By Danny Caro
Hattie Grant is relishing her Superleague debut after being selected for Team Northumbria.
Grant, who is 18 and from Leeds, has made big strides after helping Team Maccabi GB win gold in the junior netball competition at the 2013 Maccabiah Games.
She took up the sport aged nine and represented her county, West Yorkshire, two years later.
Mid-court player Grant can now look forward to taking on the likes of Bath and Celtic Dragons in front of the Sky Sports cameras.
She said: "It's very exciting to be selected as I’ve always aspired to play in the Superleague. I wasn’t expecting to make the final 15, let alone the final 12. I thought a lack of experience would count against me.
"The Superleague will be a much higher standard than anything I’ve ever played in. I expect the games to be much more physical than at the Maccabiah, as our opponents will be much bigger. But I enjoy the physical aspect of the game, it brings out the best in me."
Asked about playing for her country one day, Grant, who is a student at Newcastle University, said: "I want to focus on the Superleague and excelling here before thinking about England."