Caroline O'Hanlon says she is 'gutted' Manchester Thunder won’t be able to defend their netball Superleague title after the 2020 season was terminated.

England Netball announced on Wednesday that the season has been cancelled due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. 

Northern Ireland captain O’Hanlon and her Thunder team-mates were top of the table before the league was suspended in March, and were looking to secure back-to-back titles.

The 35 year-old told the Belfast Telegraph: "I'm gutted we won't have the opportunity to defend our title though obviously the welfare of players, staff, supporters and volunteers is paramount.

"Everybody behind the scenes exhausted all avenues to try and get us back on court but unfortunately it hasn't proved possible, which is disappointing for fans as well as players.

"There had been considerable debate around what a resumption might look like, in terms of format and logistics, but the Thunder girls were hoping for a positive outcome.

"Apart from our own ambitions, we felt it would be a bit of a nightmare for netball to have a big break from March until next February given how much momentum the sport has had."