Queensland Firebirds Announce Training Partners for SSN 2026

The Queensland Firebirds have confirmed four promising young athletes as training partners for the 2026 Suncorp Super Netball season.

The quartet Elsa Sif Sandholt, Sasha Flegler, Jessie Laga’aia, and Lillyana Rennie are all products of the Queensland Firebirds Futures Academy, a program designed to prepare emerging players for elite-level competition.

Sandholt, who made her Super Netball debut in the Firebirds’ final 2025 match against the NSW Swifts, returns for another season in the squad. She will be joined by Flegler and Rennie, who were also training partners last year, and by Laga’aia, who featured in the Firebirds’ pre-season Suncorp Team Girls Cup and was named in the matchday 10 for the First Nations Round clash against the Melbourne Vixens in May.

A Samoan international, Laga’aia adds valuable international experience to the group, while Sandholt, Flegler, and Rennie were all recognised nationally with selection in the 2025 Australian 21 and Under Squad.

Firebirds head coach, Kiri Wills, said the four players had earned their spots through hard work and consistent performances across both the Super Netball Reserves and the HART Premier Netball League (HPNL) Sapphire Division.

“Elsa Sif has made some big shifts on and off the court and we’ve only just scratched the surface of her potential.” 

“Sasha showed great growth across the year, delivering a dominant midcourt performance that earned her the HPNL Grand Final MVP award. 

“Lillyana was outstanding week after week in Super Netball Reserves and impressed for the Cougars, while Jessie has consistently shown she can compete at the top level.

“This is a great cohort of up-and-coming talent who will add real depth and energy to our squad,” Wills said.

The four athletes will integrate fully into the Firebirds’ first-team environment, contributing to the club’s training intensity while also being available for matchday selection as replacement players if required.

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