Birmingham Panthers to play all around Midlands

Former Australian goal defence Gabby Coffey hopes the new team will inspire future generations to try the sport

The newly-formed Birmingham Panthers netball team are set to take the game all across the Midlands.

The region's previous team, the Severn Stars, were based in Worcester, but the new club will play in Netball Super League with home games taking place in Birmingham, Coventry and Worcester.

Gabby Coffey said she and her teammates had the opportunity to help the game grow.

"We are able to show our faces in the community and build that connection and build it for years to come, we're trying to make it sustainable for the next 20 years or so", Ms Coffey said.

The team launched a new mascot ahead of their debut, Peaky the Panther, who got her first public outing at Devonshire Junior Academy in Smethwick, in the hope of inspiring the next generation of players.

The club demonstrated a promising start after securing a pre-season victory over Nottingham Forest last week.

Team member Aliyah Zaranyika said despite the season marking their debut, the team had high hopes.

"We have the target of finishing in the top four and everybody wants to finish as high as we can, everybody wants to win.

"We also have our own goals, we know how far we can push each other and we help each other improve as individuals", Ms Zaranyika added.

The team will play their first competitive game on 8 March.