Sophie Drakeford-Lewis

Sophie Drakeford-Lewis (born 10 December 1998) is an English netball player who plays for Surrey Storm and has represented the national team. She has previously played for Saracens Mavericks and Team Bath, and was awarded the Young Player of the Season Award for the 2019 Netball Superleague season. As a youngster, Drakeford-Lewis played tennis, and she was at one time the highest ranked Briton at under-16 and under-18 level.

Sophie Drakeford-Lewis
Personal information
Born (1998-12-10) 10 December 1998
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) [1]
School The Abbey School
University University of Bath
Netball career
Playing position(s): Goal attack, wing attack
Years Club team(s) Apps
2017–2018 Hertfordshire Mavericks
2018–2022 Team Bath 46+[lower-alpha 1]
2023– Surrey Storm 0
(Correct as of 16:02, 20 January 2023 (UTC))
Years National team(s) Caps
?–? England U17
c. 2017 England U21 1+
2017– England 21[1]
(Correct as of 16:02, 20 January 2023 (UTC))
Medal record
Representing  England
Netball World Youth Cup
Bronze medal – third place2017 GaboroneNetball
Last updated: 08:41, 25 September 2021 (UTC)

Early life

Drakeford-Lewis attended The Abbey School, Reading.[2] As a youngster, Drakeford-Lewis played tennis. Aged 14, Drakeford-Lewis won the HSBC Road to Wimbledon National 14 and Under Challenge Finals competition,[2] and at the age of 15, she was the highest ranked Briton at under-16 and under-18 level.[3] She studied Integrated Mechanical & Electrical Engineering at the University of Bath,[4] and graduated in 2021.[5]

Club career

Drakeford-Lewis started playing netball in Woodley, Berkshire.[6] She plays as a goal attack or wing attack.[1] She started her playing career in 2017 at Hertfordshire Mavericks[7] (now Saracens Mavericks), and was nominated for the Netball Superleague Young Player of the Season. In total, she scored 283 goals for Mavericks.[6] In 2018, Drakeford-Lewis started playing for Team Bath.[6] She resigned for the club for the 2019 season.[8] That year, was awarded the Young Player of the Season Award,[1] and she continued with Team Bath for the 2020 season.[9] In November 2020, Drakeford-Lewis confirmed that she would play for Bath in the 2021 season,[4] and in October 2021, she was named in the Bath squad for the 2022 season.[5]

Ahead of the 2023 Netball Superleague season , Drakeford-Lewis signed for Surrey Storm.[10]

International career

Drakeford-Lewis has represented the England under-17s team.[1] She played for England under-21s at the 2017 Netball World Youth Cup, where they finished third overall.[1]

She made her debut for the senior team in a 2017 European Netball Championship match against Fiji. Her next appearance for England was during the 2019 England netball team tour of South Africa.[1] She played all three matches in the 2020 Taini Jamison Trophy Series against New Zealand, scoring 23 of her 27 attempts at goal in the series.[11] She also played in the 2021 Taini Jamison Trophy Series against New Zealand,[12] and the 2021 Vitality Roses Reunited Series against Jamaica.[13] In December 2021, she was named in the England squad for the 2022 Netball Quad Series.[14] Drakeford-Lewis was included in the England squad for the netball event at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.[15]

Notes
  1. The Netball Superleague website only gives appearances from 2020 onwards. She made appearances between 2020 and 2022.

References
  1. "Sophie Drakeford-Lewis". England Netball. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  2. "Drakeford-Lewis in double Wimbledon win". Reading Post. 21 August 2013. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  3. "Sophie aims to return to Wimbledon to make headlines of her own". Reading Post. 4 July 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  4. "Student Sophie Drakeford-Lewis, "the now and the future" of England netball, signs up for fourth Superleague season with Team Bath". Team Bath. 12 November 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  5. "Graduate Sophie Drakeford-Lewis gaining Fast5 leadership learning as she continues netball education with Team Bath and England". Team Bath. 13 October 2021. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  6. "Where It All Began: Sophie Drakeford-Lewis". England Netball. 2 February 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  7. "2017 Vitality Superleague Ins and Outs". Sky Sports. 28 October 2016. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  8. "Sophie Drakeford-Lewis excited to be back with Team Bath". Sky Sports. 1 November 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  9. "Young Player of the Year and emerging England Netball star Sophie Drakeford-Lewis back with Team Bath for 2020 Superleague season". Team Bath. 29 October 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  10. "Netball Super League 2023: All you need to know about transfers". BBC Sport. 14 October 2022.
  11. "Vitality Roses: Less experienced players stepped up in New Zealand". Sky Sports. 2 November 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  12. "Netball: Silver Ferns blow 10-goal lead to lose England series". The New Zealand Herald. 24 September 2021. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  13. "Vitality Roses squad revealed for Vitality Roses Reunited Series". England Netball. 11 November 2021. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  14. "Netball Quad Series: Geva Mentor returns to England squad for January series". BBC Sport. 20 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
  15. "Commonwealth Games 2022: Natalie Metcalf to captain England". BBC Sport. 20 June 2022. Retrieved 20 June 2022.
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