“In my heart of hearts it was always going to be Bath"
Thursday 7 November 2019 11:21, UK
She’s one of English netball’s finest exports, a Commonwealth Games gold medal winner who has starred in Australia and on Wednesday she confirmed she would be returning to where it all began. Paul Prenderville spoke to Serena Guthrie on a decision that was about more than just netball.
As a rule British sports stars don't tend to leave their own patch too often. Even less frequently do they tear up the league or sport they are playing but that is exactly what Serena Guthrie has been doing for four years and next year she will be back in the UK with Team Bath.
As netball continues to grow in the UK, and its profile has never been higher thanks to Guthrie and her gold medal-winning Roses teammates, the sport's elite are still to be found playing their netball in Australia and New Zealand where the profile is almost unparalleled in women's sport.
"It enabled me to take my game to the next level and the Suncorp has gone on this amazing uphill rocket, even from last year to this year," she tells Sky Sports.
"You take these opportunities and you never know quite where they are going to take you, but my two years in New Zealand was a great starting point in terms of crafting and learning.
"Moving to the Giants was a big risk, the leagues were splitting. I had really enjoyed my time in New Zealand but it was the best decision of my career.
"What has been so great about the Suncorp is the import rule which has opened up so many opportunities for players not just in the UK but from all over the world
"It is such a great league to watch. As a player I have loved watching all the teams and players from lots of different countries - that rule makes it the best league in the world and has grown the league so much.
"It's such a tough competition, it keeps you accountable week-in, week-out - you have to always be at your best and that has only helped me on so many levels from playing internationally to executed skills under pressure."
Helen Housby has just committed to three more years with the NSW Swifts, Jo Harten is sticking with the Giants and Geva Mentor has just won a second successive Suncorp title with Sunshine Coast Lightning.
And Guthrie was with them until a few weeks ago. A leading light for English netballers, she was named in the 2018 Suncorp Team of the Year as her Giants team fell just short for a second successive season.
With that in mind the decision to leave the sport's showpiece league came as a surprise - although Guthrie admits it's been on her mind, particularly with a World Cup being hosted in Liverpool.
"It's been on my radar for a little while - I always wanted to come back and play my netball in the UK again.
"As much as I love playing in Australia and being part of the Suncorp is an incredible experience as an English netballer, it's going to be pretty cool to come back and play in the Superleague and our home fans.
"I am older, a more senior player and it's quite important to me to add value to the league where I started.
"It's also a World Cup year and that will be a pretty cool thing to be a part of that on home soil - at the Commonwealths it was great to get a gold medal but we didn't get any of that buzz on the ground.
"We saw it all on social media and that made me realise for the first time the support that netball has back home and the lift that the gold medal has given the game.
"Next year it is going to be a fun year to be an English netballer in England with the World Cup."
Guthrie would arguably improve any team in world netball, her mid-court presence, athleticism and leadership skills stand out and it would not be a stretch to think all 10 Vitality Superleague teams had reached out to her.
But when the decision came it was inevitable, says Guthrie, who is keen to square the circle that began with her coming through the system at Bath to claim multiple titles. She feels she owes it to them.
"When I was making the decision in terms of wanting to be back at home, Bath was the most familiar place in terms of where I have lived and I loved being there when I was a player.
"When I knew, I approached them about what they could offer me - I guess I wanted to give them first dibs!
"I have thought long and hard about what I want in coming back home - it's not necessarily just a netball decision because if it was I would be staying in Australia."
Not that it was a decision taken lightly. Guthrie is fiercely determined to win again and, when questioned as to whether she would have returned to the West Country if the Blue and Gold had not been competitive, her response was quick.
"I am coming back to win! I am looking forward to the challenge of trying to win another Championship.
"Bath's success in the past helped me make my decision - I am not too discouraged that they haven't quite made it in recent years. It will be quite nice to go to a team who are fighting and where hopefully I can be a positive influence.
"As a player you always want to play for a club that is successful or has the history of being successful. Bath haven't won a Championship in a while but they have and I have been in an environment that has won titles and I loved that as a budding young athlete at the time."
So Guthrie returns to Bath and there is no question the Superleague will be better for it, but what of her time in Australia? Having embraced Aussie sport and culture, what is she aiming to bring back? Chief among the targets is a love of better coffee.
"If I could change the approach to coffee that would be a bigger achievement," she laughs before switching her attention to matters on the court.
"When I was making the decision in terms of wanting to be back at home, Bath was the most familiar place in terms of where I have lived and I loved being there when I was a player there.
"Bath can offer me things around my life, holistically, to help me build, tick a few more boxes but all the while keep playing good quality netball.
"You get to a point in the game where you ask yourself what other value can I add to the franchise - can I use my experience in other ways and get out into the community? All those other bits start to matter."
What also matters is international duty. With England up to second in the world rankings and a World Cup in Liverpool less than a year away, Guthrie feels a duty to the sport in this country, while admitting it has some way to go to the southern hemisphere.
"At the moment, if we want players to be able to travel the world and play for different teams around the year, the league in the UK would have to become completely professional.
"We are fighting a bit of a battle, not just as a female sport but as an amateur sport - all sports have to go through that process. It's growing but we are all aware there is a long way to go.
"There has to be money, and real money too. In terms of a salary cap the difference between Australia is huge.
"As much as we don't like to make it about money, that is what will help the sport to grow. It will bring in better players, which will bring in better commercial deals. It all goes hand-in-hand.
"I want to see the game in the UK grow too, find more ways to attract the very best players and wow the crowds and spice up the competition - that is something for us all to aim at."
It's clear that the 28-year-old's journey so far has been a rich and fulfilling one but equally it feels like there is more to play out. It's going to be fun watching how the latest chapter unfolds.
Guthrie is in action with England live on Sky Sports for the upcoming Quad Series against Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. You can follow all the action on Sky Sports Mix from the early hours of September 15.
