Netball Super League: Nottingham Forest beat Leeds Rhinos to maintain their unbeaten start

Nottingham Forest continued their perfect start to the 2026 Netball Super League (NSL) season with a 61-51 win over Leeds Rhinos at Motorpoint Arena.

South Africa’s Rolene Stroutker, the 2025 Premier League Player of the Year, made a difference by scoring a match-high 32 goals.

Forest are one of only two teams to have won all three of their matches to start the campaign and sit second behind three-time Grand Final winners Loughborough Lightning.

The Rhinos team ranks sixth in the standings after winning one match and losing two of its first three matches.

There were also two double-headers at Motorpoint Stadium in Nottingham on Saturday, with Loughborough Lightning and London Mavericks both picking up victories.

The Lightning beat defending Netball Super League (NSL) champions London Pulse 68-61.

Pulse dethroned Lightning as champions in 2025 to claim their first title and both are once again considered contenders to win the Grand Final this season.

Loughborough got some revenge when they beat Pulse in the final to win the Netball Super Cup last month.

But this league win was another early statement as the three-time Grand Final winners remained in the lead after the first three rounds, with Pauls a further three points back in fourth.

The Lightning’s Samantha Wallace-Joseph and the Pulse’s Liv Tchine were among the top scorers in the match with 25 goals each.

Meanwhile, the London Mavericks achieved their first win of the season in their third attempt, crushing the Birmingham Panthers 76-49.

They needed a powerful shot to win their previous encounter last season, but 43 goals from goalkeeper George Inger helped the capital club to victory on Saturday.