Wales players pictures during a match against Malawi. ©Steve Pope Sportingwales

Welsh Netball On High Heading Into New Decade, But New Head Coach Needed To Maintain Progress

Welsh netball swept into the new decade on a high following their impressive performance at the European Open Championships in Belfast.

New International Netball Federation rankings reveal Wales have consolidated their position in the World’s top 10 and improved by one place to number nine.

Head coach Julie Hoornweg and her Wales team defeated Northern Ireland and Scotland before battling to a dramatic draw against England.

Australian Hoornweg led the Welsh players to their European success before returning home after 18 months in charged.

Former Wales coach Julie Hoornweg. Pic: ©Steve Pope
Sportingwales

The new decade begins with Wales’ senior squad continuing to train in preparation for a busy year of international netball and among the major goals is to qualify for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and World Cup 2023 in Cape Town.

Welsh Netball is now working to recruit a new Wales head coach to continue Hoornweg’s work.

The new Wales head coach will design and deliver the senior national programme from 2020 to 2024 and be involved in guiding the future direction of the national performance pathway including selection protocols, training, development and competitions.

https://twitter.com/WelshNetball/status/1206911450352148481?s=20

Wales squad for 2020

Name Area of Court Club
Chloe James Shooting Pontardawe
Beca Hughes Shooting Mold
Morganne Dunne Shooting Premier Romans
Eleanor Roberts Shooting Celtic Dragons
Georgia Rowe Shooting Severn Stars
Lydia Hitchings Shooting Cardiff Met; Team Bath Toucans
Sarie Watkins Shooting CTK
Zoe Matthewman Shooting Loughborough Lightning U21
Beth Dyke Midcourt Severn Stars
Suzy Drane Midcourt Team Bath Toucans
Clare Jones Midcourt Hucclecote
Shona O’Dwyer Midcourt Celtic Dragons
Rebecca Baker Midcourt Team Bath Toucans
Celyn Emmanuel Midcourt Hertfordshire Mavericks
Beth Johnson Midcourt Cardiff Met; Team Bath U21
Ellie Merriman Midcourt Celtic Dragons U19
Ellen Morgan Midcourt Hucclecote; Severn Stars U21
Leila Thomas Defence Celtic Dragons
Nia Jones Defence Severn Stars
Lucy Howells Defence Celtic Dragons
Ella Porter Defence Millfield
Millie Carter Defence Ystrad Mynach
Wiktoria Rejniak Defence Merlins
Fern Davies Defence Team Bath
Megan Baker Rees Defence Heath Angels
Carys Allen Defence Cardiff Met Uni
Chantelle Walker Jones Defence Central
Wales international Nia Jones.

CURRENT WORLD NETBALL RANKINGS

RANKING TEAM PLAYED WEIGHTED POINTS
1 Australia 49 36 7,434  
2 New Zealand 61 42 7,507  
3 England 58 42 7,264  
4 Jamaica 33 23 3,962  
5 South Africa 52 41 6,152  
6 Uganda 41 32 3,928  
7 Malawi 43 33 3,991  
8 Scotland 24 16 1,799  
9 Wales 25 17 1,813  
10 Trinidad & Tobago 22 21 2,080  
11 Northern Ireland 32 22 2,165  
12 Barbados 33 24 2,202  
13 Zimbabwe 42 33 2,929  
14 Cook Islands 19 14 1,131  
15 Zambia 36 26 2,033  
16 Samoa 18 14 1,011  
17 Fiji 30 20 1,438
18 Sri Lanka 17 16 968  
19 Tonga 9 6 336  
20 St Lucia 14 11 591
21 Isle of Man 9 7 376
22 Grenada 24 20 1,061  
23 St Vincent & Grenadines 19 17 845
24 Botswana 34 25 1,045  
25 Malaysia 27 20 801  
26 Ireland 45 30 1,141  
27 St Kitts & Nevis 9 8 294  
28 Cayman Islands 17 16 531  
29 Singapore 56 41 1,344  
30 Namibia 30 23 725  
31 Papua New Guinea 21 15 461  
32 Canada 22 18 522  
33 Gibraltar 19 15 429  
34 Hong Kong 29 20 539  
35 Bermuda 8 4 80  
36 Antigua & Barbuda 14 14 273  
37 USA 13 12 134  
38 Dominica 8 8 57  
39 Kenya 12 12 28  
40 UAE 9 7 9  
41 Chinese Taipei 9 7 0  
42 Israel 14 10 0  
43 Thailand 16 13 0  
44 St Maarten 21 17 0  
45 Argentina 9 8 0  

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