Five days of incredible netball came to a close with an intense game between The Scottish Thistles and Welsh Feathers this evening. Both teams had already qualified for the 2023 Netball World Cup from their previous games but this didn’t stop the match being one of the best of the whole tournament. The Welsh side narrowly won with a final score of 51:58.

Despite the final game result, the Thistles had an incredible tournament. When asked about the qualification for the 2023 World Cup, head coach Tamsin Greenway only had praise for the girls saying how she was ‘relieved, happy and proud’

‘I think we had a very clear idea of what we needed to improve on from the Commonwealth Games and in about 8 weeks they’ve done it, they’ve taken the first step and you saw in that in the performances’

‘You get so caught up in the journey in what you’re trying to do you forget to take a step back and enjoy it. That’s the nice bit of being a coach, when you take a step back and they get what they owe themselves.’

Dominating their first four matches against Isle of Man, Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and Gibraltar, the Thistles guaranteed their ticket to Cape Town next summer before their final game.

The battle against Northern Ireland was a high stakes game as both teams had won all of their games up until this point.

Greenway was keen to emphasise the importance of the match. ‘Coming in knowing one of you is going to miss out on the World Cup is pretty brutal and it heaps on all kind of pressure’.

‘This week has been fantastic, we are off to Cape Town and that was our aim’.

The journey to Cape Town is now well underway for Scotland as they prepare for the international stage once again.

Netball Scotland has named the two squads that will compete in the upcoming international calendar.

Head coach Tamsin Greenway has named the Scottish Thistles and Scotland A squads that will seek to secure a place at the Netball World Cup taking place in Cape Town next July.

Buy tickets for the European World Cup Qualifiers.

A mix of experienced athletes and exciting new talent is spread across the squads. Commenting on the trials, Greenway says: “Selection was a great opportunity to witness some of the new players really challenge and push the existing group who are constantly striving to push Scottish netball forwards. Having new faces across the squads just shows the competition we are developing for places, and I’m really excited about the talented group I have this season.”

Netball Scotland’s Performance Director Karen Atkinson adds: “The performance programme in Scotland has taken huge strides forwards over recent years, demanding a greater commitment from the players and their understanding of what is required to compete at International Level.  It is exciting to see so many players from within the pathway putting their hand up, showing what they are capable of and making the step up to senior level”

Returning to international for the first time since the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, the Scottish Thistles will step back onto court in front of a home crowd in the five-day European World Cup Qualifiers taking place 12^th-16th October at Emirates Arena, Glasgow.

Speaking on the new squads, Greenway comments: “As a group we have high ambitions, but also know that performance takes time. The steps this group have already taken in the past 2 years, the lessons learnt from the Commonwealth Games and the new group of talented athletes putting up their hands up and demanding more just shows we are creating something special. I can’t wait to take this next group on their Thistles journey.”

As the performance programme continues to develop both Atkinson and Greenway recognise the sacrifice involved, the current head coach explains; “We understand that due to lots of different life decisions players need time out and we fully support these athletes in taking time away. International netball is exciting and a huge honour, but also really tough both mentally and physically. We are grateful for the value Ella and Nic have added to the programme over the past few seasons and respect their decision not to put themselves forwards for this year.”

Karen Atkinson adds: “Ella Gibbons and Nic McCleery have decided not to put themselves forward for selection for the forthcoming international calendar, however, the door always remains open for future selection opportunities.”

Closing the chapter on international netball, Hayley Mulheron announced her retirement recently, stating: “The times shared, friendships forged and the incredible success which I have enjoyed have been an extraordinary part of my life. I have had the honour of representing my country and I am very proud of all that I have achieved. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has contributed to my netball journey and career. To the coaches who coached me, who believed in me and gave me the opportunity to play netball all over the world, I am and will always be grateful.”

Performance Director, Karen Atkinson comments: “We would like to thank Hayley Mulheron for her unwavering commitment to the Scottish Thistles over a period of 15 years, amassing 121 caps.  This is an amazing achievement, showing her role as a pivotal member of the squad.  We are sure she will continue to have a positive impact on the netball community and wish her all the best in her retirement.”

Head coach, Tamsin Greenway adds: “I would also like to thank Hayley for her contribution and dedication to the Thistles, sadly due to Hayley residing in Australia we were never able to work together, however having played against her over the years I know what a fierce competitor she is and she will be greatly missed on the netball court. I wish her all the very best in the future and her retirement.”

Fans can watch players take to court this Sunday 25th September as part of the SuperCup Finals. There are still tickets available to watch in person at Edinburgh University – available here. 

SuperCup Finals can also be watched live or on-demand through Netball Scotland’s brand new streaming channel on Recast – sign up free here.

Bringing netball fans and supporters closer to the action, Netball Scotland is delighted to be the first netball governing body to join Recast, a subscription-free, live, and on-demand sports and entertainment streaming platform based right here in Scotland, headquartered in Edinburgh.

Netball Scotland’s Recast channel will allow access to a range of content from behind-the-scenes exclusives, player interviews, grassroots competitions, live events and more.

The first event to be live streamed on the channel is the 2022 Super Cup Finals taking place on Sunday 25th September. After a debut year behind closed doors in 2021, we are thrilled to bring this exciting competition to fans and families for 2022. Netball Scotland Pathway athletes join a selection of Thistles & Strathclyde Sirens legends past & present as 4 teams fight it out to take home the Super Cup. With the first two rounds already producing some thrilling close games, the finals are set to be unmissable! Netball fans from all over will get exclusive access to catch Scotland’s up and coming netball talent as they compete alongside established Thistles and Sirens players.

Stephanie Karvelis, COO of Netball Scotland and Strathclyde Sirens, said; “Netball Scotland is delighted to join with Recast as we create more visibility for our sport. The ability to watch our domestic competitions from anywhere and enjoy thrilling netball is game changing for our players and supporters alike. We can’t wait to grow our Recast channel over the coming seasons to maximise content for our supporters as we grow the game across Scotland.”

For Fans, Recast is free to join, easy to use, accessible from any device and content is affordable. Netball fans can watch what they want, where they want and how they want, giving them the power of choice and in turn, investing into the growth of netball in Scotland, with the majority of revenue generated on the platform going directly back to the sport.

Andy Meikle, Founder and CEO of Recast said; “Netball Scotland’s Recast Channel will give them more control over their content, and give fans access to the content they want, when they want it. As the first netball national governing body on our platform, they have grasped the opportunity to utilise Recast’s unique microtransaction model to unlock vital new digital revenue, build new audiences and strengthen connections with their fans in the UK and beyond.”

Netball Scotland supporters can join Recast for free here – and will receive 100 free Cast Credits when they join. To earn extra Casts to watch content, fans can watch ads, share content, invite friends, or purchase Cast Credits, with one Cast Credit valued at 1p, using Recast’s unique microtransaction model.

To follow Netball Scotland’s Recast channel, join Recast here.

Netball Scotland is launching a new Elite Coach Mentoring and Development Programme aimed at coaches who have the potential and ambition to coach at Super League or International level.

The programme will run for 18 months from March 2022 to August 2023 and will consist of individual and collective learning opportunities at regular meetings, workshops, and practical interventions to support their individual and collective needs, unique to the experiences faced in elite netball. The programme at candidates will be reviewed on a 6 monthly basis to ensure they are progressing.

The programme will contain a combination of the following:
• 1:1 coach mentoring – virtual and in-person
• Technical & tactical mentoring and development
• Cross-sport learning
• Coach conversations – forums involving coaches from a variety of sports

Karen Atkinson, Netball Scotland Performance Director says;

‘This course is part of our commitment at Netball Scotland to ensure more coaches have the ability and confidence to coach at the elite level. We want to develop our potential coaches and give them the tools to succeed, both on and off the court. It will provide our coaches with the development they need, including a broader support network and an understanding of what is required to coach at the highest level’.

For informal enquiries please contact Netball Scotland Performance Director, Karen Atkinson at karen.atkinson@netballscotland.com or Head of Netball, Rebecca Hope at rebecca.hope@netballscotland.com

Applications to be received no later than 5pm on Friday 4th March.

Please send a coaching CV along with a cover letter detailing why you would like to be involved in this programme to rebecca.hope@netballscotland.com

Netball Scotland is thrilled to launch the new Club Development Package. This new package is complete with;

• the New Club Framework,
• the new Thistle Mark Standard,
• re-launch of the Club Development Series, and
• an Actify Club Development Hub full of new resources, templates and guidance for clubs to read and use, as and when they need to.
Netball clubs are the essential foundation of our sport and are where many of our members enter our sport for the very first time, so it is essential that we ensure that they are safe, robust, inclusive and well supported.

Club Framework
Our new club framework is built around three key areas:
• People: clubs should ensure the appropriate recruitment, development and recognition of all people contributing to the club’s ambitions both on and off the court;
• Management: clubs should have everything in place to make the day to day running of the club more efficient and effective, and finally
• Culture: clubs should aim to create and embed a culture that promotes positive values, attitudes and behaviours in a thriving, safe and inclusive environment.

By ensuring that the elements of these three key areas are practically put in place by our Clubs, we will continue to build on our strong foundation and will support netball in Scotland to reach its full potential.

Thistle Mark Standard
The new Thistle Mark Standard is a checklist that defines the new club minimum standards. The Thistle Mark Standard will be a compulsory requirement for all affiliated clubs by September 2023. We will support all clubs over the next two years to achieve the new Thistle Mark Standard, so it’s important you get in touch with Netball Scotland to see how your club can get started. By achieving the Thistle Mark Standard, existing and future members can be confident that the Club has put all the necessary protocols in place to make it a thriving, fun and most importantly a safe environment.

Club Development Series
Our Club Development Series of Online Workshops are back for another series exclusively for Netball Scotland affiliated club and committee members.
This time around we have a series of three webinars planned to support off-court volunteers to develop their understanding of the new Thistle Mark Standard for clubs. Aligned to our new Club Framework the three workshops are:
1. People
2. Management
3. Culture
To find out more and to book the workshops see here for the details.

Actify Club Development Hub
As a member club of Netball Scotland, you get free access to all of the club development resources, guidance and templates which are all stored on our Actify Club Development Hub. Whether you are looking for a constitution template or some guidance on how to develop club culture, there are plenty of modules on the hub for you to use, download and implement in your club.

We want to ensure clubs feel fully supported to allow them to grow and develop. Our development team are here to answer any of your questions and to support your club to achieve its ambitions.

Scottish Thistles Head Coach, Tamsin Greenway, announced today that she has appointed Sara Francis-Bayman as her Assistant Coach as she prepares to kick off her Commonwealth Games 2022 campaign. The Loughborouigh Lightning Head Coach is no stranger to the Scotland side as she played alongside many of the Thistles athletes as a Siren in the 2018 Vitality Netball Superleague season.

After retiring as an athlete at the end of that season, she took on the Head Coach role at Loughborough Lightning leading the team to the Semi-Finals in her inaugural season and going on to win the 2021 League Final this June at the Copperbox Arena in London live on Sky Sports. An ex-England Roses athlete who has an accomplished playing career which includes a season in New Zealand with Central Pulse where she made the Grand Final, Francis-Bayman brings with her a wealth of expertise and passion that Greenway is excited to bring into her Thistles programme.

Tamsin said of her new Assistant Coach: “Getting the right assistant coach was crucial as we continue to build, grow and develop here in Scotland. Sara and I both came through the high-performance programme at Bath and played together for a long time. She is a smart, driven individual who knows how to win and more importantly knows how to get the best out of players. After her season at Sirens she understands the setup here, what works and what needs to be pushed on. I know the players will be excited to have someone with her class on board and I can’t wait to start working with her this summer”.

Sara Francis-Bayman shares Tamsin’s vision for Scotland and is excited by her new role, saying: “Scotland are a rapidly improving team who have a huge amount of potential and I’m looking forward to working with Tamsin to help them to challenge at the highest level. I’ve known both Tamsin and Karen for a long time and couldn’t miss the opportunity to work with them to take the Scottish Thistles to the next level. We’ve seen how much talent there is in Scotland through the Sirens’ performances and I hope to contribute to that potential being transferred into results”.

Karen Atkinson, who was recently announced as the new Performance Director for Netball Scotland added: “It is important that we prepare the Thistles in the best way possible heading into a Commonwealth Games year and then into the Netball World Cup. It is fantastic to be able to add a coach of Sara’s calibre to Tamsin’s coaching team. Sara was an exceptionally smart player. She understood the game and its dynamics extremely well and she has now transferred that to becoming a title-winning coach with Loughborough Lightning. Her hunger to win and her drive for player development is second to none and we need that ruthless, winning mentality within our Scottish Thistles squad if we are to achieve our ambitions in world competition”.

Netball Scotland CEO, Claire Nelson, is excited by the powerhouse coaching team that she is building in Scotland. “We know we’re a small nation with a lot of work to do to be able to truly compete with and challenge the top nations on the world stage. But what we have already proven through Sirens this past season is that we have the raw talent, passion, and belief to punch well above our weight, and when this is underpinned by world-leading coaching expertise, we are giving ourselves the best shot possible to go into world competition and achieve our targets.”

She continued: “The introduction of Sara to our national programme is incredible. When I think about the Coaching team that we now have here in Scotland I have to pinch myself, but we are under no illusions about the scale of tasks ahead of us. However, we are all so ready to take on this challenge together as one connected, empowered team. Watch this space because we mean business!”

Greenway and Francis-Bayman will both be in action together for the first time next week when Scotland hosts Wales and Northern Ireland in a weekend of friendly match play.