Captain

Betsy Creak

Wales international and goal shooter/goal attack Betsy Creak captained Birmingham Panthers during the 2026 season. An experienced presence in the shooting circle, she represented her country at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and has played across the NSL for Team Bath, Severn Stars and Panthers.

Coaching Team

Sonia Mkoloma

Head coach and former England defender Sonia Mkoloma brought a significant playing and coaching career to Birmingham, including 123 international appearances and more than a decade competing in Australia. A former Roses assistant and pathway coach, she is also known beyond netball as a referee on the BBC’s Gladiators.

Jen Barrett

Assistant coach Jen Barrett combines her role at Panthers with leading the netball programme at the University of Birmingham. Her coaching experience also includes the Cardiff Dragons and Wales’ age-group international pathway. In the series, she also reflects on becoming a mother to her young son, Freddie, while continuing her career in elite sport.

Players

Gabby Coffey

Australian goal defence/goal keeper Gabby Coffey moved from Alice Springs to Melbourne as a teenager to pursue elite netball before joining Panthers for its inaugural season. A proud Wiradjuri woman, she is passionate about creating greater sporting opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Charli Fidler

Sydney-born goal keeper/goal defence Charli Fidler arrived at Panthers following a title-winning season with New Zealand’s Mainland Tactix. The in-circle defender previously spent three years with Giants Netball and has won multiple titles in the NSW Premier League.

Ruth Hughes

A quick and creative wing attack/centre, Ruth Hughes earned her full-time NSL opportunity after several seasons as a training partner. Away from netball, she completed a Master of Pharmacy and has continued her professional training as a foundation pharmacist.

Izzy Kaye

Defensive midcourter Izzy Kaye, who plays at wing defence and centre, joined Panthers after winning the inaugural NXT Gen League with Loughborough Lightning. A longstanding member of the England pathway, she has represented her country at U17, U19 and U21 level and won bronze at the 2025 Netball World Youth Cup.

Shelly Magee

Northern Ireland goal defence/wing defence Shelly Magee made her senior international debut at 17 and competed at her first Commonwealth Games a year later. She captained Northern Ireland at Glasgow 2026, her third Commonwealth Games. Alongside netball, she has played inter-county Gaelic football and holds a master’s degree in clinical and industrial drug development.

Tiana Metuarau

Goal attack/goal shooter Tiana Metuarau brought more than 125 ANZ Premiership appearances and three championship titles to Birmingham. Born in England and raised in Wellington, the New Zealand international is proudly of Cook Islands and Māori heritage and helped her country win the 2017 Netball World Youth Cup.

Sammy Ngubane

South Africa goal attack/goal shooter Owethu ‘Sammy’ Ngubane joined Panthers during the second half of the season as a replacement shooter. She previously played in the NSL for Strathclyde Sirens and has represented the SPAR Proteas at the 2023 Netball World Cup and Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Alanna Pullen

Wing attack/centre/goal attack Alanna Pullen progressed through the Wasps, Central Warriors and Team Bath pathways before stepping into the NSL with Panthers. The versatile midcourter has represented England at U21 level and was part of the bronze-medal team at the 2025 Netball World Youth Cup.

Kira Rothwell

Goal attack/goal shooter Kira Rothwell entered her eighth NSL season with Panthers after spells with London Pulse and London Mavericks, and can also move into wing attack. An international pathway player, she combines elite netball with studying medicine at Barts and The London. She represents Trinidad & Tobago on the international stage.

Club Leadership

Alison Kay

Alison Kay is Executive Chair and Co-Founder of Birmingham Panthers, having helped establish the club ahead of the relaunched Netball Super League. Alongside leading the club’s ambitions to grow professional netball, she is Vice President and Managing Director of Amazon Web Services for the UK and Ireland.

Will Collinson

Will Collinson is Chief Executive of Birmingham Panthers and supports the club’s commercial and operational development. A sports industry leader and marketer whose previous roles include Head of Marketing at the England and Wales Cricket Board, he appears in the series to discuss the realities of establishing and growing a new professional netball franchise.

Also Featuring

Sigi Burger

Former Birmingham Panthers goal shooter Sigi Burger appears in the series following her time with the club during its inaugural NSL season. The South African international represented the SPAR Proteas at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games and the 2019 Netball World Cup, and has played extensively in the NSL for Surrey Storm, London Pulse, Severn Stars and Panthers.

Rhea Dixon

Jamaica international goal attack Rhea Dixon appears in the series alongside her fiancée, Shelly Magee. She made her Commonwealth Games debut at Glasgow 2026, helping the Sunshine Girls secure the silver medal.

Additional Contributors

The series also features members of the Panthers’ wider performance and support team, including the club’s strength and conditioning coaches and sports psychologist, whose contributions explore the physical and psychological demands placed on professional athletes.