Netball NI Awards 2024: Back To The Galgorm For An Unforgettable Night!

Link for Tickets: https://forms.office.com/e/v8xgknnfLm

Link for NNI Individual award nominations – https://forms.office.com/e/VtzBKv1gvg

Link for NNI Club and Team Award Nominations – https://forms.office.com/e/xEhHUAC74V

Link for Moya McVeigh Hall of Fame Award Nominations – https://forms.office.com/e/aRgQRVG9Ke

BUS ENQUIRY: email Rachel on admin@netballni.org by 10th May.

Prepare for an evening of celebration, honouring individuals and beautiful locale as Netball Northern Ireland’s prestigious Awards Night returns to the illustrious setting of Galgorm Resort and Spa. After the resounding success of last year’s event, we are gearing up to honour the outstanding achievements of our netball stars, league victors, and trailblazers who continue to shape netball’s landscape in Northern Ireland.

The Netball NI Awards Night will pay tribute to League winners and the excellence within our sport.  It will honour remarkable individuals who volunteer so much of their time to keep our club and school netball going as well as embrace our legacy following the unveiling of the esteemed Moya McVeigh Hall of Fame last year. We will once again pay tribute to those whose indelible mark on netball in Northern Ireland will forever be etched in history.

Netball NI invites you to be a part of this extraordinary celebration, an event that not only honours the achievements of our netball stars but also ignites the flame of inspiration in the hearts of future generations. Together, let’s celebrate excellence, embrace legacy, and pave the way for a future where netball continues to thrive and inspire.

We are Netball NI, and we really are #strongesttogether

BUS ENQUIRY: email Rachel on admin@netballni.org by 10th May.

Link for Tickets: https://forms.office.com/e/v8xgknnfLm

Link for NNI Individual award nominations – https://forms.office.com/e/VtzBKv1gvg

Link for NNI Club and Team Award Nominations – https://forms.office.com/e/xEhHUAC74V

Link for Moya McVeigh Hall of Fame Award Nominations – https://forms.office.com/e/aRgQRVG9Ke

League Season Heating up!

As we come close to the end of another successful League Season, it’s a time to reflect on the year and look ahead to the promotions and relegations with the Netball NI League structure.

Not sure where your team is currently sitting in your league? Check out the league fixtures here.

Check out the Illustration of promotion/relegation and PLAY OFF details for finish of season 23-24 document below…

NNI CWG 23-24 Season Promo-releg-play offs illustration

Northern Ireland select U21 Squad for 2024

23 athletes have been selected for the U21 squad for the 2024 season, led by newly appointed Head Coach, Sachel Grant, and Assistant Coach, Lisa Bowman. This squad will be working towards World Youth Cup Qualifiers in Cardiff in September 2024.

The squad consists of 10 athletes who currently sit in the Emerging Warriors and Warriors programme, 9 athletes currently on our Pathway (U17-U21), and 4 new athletes.

Northern Ireland U21 Head Coach, Sachel Grant, is delighted with the selected squad

I was impressed with the standard and effort from everyone who attended the selection weekend, as well as the U21 staff group. We cannot wait to get going and be ready to qualify for the World Youth Cup.

Over the coming months, the squad will be together for regular camps and pushing themselves in competition to develop connections on and off the court.

Warriors Head Coach, Sheonah Forbes, commented

I am really excited to see this squad come together, where we have a range of athlete graduating through the pathway. We are committed to developing the provision within our pathway to ensure that we have international athletes ready at the right time.

Keep up to date with the squads journey on our social media.

Name Club/Franchise Court Area
Alex Martin* Concordia Netball Club, NE Phoenix Circle Attack
Alice O’Brien Exeter NC, Exeter University Netball Club Mid Court
Ana Mulholland Crumlin Community Netball Club Circle Defence
Anna Rice Crumlin Community Netball Club Circle Attack
Catelyn Burns NE Phoenix, University Netball Club Mid Court
Erin Watson Belfast Ladies Netball Club Mid Court
Erin Young Belfast Ladies Netball Club Circle Defence
Eva Ramsey Crumlin Community Netball Club Circle Attack
Eva Scott Antrim Ladies Netball Club Circle Defence
Eva Wilson Belfast Ladies Netball Club Circle Attack
Evelyn McCagherty Weston Park Blades NC, Central Warriors Mid Court
Evie McCafferty Clann Eireann Netball Club Circle Defence
Georgia Miller Valley Netball Club Mid Court
Isabella Paas Hatfield Netball Club, University of Leicester Netball Club Circle Defence
Jill Smiley YMCA Magic NC, Leeds University Netball Club Circle Attack
Joy Ebbinghaus Donaghadee Netball Club Circle Attack
Lisa Carlin NE Phoenix, Northumbria University Netball Club Circle Defence
Mia Lanigan YWCA Bury, Leeds Rhinos Mid Court
Mica Quinn Central Warriors Mid Court
Orla McGeough Manchester Thunder, Liverpool University Netball Club Mid Court
Rosa McCloskey Kingsway Netball Club Circle Attack
Tillie Irvine Saracens Mavericks, Hertfordshire University Netball Club Circle Defence
Zoe Maynard  Team Bath, Mavericks Netball Club Mid Court

*subject to fitness

Tracked Athletes who will attend parts of the programme;

Aoibheann Donnelly (Mid Court, Crumlin Community Netball Club)

Annie Elliott (Mid Court, Banbridge Netball Club)

IC Powder Coaters Ltd partner with Netball Northern Ireland U17 Athlete

As we are in the midst of a busy domestic season we are delighted to announce a new supporter of Netball NI and local metal powder coating business IC Powder Coaters Ltd.

A long-standing advocate of Northern Ireland sport IC Powder Coaters Ltd is expanding its portfolio of support, becoming a partner of one of Netball NI’s U17 athletes, Marleigh Coster as she prepares to compete in the U17 European Championships.

IC Powder Coaters Ltd, established in 1985, is a significant Northern Ireland supplier of powder coating services. With a commitment to quality, quick and reliable turnaround times and competitive pricing – made possible by their highly cost-efficient operation, their focus on customer service has ensured a loyal customer base with glowing testimonials.

Ivor Carter, IC Powdew Coaters Ltd

We are delighted to support Netball Northern Ireland, and in particular the U17’s group, who are working hard to prepare for their European Championships. We are passionate about encouraging girls to be active and healthy, embracing competition and look forward to supporting netballers within this age group as they begin their national representation journey.

Helen Stirling, Chair of Netball Northern Ireland:

We are delighted to bring IC Powder Coating on board as a Netball NI partner. Netball in Northern Ireland is growing in profile and increasing our relationships with new industries will support us as we work hard for further growth and exposure to our sport.

Netball NI welcome Rachel Barr

Netball NI are delighted to announce a new addition to our staff team as we welcome Rachel Barr into the role of Administration and Events Officer. Rachel commenced her role this week and will become a regular contact for our netball family. 

With extensive experience across all areas of administration in Netball, following many years working with England Netball in the North East, Rachel comes to the business not only with an understanding of the needs of the role, but with a fresh view and approach to our work with ideas and processes that can be implemented to strengthen our service delivery for our membership and to attract new participants. 

 Karen Rollo-Stewart, Executive Manager

I’m thrilled to have Rachel on board, her passion for female sport combined with her knowledge and experience in netball, is a huge boost to the offering we can provide as a staff team. We created the new role with a clear remit to provide a more professional user experience for our members and other stakeholders, and to provide further support for our current staff to deliver more effectively in their roles. Rachel’s impactwill be seen across the business and she has already become a friendly face and sounding board within the team.

 Rachel Barr, Admin & Events Officer 

I am delighted to have the opportunity to contribute to this esteemed organisation, at the forefront of advancing women’s sport. I am eager to commence my journey with Netball Northern Ireland, I am hoping to add value to an already exceptional team.

 We wish Rachel the best of luck of her role and know our netball family will make her very welcome. 

Now Recruiting U21 Team Manager

Netball NI are now recruiting for the position of U21 Team Manager.

Check out the job description below for more information on this exciting role.

Deadline to apply is 22 January 2024 at 12 noon.

To apply, please send CV and Covering Letter to Meg Wallace at performancecoordinator@netballni.org

NNI U21 Team Manager Job Description

Under 21 Coaching Team Appointed

Netball Northern Ireland are delighted to announce the appointment of our U21 Coaching Team that will prepare the squad for the upcoming World Youth Cup Qualifiers in September. 

Sachel Grant, will lead the management team as Head Coach, with Lisa Bowman taking up the Assistant Coach role. 

Sachel, will be known to many with her extensive experience at Netball Superleague Franchise, Saracens Mavericks. As Mavericks Pathway Lead for seven years and U21 Head Coach for four years, Sachel brings a wealth of knowledge to the role and an understanding of the programme required to support and develop athletes and teams at this stage in the performance pathway to achieve success and provide longevity and sustainability. 

Lisa, no stranger to anyone in Netball in NI, will be supporting Sachel as Assistant Coach alongside a new role for our performance programme in Northern Ireland, as National Technical Coach. This will include working alongside the Warriors Coaching team as well as across the underage pathway in her specialist capacity.  

The appointments align fully with the Warriors Vision that has been created by our senior squad and management team; 

  • Legacy – To inspire and pave the way for those aspiring to be a Warrior, as well those pioneering to grow the game in NI.  
  • Visibility – Celebrating the success of the Warriors pathway & Netball in NI together, as well as increasing our voice amongst the world’s best. 
  • Warriors – Built with Heart, Play with Grit 

Sachel is an excellent coach and person who I have no doubt will continue to drive the U21 programme forward in 2024. With the World Youth Cup Qualifiers in September this year, Sachel’s experience working in this age group will be paramount to the success of the group.  

I am really excited to develop the Technical Coach role with Lisa who will sit in the vital assistant coach role with the U21 group alongside Sachel, as well as delivering in the Warriors environment. Lisa’s knowledge and continual passion for the development of the Warriors is infectious and I cannot wait to continue to see her grow on the international scene.

I look forward to working with the coaches with the same drive of developing our future senior Warrior athletes.

Sheonah Forbes – Warriors Head Coach

We wish the coaches the best of luck as they begin the new programme and know our Netball Family here in Northern Ireland and beyond, will be behind them. 

NNI Schools Officer departure – Goodbye Lisa Bowman

January will see Netball NI say goodbye to a much loved and valued staff team member,  Lisa Bowman.

Lisa, who became the first Netball NI Schools Officer in her second role with the business having previously been employed through the Everybody Active Programme, has played a key role in supporting the growth and return of post primary school netball. Her leadership in this area has created solid partnerships across our schools network and she leaves this area of our business in a positive and exciting place.

Netball NI have an amazing staff team, who work hard and support one another so it’s always sad when anyone moves on. Lisa has been instrumental in our school’s restructure, providing new and improved opportunities for our school players alongside netball education support for our teachers. We will miss her in the staff team but know with her passion for netball, we will still see her on court and courtside and wish her all the best for the future.

Karen Rollo – Executive Manager

Northern Ireland U15 Academy Squads

The Northern Ireland U15 Academy is made up of 72 athletes across 4 different regions.

These squads are training towards a set of competition days in February that will end with one region being the Academy winner.

Congratulations to the selected athletes for this year’s Academies.