England netball star Jaz Brown has said taking the Netball Super League Grand Final to Manchester for the first time can inspire the next generation of northern players. The 24-year-old from Doncaster, who earned her first England caps in November 2025 after a standout season with Birmingham Panthers, believes the move to Co-op Live will help grow the sport across the North.
Six of the last seven finals were held in London, but this year's showpiece will cross the North-South divide. 'Netball up north is a big community, so for them to experience the Grand Final will be really special,' said Brown. 'It'll be big for the north of the country, and it will be nice not to have to travel to London every year.'
Brown, who switched from tennis to netball in 2019, recalled her own journey of travelling across the country for top-level competition. 'To see netball growing all around the country is something special,' she added. 'For netball to spread like that is something to be celebrated, and to know it's going in the right direction is exciting.'
Having featured for the Vitality Roses in the South Africa series in 2026, Brown recently graduated from Loughborough University with a degree in sports psychology. She has now joined Leeds Rhinos, with some home matches at Sheffield's Canon Medical Arena. 'I'm a Yorkshire girl, so to play in what I can call home in Sheffield will feel really special,' she said.
Brown also has her sights set on this summer's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. 'It is a big year with the Commonwealth Games coming up and to solely focus on my netball and my fitness is great,' she said, noting that her graduation has freed her from academic pressures.
