Super Netball 2023: Helen Housby on benefits of playing in Australia and facing English teammate

A NSW Swifts star is among the international representatives who are benefitting from playing in Australia. And her semi-final clash doubles as preparation for the upcoming World Cup.

There’s no doubt Helen Housby will have a laser-like focus when she takes the court with the NSW Swifts in their major semi-final clash against the Adelaide Thunderbirds on Saturday night.

Housby’s sole goal will be to spearhead the Swifts’ bid for a third Super Netball grand final appearance.

But the goaler, arguably the form player in the competition will at the same time be honing her game for the World Cup, where she will represent England.

Like her England Roses teammate Eleanor Cardwell, who will line up in the same position as Housby for the Thunderbirds - as well as Jamaican representatives Romelda Aiken George (Swifts) and defenders Shamera Sterling and Latanya Wilson (T-Birds) - Housby is benefitting from Super Netball being the toughest competition in the world.

And she makes no bones about the fact the Aussie comp has made her a better player for England.

Super Netball has seen Helen Housby’s game improve for England. Picture: Jono Searle/Getty Images

“I know that Super Netball and coming out here (to Australia) definitely raised my own ability and confidence,” Housby said.

“And then I think you take that back to your international program and you’re not only better in that program but you also lift the people around you.

“It happened for me when I was seeing Geva Mentor and Jo Harten come out here to this side of the world and play and then they’d come back into the program for England and they were just completely different players and they had so much knowledge about the opposition and it really helps.

“And being able to play the best defenders in the world week-in and week-out does so much for your confidence because it makes it not an unknown thing when you go into an international series and you know exactly who you’re playing against.

“I think it has made a huge difference - but not just for the England program, I think you can see it in the Jamaican program and the South Africans.

“You can see everybody making these great leaps forward and it’s because they’ve got individuals that are coming out here and playing in the best league in the world.

“And I think it’s only good for world netball to have that.”

Housby and Cardwell may be about to team up in Cape Town for the World Cup but on Saturday, they’ll be sworn enemies, both attempting to help their team win.

Housby will be up against Eleanor Cardwell. Picture: James Worsfold/Getty Images

“It is a bit strange but it’s been like that for as long as I’ve been a Swift, there have always been English girls at the other end of the court,” Housby said.

“It’s a bit odd because the English girls in particular, I think they’ve got a really strong bond and the Roses are just so connected.

“But once the whistle goes, we’re definitely not teammates anymore. It’s all about Swifts (for me) - and for her it’ll be all about the Thunderbirds.

“I think you respect each other as professional athletes and it’s not personal. We can be enemies now and then as soon as we get into the same colours as England, it’s back to being friends again - and I’m sure she’d say the same thing.”

In a scheduling peculiarity, the Swifts and T-Birds met in the final fixture round last week - a game that turned out to be their only full match this season after their round 2 encounter was abandoned after a power outage.

The Thunderbirds ended the minor premiers’ nine-match winning streak, with Adelaide coach Tania Obst switching her defenders constantly throughout the game.

But Housby was confident the Swifts could turn things around.

“I don’t think anything that they’re going to put out will be a surprise,” she said.

“I think we’re ready for anything and I think we can combat anything. For us, it’s just being adaptable in the moment and recognising if we need to change things and how to do that.

“Finals games always feel a little bit different. I think this it matters who we’re playing, it’s always going to feel that little bit more exciting.

“This is the one game you want to be playing all year because you get that second shot (at the finals if you lose).

“But nobody wants to rely on that. You want to just hit it the first time you can and be able to guarantee a grand final, so we’re obviously going to be going into this game hard.”

Originally published as Super Netball 2023: Helen Housby on benefits of playing in Australia and facing English teammate