Billy Bowers – Stepping down and Retiring from Superleague.

Billy Bowers has recently announced that she is stepping down as Captain and re-tiring from Superleague after an awesome time where TeamBath have taken the Superleague title for 2 successive years.  Under Billy’s captaincy TeamBath won both the 2004 Super Cup and the inaugural Superleague, in 2006. She has played in four of TeamBath’s five Super Cup campaigns.
An experienced Welsh international, Billy has played for Wales for six years, including at the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games and at the 2003 World Championships in Jamaica. Captained the Welsh team finishing eighth at the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games.
With Billy’s wedding looming closer this summer, in August, Netball South West caught up with her to see what she had to say.

“Superleague 2006/07 has proven to be the most successful year for netball to date, especially for TeamBath.  With the realisation that netball through SkySports was going to reach far more people than ever before the pressure was really on to showcase netball at the highest level.  This was going to be essential in order for the sport to grow further and challenge the more main stream sports including some people’s perception of netball as a school girl sport. 

It was always going to be hard living up to the expectations of being the 2005/6 champions. It started with selections in August 2006 when some hard decisions had to be made with regard to which players were going to stay and which had to leave due to the restrictions enforced on the Superleague teams by England Netball.  This was quite an upsetting time and it saw valuable TeamBath members having to leave and join other franchises. However, we pulled together and began what has been one of the longest netball seasons I've ever played in!!!

All the players and coaching staff have worked tirelessly the whole year, ensuring we were prepared mentally and physically for each fixture.  By taking it one game at a time we maintained our short term focus without having the temptation of being distracted and looking too far into the future at finals.  This is something that we always try and do as when you assume you'll make finals, a banana skin tends to come from nowhere!!

The hard work has paid off and the result is that after a hard fought victory TeamBath are once again champions of the National Superleague, a victory that is particularly sweet for me as I step down as captain and retire from Superleague netball.  TeamBath are hugely grateful to all the players, coaches, umpires and spectators from the region that supports us, as with any club without willing volunteers and positive support TeamBath could not exist let alone be successful. 

A special acknowledgement must go to Netball director at TeamBath, Lyn Gunson.  Her hard work and vision has been integral in the success of the region, and I would personally like to offer my great thanks to her for this.

I wish all netballers in the region the best of luck in whatever avenue they take with their Netball, people at all levels are important to the sport and I hope your love for the sport continues long into the future helping to make the region the best in England”.

The Netball South West Board and the many followers and supporters of Team Bath wish Billy well, particularly at the World Championships later this year where she will take the court under her true Welsh Colours.