World netball great Geva Mentor confirms 2025 will be her final year in the game
After a quarter of a century of incredible service to netball, former England captain Geva Mentor has announced her retirement from the game.
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Geva Mentor has made a formal call on the moment she knew was coming, announcing her retirement from netball at the end of the current Netball Super League season aged 40.
The former England captain, who played in Australia for 16 seasons in the ANZ Championship and Super Netball competitions for the Adelaide Thunderbirds, Melbourne Vixens, Sunshine Coast Lightning and Collingwood Magpies, winning four premierships, will hang up the dress for good at the end of this season with Leeds Rhinos.
Hanging up the dress for the last time at the end of this season!
— Geva Mentor CBE (@GevaMentor) June 3, 2025
It’s been a phenomenal ride in the UK & Aus with over 300 plus league appearances! #Grateful#Retirement#NextChapterpic.twitter.com/Qm2HQshdh6
After moving back to the UK following the collapse of the Magpies and linking with the Rhinos last year, Mentor has been completing a mammoth eight-hour journey across three countries this season after moving to France to live with husband Florian Christ.
She told CODE Netball last month the biweekly tri-country trip sometimes leaves her feeling “absolutely exhausted” but she was determined to make the most of what time she has left out on court.
And while she had hinted that this would be her last season, she’s now made it official, posting on social media that “retirement is calling”.
“After a quarter of a century of preseasons it’s time to hang the playing dress up!” she posted to Instagram on Tuesday alongside a video montage of her national league dresses.
“Grateful to the people I’ve (sic) met along the way, the opportunities I’ve been able to experience and the memories I’ll treasure forever.
“To my teammates, coaches, managers, medical teams, supporters, sponsors, franchises, leagues and sport THANK YOU for challenging me, believing in me and allowing me to stay true to myself.
“May this sport that has been renowned to be poor in finance yet rich in community, continue to evolve and bring joy to all those involved through the passion and dedication of the good people.
“I can certainly say I’ve grown through this sport, I’ve found my identity, I’ve strengthened my values & I’ve had a lot of fun along the way.”
An international who’s who of the sport was quick to respond to one of the legends of the game.
Current England coach Jess Thirlby, former Diamonds coach Lisa Alexander, Super Netball clubs the Lightning, Vixens and Swifts and plenty of Mentor’s Super Netball, England Roses and Superleague teammates replied.
But so did the stars of international netball, including former rivals, South Africa and New Zealand shooter Irene van Dyk, Silver Ferns goaler Maria Folau and Diamonds defensive midcourter Renae Ingles, showing the regard in which she’s held around the world.
Even before the announcement, Mentor had been certain this season would be her last.
“You know (it’s time) when you would rather just be home and you start really missing out on what your family are doing. We’ve got two young kids from my husband’s previous relationship and all those sort of fun things,” Mentor told CODE Netball.
“For me, it has definitely turned and I have got to the point where I actually enjoy the training environment more than the games and I think that’s when I know there has been a shift in my mental approach to my career.
“I definitely think I am winding down and it’s ready for someone else to take the reins at the back. I am imparting as much (knowledge) as I can with the team that we’ve got around us.
“I am always one (who is) wanting to leave a place better than when I came in and English netball is going through a transitional stage and people do look to me because I have that experience and I’m hoping that can help.
“It wasn’t just me finishing off my career, it’s me trying to do what I can to push our sport forward.”
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Originally published as World netball great Geva Mentor confirms 2025 will be her final year in the game
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