Intercept 2023: Lions Prepare for the Biggest Event of Their Year

Joe Liddicot Sport Editor

One of the biggest events on UoB’s netball calendar takes place this week as Intercept rolls around on Wednesday (22nd February). The fixture is the annual BUCS super series event for netball, and will be an evening of netballing excellence and entertainment for all attendees.

In last year’s event, the Lions triumphed over Exeter with a comfortable 58-31 victory, and they’ll be hoping to do the same in 2023 to keep the crowds happy. However, the opponent for this year’s clash is still unknown just a week ahead of the match. What’s certain is that it will be either Hertfordshire University or The University of Manchester who travel to Birmingham for the fixture. The two sides face each other a week before Intercept, with the winner securing their place in the fixture.

Hertfordshire will be the favourites in the match, being the reigning BUCS champions, while Manchester are yet to win a game this season. In their last faceoff in November, UoB came out 71-24 winners over Manchester. Should high-class team renowned for developing young talent. Unfortunately, Rothwell won’t be playing in Intercept due to her commitments to the Mavericks, but the squad is more than capable regardless.

Hertfordshire triumph over Manchester, it will set up a mouthwatering rematch of last year’s BUCS Final. Unfortunately for the Lions, they lost that match by a mere three points, and will undoubtedly be seeking revenge should Herts Uni be their opponents on Wednesday.

The match itself holds importance for the Lions’ season, it being the Quarter-Final of the BUCS competition. A win would secure a place in the Semi-Final and boost hopes of going one step further than last year to clinch the trophy. The squad certainly has the talent to win it all, with two of the players being members of Vitality Netball Super League teams: Kira Rothwell as part of Saracens Mavericks and captain Ruth Hughes for Severn Stars. Additionally, a lot of the squad play for Central Warriors U21, a over Manchester Met on the 25th of January. This isn’t ideal preparation ahead of the big match, though it may allow for extra rest and recuperation for the playersleaving them at full fitness for the key game. The Lions have lost just two games this season and look in formidable form. Both losses came at the hands of an impressive Loughborough team who may await UoB at a later stage in the competition. But Birmingham won’t be concerned with Loughborough this weekend. Their focus will be trained entirely on putting on a show for the fans at Intercept, and moving on to the final four of BUCS Netball. Whatever the result, it’s sure to be a thrilling evening for everyone involved.

Aside from the match, which starts at 6PM, there are plenty of other forms of entertainment on offer, including a raffle, games for primary school children who are attending, and an appearance from UoB alumnus Ellie Rattu, a current England Roses player. The Birmingham Pussycats will be performing at half-time to keep the crowds happy while the netballers are off the court. No doubt their performance will be just as impressive and exhilarating as the netball on display. Entry to this festival of fun is free, so there’s no excuse not to sample the entertainment available.

However, the Lions haven’t played since their 46-39 victory