Netball Super Cup 2026 results: Loughborough Lightning beat London Pulse in the Sheffield final

International commitments during the winter months halted preparations for the new season and this was a common message from the coaches as some teams coped better than others on the big stage.

In front of packed stands in one of the UK’s largest indoor arenas, both Birmingham Panthers and Manchester Thunder lost three games from three.

“It was a tough day,” said Thunder coach Karen Gregg, whose team lost three tough games to exit early.

The Thunder will face NSL champions Pulse in their league opener, with more than 5,000 tickets sold for the Copper Box encounter.

Greig has brought England striker El Cardwell back to England after a successful spell in Australia, while the Thunder have also brought back Roses star Nate Metcalfe after she missed last season while pregnant and raising her son Miller.

But to no avail in the Super Cup.

“Today was about understanding where we really were,” Greg said.

“The performances and communications on the field definitely highlighted that.

“The quality we have in our group is undeniable, and now it’s about making sure everyone is on the same page and connected.”

There was no such problem for Lightning while Pulse took solace from being away from another headliner.

As Pulse coach Sam Bird said: “I’m not too worried. I’m disappointed because I like to win everything available but I think we take a lot of positives from today. It’s a nice competition to keep going.”