Sapphire Series

Sapphire Series
SportNetball
Founded2019
Owner(s)Netball Queensland
No. of teams10 (2022)
CountryAustralia
Venue(s)Queensland State Netball Centre
Most recent
champion(s)		Brisbane North Cougars (2021)
Most titlesBrisbane North Cougars
(2 titles)
Sponsor(s)Hart Sport
Level on pyramid3
Official websiteSapphire Series

The Sapphire Series (also known as the Hart Sapphire Series under naming rights) is a state netball league featuring teams from Queensland. The league is organised by Netball Queensland. The current semi-professional league was first played for during the 2019 season. It replaced earlier state leagues organised by Netball Queensland as the top level netball competition in Queensland. On a national level, the HART Sapphire Series is effectively a third level league. Reserve teams compete in the Ruby Series.[1][2] The Firebirds Futures are the representative team of the Sapphire Series. They originally played as Queensland Fusion, and then in 2021 were re-branded Queensland Sapphires after the Sapphire Series.[3]

History[edit]

Earlier state leagues[edit]

Between 2001 and 2018, Netball Queensland organised a series of state leagues. These included the Dairy Farmers Cup, the Holden Astra Cup, the Holden Cruze Cup, the Queensland Champions Cup and the Queensland State Netball League.[4][5][6][7][8]

2019[edit]

In 2019 the founding members of the Sapphire Series included Bond University Bull Sharks, Brisbane North Cougars, Carina Leagues Club Tigers, Ipswich Jets, Moreton Bay/USC Thunder, Northern Rays and QUT Wildcats.[9][10][11] The inaugural season began on 25 June 2019, with a match which saw Thunder defeat Bull Sharks 53–44.[12] QUT Wildcats were the inaugural premiers after defeating Cougars 60–49 in the grand final.[13][14]

2020[edit]

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 season took place later then planned. Northern Rays were unable to compete due to travel restrictions, so the second season went ahead with six teams in the Sapphire Series. Cougars, Jets, Wildcats, Tigers, Bullsharks and Thunder also entered the Ruby Series were they joined by a seventh team, Darling Downs Panthers. Cougars finished the season as premiers after defeating Jets 62–47 in the grand final.[15][16][17][18][19]

2021[edit]

The 2021 Sapphire Series featured eight teams with the return of Northern Rays and the debut of QUT Netball.[20][21] Brisbane North Cougars finished the season as premiers after defeating QUT Netball 70–45 in the grand final.[22]

2022[edit]

In December 2021 it was announced that Gold Coast Titans would enter a team in the 2022 Sapphire Series.[23][24]

Teams[edit]

Team Home venue/base Home city/town/suburb Debut season
Bond University Bull Sharks[25][26] Bond University 2019
Brisbane North Cougars[27][28] North Brisbane 2019
Brisbane South Wildcats[29][30][31] Nissan Arena South Brisbane 2019
Carina Leagues Club Tigers[32][33] East Brisbane 2019
Darling Downs Panthers[34][35] Downlands College Toowoomba 2020
Gold Coast Titans[23][24] Gold Coast, Queensland 2022
Northern Mendi Rays[36][37] Townsville Stadium Townsville 2019
QUT Netball[20][38][39] Nissan Arena Queensland University of Technology 2021
USC Thunder[40][41][42] USC Stadium University of the Sunshine Coast 2019
USQ Jets Netball Club[43][44] Ipswich, Queensland 2019
Notes

Source:[9]

Venues[edit]

The majority of Sapphire Series matches are played at the Queensland State Netball Centre. Northern Rays play their home games in North Queensland, while the remaining teams can play two home games in their own venue each season.[9][11]

Representative team[edit]

Queensland Sapphires are the representative team of the HART Sapphire Series. They originally played as Queensland Fusion. In 2021 they were re-branded Queensland Sapphires after the Sapphire Series.[3][45][46][47]

Division 1 grand finals[edit]

Dairy Farmers Cup
Season Winners Score Runners Up Venue
2001[48] Brisbane North Cougars Brisbane East Pumas ?
2002 Brisbane North Cougars
2003[48][49] Brisbane North Cougars Brisbane West Pumas Mount Gravatt
2004 Brisbane North Cougars
Holden Astra Cup
Season Winners Score Runners Up Venue
2005 Brisbane North Cougars
2006
2007[50] Brisbane North Cougars
2008[50] ??? Tigers Brisbane North Kedron Wavell Cougars Mount Gravatt
2009[51] Brisbane South Wildcats Brisbane North Kedron Wavell Cougars
2010 Brisbane North Cougars
Holden Cruze Cup
Season Winners Score Runners Up Venue
2011[5] Brisbane North Cougars 52–44 Carina Leagues Club Tigers Logan Metro Indoor Sports Centre
2012[52] Carina Leagues Club Tigers 57–39 Kedron-Wavell Services Club Cougars
Queensland Champions Cup
Season Winners Score Runners Up Venue
2013[6][53] Brisbane North Cougars 66–53 Carina Leagues Club Tigers
2014[6] Carina Leagues Club Tigers 56–44 Suncoast Lynx
Queensland State Netball League Division 1
Season Winners Score Runners Up Venue
2015[54] Brisbane North Cougars Carina Leagues Club Tigers
2016[55] Brisbane North Cougars 49–43 Carina Leagues Club Tigers
2017[56] Brisbane North Cougars 43–38 Carina Leagues Club Tigers
2018[8][57] Brisbane North Cougars Goodna Services Brisbane Lions Logan Metro Indoor Sports Centre
Sapphire Series
Season Winners Score Runners Up Venue
2019[13][14] QUT Wildcats 60–49 Brisbane North Cougars QSNC
2020[18][19] Brisbane North Cougars 62–47 USQ Jets
2021[22][58][59] Brisbane North Cougars 70–45 QUT Netball

Source:[4]

Awards[edit]

Katie Walker Medal

The Sapphire Series MVP award is named after Katie Walker.[60]

Season Winner Team
2019[30][60][61] Hulita Veve QUT Wildcats
2020[18][19][62] Ava Black Bond University Bull Sharks
2021[63] Leesa Mi Mi Brisbane North Cougars
Sapphire Series Grand Final MVP
Season Winner Team
2019[14] Dannielle Taylor QUT Wildcats
2020[18][19] Ruby Bakewell-Doran Brisbane North Cougars
2021

Ruby Series[edit]

Grand finals[edit]

Season Winners Score Runners Up Venue
2019[13][64] Carina Leagues Club Tigers 51–36 Ipswich Jets
2020[18][65] Carina Leagues Club Tigers 56–48 Brisbane North Cougars
2021[66] Brisbane North Cougars 58–39 Carina Leagues Club Tigers Nissan Arena

Awards[edit]

Ruby Series Season MVP
Season Winner Team
2019[60] Martina Reekers
2020[18][65] Naomi Solomona Ipswich Jets
2021
Ruby Series Grand Final MVP
Season Winner Team
2019[64] Shelley Rosanoff Carina Leagues Club Tigers
2020[18][65] Reilley Batcheldor Carina Leagues Club Tigers
2021 Monique Piuniti Brisbane North Cougars

Main sponsors[edit]

Years
Hart Sport[67][68] 2019–        

References[edit]

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External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sapphire_Series&oldid=1218311472"