The Cardiff-based side face newcomers Leeds Rhinos in their opening match
CELTIC Dragons’ Leila Thomas declared she is “hungrier and more determined than ever” ahead of their season opener against the Leeds Rhinos tonight (Friday).
Thomas, the 19-times capped Welsh international, has re-joined the side after recently graduating from Cardiff University.
She said: “I’m very grateful and extremely excited to be returning to Dragons, after making the difficult decision to step away last season to complete my biochemistry degree at Cardiff University.
“After having a quieter season with netball, I’m definitely feeling hungrier and more determined than ever to get back out on court”.
Leila Thomas, Celtic Dragons defender
The defender last featured for the Dragons at the 2019 British All-Stars Fast5 competition, helping them to reach the semi-finals.
2021 will be the 22-year-old’s fourth season in the Superleague.
Returning after an absence was always going to be difficult, but with the pandemic limiting training opportunities, it might have proved to be an impossible task.
However, Thomas believes that she has developed into a better player.
“I’ve always loved fitness in general, so I’ve managed to keep my fitness levels up over the Covid period with lots of running work and HIIT (high-intensity interval training) sessions.
“I’ve also really focused on building my strength and improving my nutrition, which has actually allowed me to educate myself more about fuelling my performance.
“From this, I actually think this period has somewhat moulded me into a stronger and more resilient athlete both physically and mentally,” added Thomas.
After two back-to-back seasons at the bottom of the league, the only Welsh side have been going from strength to strength, with a seventh-placed finish in 2019.
The Dragons are looking to build on this growth, focusing on developing a different style of netball and becoming more versatile opponents.
Thomas revealed: “We’ve been working hard during pre-season to solidify connections in our team, to ensure that we’re focussed on our own performance on court. We’ve also had the chance to play a few pre-season fixtures, which has allowed us to experiment and build on our units.
“We’re very lucky to have a range of players able to play across a variety of positions which can help us adapt and adjust our game massively.”
Unlike previous seasons, all matches will be played in two venues – Studio 001 in Wakefield and the Copperbox Arena in London. Strict Covid-19 restrictions mean that players and staff will have regular testing and social distancing will be enforced.
As a result, the Dragons’ “green army” will be absent, with all matches being played without spectators.
Despite the lack of a crowd, Thomas says she is very grateful for the “very supportive and encouraging” team environment for keeping up morale during the season.
These will be the first domestic matches since mid-March, after the 2020 Vitality Superleague season was cancelled and the fixtures declared void.
The 2021 season sees some major changes to the league set-up, with quarters being shortened from 15 to 12 minutes and draws now being permitted with the removal of extra time.
Teams will also have to manage consecutive rounds, with the Celtic Dragons facing Team Bath tomorrow in their second fixture.
With many sports unable to return, the Dragons’ recognise the fortunate position all 10 Superleague squads are in.
“We are also very grateful and privileged to be playing sport at the moment and with every match being aired on Sky and/or Youtube, we’re determined to put a good performance on court for our fans supporting from home,” said Thomas.
The Celtic Dragons will get the season underway with their opening fixture against unfamiliar foes, the Leeds Rhinos.
The Rhinos will make their debut in the Superleague tonight, but Thomas trusts her side to be ready for any surprises.
“It’s great that Leeds Rhinos are in the Superleague this season as it offers a different style of competition,” said Thomas.
“We haven’t seen a lot of Leeds Rhinos and so we are excited to take on the challenge on Friday as we’re also a pretty new-look side so it could prove a good battle.
“There has also been a lot of fluidity & exchanges between teams this season which could make for an unpredictable season in terms of the results table.”
- Celtic Dragons v Leeds Rhinos starts tonight at 5.15pm GMT, live on Sky Sports and Sky Sports’ YouTube channel.
- Team Bath v Celtic Dragons starts Saturday, February 14 at 4pm GMT.
