England international Helen Housby has given the new look Swifts the thumbs up!
Head Coach Dylan Nexhip has brought in five new players for the 2027 season including Diamonds Tilly Garrett and Rudi Ellis, as well as international shooter Mary Cholhok.
And after only a few training sessions, Swifts Centurion Housby is already really impressed with the new stars.
“I think the new girls that we’ve brought in are going to add something special. I can’t wait,” Housby said.
Housby was sidelined with a back injury last season, which also ruled her out of the Commonwealth Games. She said watching from the sidelines wasn’t easy, but the longest break of her career came with a silver lining: precious time at home with family in England.
The motivation to bounce back is already clear. She is now back in the gym and cleared to start running in two weeks. With the season not starting until April, Housby has the luxury of time on her side to ensure she is back and ready to rip in.
“I’ll be ready to go for the start of the season,” Housby said.
Housby has been around since the competition’s very first season, and she was drawn to the Swifts long before she wore the dress. Their world-renowned reputation was the pull, and in her eyes the club has only built on it since.
“The heritage of the club was known worldwide, and since I’ve joined, it seems like that’s just continued,” Housby said.
“The club do a really good job of pursuing excellence in everything. Every staff member is always trying to get better, and it makes it a really fun place to go to work.”
Housby moved to Sydney from England at 21, without friends, family or coaches in the country. She said her teammates quickly became like sisters.
“It’s an amazing club. It’s a family club, and a successful one.” Housby said.
Housby has also racked up 119 games for England, a milestone she describes as one of the greatest honours of her life, and she has no plans to slow down.
“I absolutely love playing for England, and I’ll keep playing until they retire me.” Housby said.
Of everything she’s done in netball, one moment stands above the rest: the 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medal match on the Gold Coast. Housby scored the winning goal, and England were never seen the same way again.
Sydney has also become a genuine second home for Housby, and she said exploring the city is a big part of how she plays her best netball.
“If I’m too focused on netball, then I actually don’t play as well. Being a bit more balanced and well-rounded is good for me, and Sydney’s the best place in the world to do that. I think it’s the best city in the world, personally. I sound like I’m working for Sydney Tourism!” Housby said.
Looking ahead to 2027, Housby has two fixtures circled in her calendar. The first is Round 1, when the Swifts host the Queensland Firebirds at Ken Rosewall Arena. The second is the Sydney derby against the newly branded Sydney Sirens, a match she says always gets her blood pumping.
“There’ll be a lot of fresh faces, and it’ll be interesting to see how they go,” she said.
Housby is also looking forward to the Super Netball Grand Final being played in Sydney for the first time and hopes the Swifts will be right in the thick of it.
Every match of the 2027 season will be available on Stan Sport and streamed free on 9Now, with a minimum of two matches per week on the 9Network linear channels.
Watch Helen’s full chat on Wide World of Sports
