Emmerdale And Coronation Street Stars Set To Battle It Out On The Netball Court At Manchester’s AO Arena

If there ever was a clash worth seeing, Emmerdale versus Coronation Street would have to be up there. The War of the Roses when it comes to British soap programmes, some might say. But instead of battling it out for air time on our televisions, stars from both Corrie and Emmerdale will be taking things to the court with a netball match at the AO Arena in Manchester.

Manchester’s AO Arena will host an evening of drama on March 16 as netball stars and soap stars prepare for a showdown that is guaranteed to be one of the biggest events of the netballing year. The evening will see three big games take place at the arena including the four-times Netball Super League (NSL) champions Manchester Thunder opening their 2025 season against reigning champions Loughborough Lightning at 6.30pm.

Before that, at 5pm, it’s a battle of the small screen as actors and crew from Coronation Street and Emmerdale, alongside some familiar netball faces, meet to see whether cobbles or countryside come out on top and lift the Soap Challenge Trophy. The third game, at 3.15pm, is between Thunder and Lightning’s NXT Gen teams showcasing the netball stars of the future alongside some of the best-known names of today.

Which Corrie and Emmerdale stars will be playing at the netball match?

Coronation Street

Cast

Vicky Myers – Lisa (DS Swain)

Cait Fitton – Lauren Bolton

Jane Hazlegrove – Bernie Winter

Sydney Martin – Betsy Swain

Channique Sterling Brown – Dee Dee Bailey

Dolly-Rose Campbell – Gemma Winter

Elle Mulvaney – Amy Barlow

Harriet Bibby – Summer Spellman

Katy Kav – Julie Carp

Crew

Tracy Nichols – Crewing

Rachel Blair – H&S

Gillian Walsh – Make up

Molly Eborall – Production

Laura Monahan – Production

Abi Hynes – Design

Abi Newton – Production

Cast

Eden Taylor-Draper – Belle Dingle

Michelle Hardwick – Vanessa Woodfield

Rosie Bentham – Gabby Thomas

Charlotte Bellamy – Laurel Thomas

Amy Walsh – Tracy Metcalfe

Zoe Henry – Rhona Goskirk

Amelia Flanagan – April Windsor

Katie Hill – Sarah Sugden

Gabrielle Downing – Cathy Hope

Olivia Bromley – Dawn Taylor

Crew

Marie Dainty – Crewing

Karen Revell – Makeup

Josie Tomlin – Locations

Saksia Dunlop – AD’s

Ruth Howard – Sound

Mirusha Jegatheeswaran – Engineer

Emma Clarke – Production

Katie Fenton Green – Director

The match against current champions Loughborough Lightning is a repeat of last year’s Grand Final and is being dubbed ‘the game of the season’ for excited fans. Manchester Thunder captain Amy Carter from Macclesfield, with support from vice-captains Josie Huckle and Taylor McKevitt, will be battling to lead the team to victory and strip the title from defending champions Loughborough Lightning who have won the past two Netball Super League titles.

As well as the AO Netball Manchester Live game, there will also be a brand-new tournament – the Netball Super Cup – which will be held on International Women’s Day (March 8), when all eight teams in the Super League will head to Utilita Arena Sheffield to vie for the first trophy of the season. Manchester Thunder will then take on Birmingham Panthers at Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena on May 18. The top four teams at the end of the Super League season will progress to the semi-finals on June 20-22, ahead of a new preliminary final of the weekend of June 28-29, before the Grand Final at the O2 in London on July 6.