Moda announced as sponsors of the Leeds Rhinos Netball Superleague team

Moda Living has been announced as one of Leeds Rhinos Netball team’s main sponsors. The Moda logo is emblazoned down the side of the Rhinos kit, proudly showcased for the first time on Sky Sports earlier this month.

Yorkshire based Moda Living the UK’s fastest growing rental brand, with over £1bn of construction on site across the UK, and a growing pipeline of over 8,000 homes from Edinburgh to Brighton.

Moda is changing the rules of renting with its innovative Next Generation Neighbourhoods, offering no deposit, no fees, and a whole lifestyle for the cost of your rent. The company is on a mission to make high-quality rental a lifestyle choice, and promises that their communities are flexible, secure, accessible, and intergenerational. They aspire to be a brand synonymous with home. Moda’s SOYO neighbourhood in Leeds is set to top out this summer and is scheduled to open its doors to residents in 2022.

Leeds Rhinos entered the Vitality Netball Superleague for the first time this year, bringing elite level netball to Yorkshire. Games this season will all be played at central venues, Wakefield’s Production Park and Copperbox in London, and Leeds Rhinos has been selected for ten live sky TV games - more than any other team.

The Vitality Netball Superleague welcomed 10,000 fans for their season opener last year showing the mass audience and interest in the sport and Leeds Rhinos Netball are proud to be able to bring elite netball back to Yorkshire where they hope to attract a new audience and inspire more players.

The Rhinos team is led by co-captains Jade Clarke, who is Vitality Roses most capped player and Norther Ireland international Fi Toner. The side also includes Leeds-own Brie Grierson and Rosie Harris as well as Vitality Roses player Vicki Oyesola, who recently played for the Roses in the Legends Series against the Superleague Allstars alongside Clarke.

With inspirational coach Dan Ryan at the helm, the squad are aiming to make a big impact in their first season. Dan has previously held roles as Head Coach with Adelaide Thunderbirds, Assistant Coach with Manchester Thunder and is the current Head Coach of the Northern Ireland national team. As an athlete, Dan is the former Captain of the Australia Sonix men’s netball team. With Dan’s diverse skill set, strong leadership, and bold vision, Leeds Rhinos Netball is well placed to make its mark in 2021.

Says Lydia Eustace, Head of Health & Wellbeing at Moda: “The importance Leeds Rhinos Netball place on developing great athletes on the court as well as rounded and balanced people off the court struck a chord with us. We focus heavily on supporting Moda residents' mental wellbeing which has been even more important during the pandemic. We look forward to working with the team on a number of initiatives in the local community, including the launch of the Moda Corporate Netball Tournament for businesses in the region.”

Dan Busfield, Franchise Director for Leeds Rhinos Netball says: “We are delighted to welcome Moda as one of our key sponsors for our first Superleague season. As a local business with a UK wide reach, a huge focus on health, nutrition and wellbeing and an engaged community of residents many of whom are keen sports players, it seemed like a natural fit. We look forward to working on some exciting initiatives as the year progresses and would like to thank them for their support.”

Unsurprisingly since the England Roses became Commonwealth Games Gold medallists in 2018, earning the accolade of BBC Sports Team of the Year, 130,000 new participants were inspired to take up netball. Now over 1.4 million women and girls play netball in the UK.

Alongside its official charity, Leeds Rhinos Foundation, Leeds Rhinos Netball is committed to supporting the country’s most popular women’s team sport. Their mission is to provide a platform for netball’s next generation of superstars to emerge, flourish and thrive as part of the wider Leeds Rhinos sporting club.

Part of their community outreach includes visiting schools and providing coaching sessions. ‘Mini Netball’ classes- for junior players aged 5-12 years old- have seen over a 300% growth in participation, with the sessions now being delivered to more than 90 aspiring netballers at four regional venues.

Moda will be launching Yorkshire's first Corporate Netball Tournament later this year once it is safe to do so.