built to feel bold, modern and unapologetically Netball.
Sports Presentation & Event Production
As sport presentation and event production partner, our role centred on delivering a fully integrated in-arena experience.
Dynamic creative content with coordinated light sequences and bespoke matchday programming maximised the impact across every match moment. Player introductions were elevated with synchronised audio-visual build-ups, whilst partner branded and green screen content were woven naturally into the show.
Our technical production infrastructure underpinned the entire event, from video, audio, lighting, SFX and TST playback systems to show calling and live content capture. The result was a cohesive production that maintained energy throughout a demanding one-day schedule, ensuring fans experienced consistent quality from start to finish.
Creating a Fan-First Environment...
Fan engagement and live entertainment played a central role in elevating the atmosphere throughout the event, ensuring energy remained high both on and off the court.
Setting the tone, DJ Char Stape delivered a high-impact soundtrack across the day, seamlessly building momentum between matches. She was joined by Girls That Mix, bringing an added layer of performance and vibrancy that gave the arena a true event feel rather than just a matchday setting.
On the fan activation side, interactive challenges kept supporters actively involved. The British Army ‘Fan in Challenge’ , AMEX ‘Super Shot’, and Soft & Gentle ‘Dance Cam’ created standout moments in the crowd, driving participation, competition and plenty of social-ready content.
Hosting duties were shared by Lucy Goodman and Pamela Cookey, whose chemistry and experience ensured the delivery felt polished, energetic and authentically connected to the sport. Their interaction with fans, players and partners helped bridge the gap between on-court action and off-court entertainment, creating a cohesive, fan-first experience throughout.
Raising the Standard for Athletes
For the athletes, occasions like the Super Cup represent a significant shift from where domestic netball stood just a few years ago.
Competing in an arena environment complete with enhanced lighting, high-impact screen content and broadcast-ready presentation reinforces the league’s professional direction. The scale of production not only heightens the matchday experience for supporters, but also reflects the calibre, preparation and commitment of the players themselves.
Moments such as player entrances, highlight packages and post-match celebrations are now delivered with the same care and creativity seen across major professional sports.
Looking Ahead to the 2026 Season
With the Super Cup setting the benchmark, attention now turns to the 2026 campaign.
Building on our centralised league partnership, we will continue delivering sports presentation support across the season for London Pulse, London Mavericks, Leeds Rhinos, Manchester Thunder and Loughborough Lightning.
Working closely with each franchise, we will deliver tailored matchday presentation strategies, creative content and robust technical production solutions designed to strengthen fan engagement and commercial value across the league.
The 2026 season is now underway… and the standard has been set.
Photography and Video courtesy of Morgan Harlow, Hayley Bavin, Ben Lumley, Flynn Duggan, Benjamin Brain, Netball Super League and England Netball.
