England netball star Berri Neil views last season’s Netball Super League Grand Final loss as a pivotal blessing that guided her to faith. The 23-year-old Loughborough Lightning player, with 11 caps for England, hit a low after her team fell short of a third straight title against London Pulse in 2025—the same team she left the prior summer.
Turning Point Through Faith
Neil’s 12-year-old brother encouraged her to attend church, igniting a spiritual journey she believes will enhance her performance on and off the court this year.
“It’s a whole new perspective on my life,” she said. “I don’t need to stress the little things as I genuinely believe there’s a bigger plan and what happens will happen.”
She connects with other Christian teammates, gaining support as a newcomer to faith. “There are other Christian girls on the team, so it has been really nice connecting with and learning from them,” Neil added. “It has been a really nice addition to the game for me.”
Post-final struggles left her questioning her purpose and reacting dramatically at home. Church brought joy and relief. “Losing a final isn’t the be all and end all, there are bigger things,” she reflected. “I look back at that final now and it is the biggest blessing. I probably never would have gone to church if we’d won the final.”
Neil embraces the outcome fully: “I look back and I wouldn’t change it for the world. I feel like I’m in a better place now losing that final than if we had won it.”
Team Strengthening and Coaching Boost
Loughborough Lightning reinforced their squad with veteran Jess Shaw’s return and promising talent Celena Appleby-Prince, promoted from the NXT Gen squad after shining as a replacement for LexisNexis Dragons.
Assistant coach Jo Noel (née Trip), a former Lightning player who joined in October, earns high praise. “Jo has been amazing,” Neil said. “I have never been coached by Jo before but she is always someone I’ve admired.”
Noel elevates training, especially defense. “She has brought a whole element of training into what we are doing and working really hard with the defence,” Neil noted. “I can definitely feel it as an attacker in training as I feel the defence have stepped up massively.”
Her insights prove invaluable: “She’ll say ‘I was a defender, I would find it hard if you did this’. That has been really nice insight. Her relentlessness in training and how strict she is with us has pushed us to the next level.”
Strong Season Start and Outlook
Lightning kicked off the season triumphantly, claiming the Netball Super Cup in Sheffield with an 18-17 final victory over Pulse. They face Dragons at David Wallace Arena on Saturday to launch league play.
“We are so excited to be back out there,” Neil shared. “It feels like we are really close as a group this year.”
Team bonding activities, including meals, Pilates sessions, and a Christmas market visit at Chatsworth, foster unity. “We will be a better and stronger team this year and I can’t wait for everyone to see,” she concluded.
