DENSHAW’S Ruby Parker made an unexpected debut for Manchester Thunder in their Vitality Netball Superleague match against Team Bath.
The 17-year-old A-Level student at Bluecoat School was drafted into the squad for the first time when England international Natalie Metcalf had to self-isolate.
Ruby, who plays mainly goal shooter but also sometimes goal attack, only expected to be on the bench.
But director of netball/head coach Karen Greig, who is from Chadderton, pitched Ruby into the action for the last five minutes.
“Team Bath pulled the deficit back to 12 in the third quarter, which is nothing in netball, so I wasn’t expected to get on to the court,” Ruby explained.
“I was very nervous but really pleased to make my debut.”
Thunder beat Team Bath 66-45 to maintain their perfect start to the season of 16 straight wins.
With four games left, it is between them and Loughborough Lightning, who have lost only once, for the league title.
Rugby, a member of Thunder’s Under-19s double-winning side of 2022, is a training partner with Thunder’s Superleague squad.
That status means she trains two or three times each week with them and can be called up if any of their 12-strong squad is injured or unavailable.
“I have been a training partner since February. To be around the coaching environment for the Superleague team has been great, both on and off the court,” she said.
Ruby, a member of the England U19 Roses squad, has been with Thunder since the age of 13.
She has come through their pathway programme playing for the U15, U17, U19 and U21 sides.
It has been a hugely successful season for Ruby, a former pupil at Buckstones Primary, Shaw.
Ruby helped Thunder’s U19 team to the National Performance League title and they followed that with victory in the play-offs and individually was named the league’s player of the year.
That team also included Grasscroft’s Georgia Spratt and Holly Simpson, from Greenfield.
Ruby, who still plays for Oldham Netball Club having joined them aged seven, helped them win the National Premier League title.
She has also helped Bluecoat win the national schools’ title and was joined in that successful side by Georgia and Hannah Diamond who is from Diggle along with Chadderton pair Lucy Aplin and Molly Stevenson.
As a youngster Ruby was a sporting-all-rounder and featured in the Delph and Denshaw team at the Saddleworth Olympics.
She swam for Crompton Classics before having to choose between that and netball.
“I enjoyed swimming but not the 5am starts. You train later in the day at netball and that had a bearing on my decision,” she said.
Head coach Greig believes Ruby has the attributes to have a successful netball career.
She said: “Ruby is among an exclusive club, a handful of 16 and 17-year-old who have played in Superleague.
“She is an athlete and a fantastic shooter, somebody who is very accurate. Since she joined the Superleague squad in September and signed a contract in December, she has given a good account of herself.
“I have kept an eye on Ruby’s progress on the pathway for a long time and knew what she was capable of achieving.
“It has been a case of providing opportunities in the squad, but one came against Team Bath, one of the best teams in the league with one of the best defensive line-ups.
“The physicality and mentality is different in Superleague and Ruby has work to do, but she has all the attributes. If she keeps working at her game, hopefully she will have a successful netball career.”
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