NI Warriors Squad selected for Inaugural Celtic Cup and Elissa Kent joins the Warriors Management Team

Netball Northern Ireland are delighted to announce the NI Warriors squad that will be travelling to Glasgow to compete in the inaugural Celtic Cup. A 14-strong squad has been selected for this opportunity to represent Northern Ireland in this prolific series.

The new International Competition will take place in Emirates Arena on 7-10 November.

Sheonah Forbes, NI Warriors Head Coach, 

We are looking forward to travelling to Glasgow to play in the inaugural Celtic Cup, to compete against our home nation counterparts, as well as the Zimbabwe Gems. Having not played against Wales or Scotland since the World Cup Qualifiers in 2022, we are excited to get the opportunity to show our growth and relight the home nation rivalry. The opportunity to play international netball against a variety of styles including the Zimbabwe Gems is key in our aim to compete in pinnacle events on the world stage. 

Netball NI are also thrilled to welcome Elissa Kent to the Warriors Management team for the upcoming Celtic Cup competition. 

Elissa Kent, Victorian Institute of Sport

Elissa, currently working as a Netball Development Coach within the Victorian Institute of Sport pathway and on the GEN32 programme, is coming to the UK to not only offer support to our Warrior management team, but to continue her own professional development in an international setting outside Australia, gaining exposure to European and African playing styles. 

Sheonah Forbes, NI Warriors Head Coach 

This is an exciting prospect for the Warrior athletes and our management team, to have Elissa join us will enable our group to not only showcase our style and culture for her to experience, but it will also support our growth as she will be tasked to bring positive challenge to the group. Her role will focus on individual focus areas pre competition and leading a unit area during match fixtures. Elissa’s attention to detail ensures we are counteracting the opposition and contributing to a positive challenging environment within the coaching team. Having known Elissa around the netball circuit I cannot wait to see her thrive as part of the Warriors.  

Elissa Kent, National Development Coach, Victorian Institute of Sport 

I am really excited to work with Sheonah, someone I have great respect for and have been able to build a relationship with since crossing paths at the Commonwealth Youth Games. I’m keen to share my own perspective and provide a different voice to the Northern Ireland Warriors, whilst also learning and evolving through exposure a different way of doing things. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to work with Northern Ireland and Sheonah with the amazing support of Gen32, VIS and Netball Australia. I’m looking forward to getting stuck in, at the pre camp training and the Celtic Cup in Glasgow!   

Emily Martin, Coach Development Lead, Victorian Institute of Sport 

‘The AIS Gen 32 Program is a future-facing, two-year intensive program, where participating coaches learn contemporary ways of delivering coaching to future generations of athletes. The program itself partners with National Institute Networks and National Sporting Organisations such as the Victorian Institute of Sport and Netball Australia, and is a key component of the AIS High Performance Coach Development Strategy, forming part of the AIS’s commitment to become world-leaders in coach development ahead of the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games. The AIS, VIS and Netball Australia offer full support and are delighted to have Elissa working with the NI Warriors at the Celtic Cup competition for her to add her knowledge to the coaching team as well as for her to experience working with a senior national team at such a competitive event.’ 

Karen Rollo, Chief Executive, Netball NI 

 ‘It is great to be able to invite Elissa along to this event to support our Warriors and Management team. Sheonah and Elissa have been keen to work together, support one another and push each other forward in their roles. The support of the GEN32 programme at the Victorian Institute of Sport, has enabled us to secure this time for Elissa to come to the UK and work with us. High performance coaching can be a lonely and challenging place, we are delighted to facilitate this learning experience for Elissa and are looking forward to developing the relationship with the VIS.’ 

Elissa will be joining the Warriors in camp ahead of the Celtic Cup then spending some time within England before joining the squad in Glasgow for the competition. 

Buy tickets to the Celtic Cup here

Warriors Squad:  

Name   Club/Franchise    Court Area  
Ana Mulholland  Crumlin Community NC  Centre Court 
Ciara Crosbie   Tameside NC   Circle Attack  
Emma Magee   The Downs NC   Circle Attack   
Evelyn McCagherty   Nottingham Forest U23/Weston Park Blades   Centre Court  
Fionnuala Toner   Belfast Ladies NC   Circle Defence  
Frances Keenan   Belfast Ladies NC   Centre Court  
Georgie McGrath   Kingsway NC   Circle Attack  
Lauren Walshe   Belfast Ladies NC   Circle Defence  
Maria McCann   Belfast Ladies NC   Circle Defence  
Michelle Magee   Birmingham Panthers NSL  Circle Defence  
Niamh Cooper   Nottingham Forest NSL  Centre Court  
Orla McGeough  Tameside NC  Centre Court 
Orlaith Rogers   Oaksway NC Circle Attack  
Rosa McCloskey   Kingsway NC   Circle Attack  

Head Coach: Sheonah Forbes  

Assistant Coach: Debbie Bleakley 

Assistant Coach: Elissa Kent 

Team Manager: Beth Healy 

Physio: Sinead Chambers 

Performance Analyst: Lauren Webb 

If you would like to show your support for the NI Warriors, please donate here.

 

The Inaugural Celtic Cup to be Hosted in Glasgow at the iconic Emirates Arena this November 

Mark your calendars for a new, thrilling netball event coming this November!  

Running from the 7th to 10th of November 2024, teams from Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Zimbabwe will compete for the new Celtic Cup in a showcase of elite-level, competitive netball. 

The event is designed for both seasoned fans and novices, providing the opportunity to see international netball at its best. The tournament will follow a round-robin format from Thursday to Saturday, with the finals being held on Sunday, November 10. 

Tickets 

Your exclusive member pre-sale ticket window opens at 9 am today (13th September) giving you the chance to secure the best seats in the house for the event before general sale opens at 12 pm.  

Tickets now on sale – click here 

The Celtic Cup 

The Celtic Cup has been created by Netball Northern Ireland, Netball Scotland, and Wales Netball to provide the best competitive tournament for athletes and spectators alike outside of the World Cup and Commonwealth Games. It is intended that the competition will grow in the coming years to include more invitational teams. 

Event Details: 

Dates: November 7-10, 2024 

Venue: Emirates Arena, Glasgow 

Teams: Welsh Feathers (Wales, ranked 9th), Scottish Thistles (Scotland, ranked 10th), Northern Ireland Warriors (Northern Ireland, ranked 11th) and Zimbabwe Gems (ranked 13th) 

Why You Can’t Miss This: 

🌟 Elite-level netball at its finest

🔥 Four days of non-stop action

🌍 International rivalry and sportsmanship

🏅 A chance to see history in the making

Join us at the Celtic Cup to experience a weekend of high-energy and strategic gameplay, as we continue building on this chapter of Netball in Northern Ireland. 

NI Warriors Squad for Paradise Series Update

Sheonah Forbes has named her leadership team ahead of the Paradise Series vs the Bajan Gems at the end of the month, as well as adding a 14th player to the squad.

Caroline O’Hanlon has been named as Captain, with Fi Toner as Vice. Michelle Magee and Orlaith Rogers are also continuing in leadership roles, after a successful campaign at Europe Netball May 2024.

Recently named U21 National Squad Captain, Orla McGeough, has also been elevated into the travelling squad.

Sheonah Forbes – NI Warriors Head Coach

I am delighted we have been able to add Orla into the squad travelling to Barbados as well as showing our commitment to developing people in leadership roles each time we compete internationally, now and beyond.

The squad will travel to Barbados on the 19th August, ahead of the first Test Match on Saturday 24th August.

Test Match 1 – Saturday 24th August 1am UK time

Test Match 2 – Monday 26th August 1am UK time

Test Match 3 – Tuesday 27th August 1am UK time

NI Warriors confirmed for the 2024-25 programme

Netball Northern Ireland has announced the 20 athletes who have been selected for the NI Warriors programme, and the 9 athletes who have been selected for the Emerging Warriors programme for 2024-25. 

NI Warriors Head Coach, Sheonah Forbes, has named the players who will be part of the NI Warriors programme for 2024-25, where 7 athletes overall have been progressed through the pathway:

Congratulations to the athletes who have been selected for this years NI Warriors Programme. We are really excited to see this squad come together, where we are delighted to see athletes graduating through the pathway. At this point in the cycle, we are committed to developing our pathway and athletes to ensure that we have international ready athletes with a blend of talent and experience.  

The programme runs over 12 months and consists of training camps and competitive opportunities, as well as support for the athletes throughout the season. 

This programme is underpinned by the Emerging Warriors programme, designed to develop the next generation through exposure to the NI Warriors environment.  

NI Warriors 24/25: 

Name  Club/Franchise  Court Area 
Alex Martin  NE Pheonix/Concordia Netball Club Attack 
Ana Mulholland  Crumlin Community Netball Club  Defence 
Caroline O’Hanlon  Leeds Rhinos NSL/Larkfield Netball Club  Midcourt 
Ciara Crosbie  Oldham Netball Club  Attack 
Emma Magee  Leeds Rhinos NSL/The Down Netball Club  Attack 
Evelyn McCagherty  Weston Park Blades NC, Central Warriors   Midcourt 
Fionnuala Toner  Belfast Ladies Netball Club  Defence 
Frances Keenan  Belfast Ladies Netball Club  Midcourt 
Georgie McGrath  Kingsway Netball Club  Attack 
Lauren Walshe  Belfast Ladies Netball Club  Defence 
Lisa Carlin  NE Phoenix/Northumbria University Netball Club  Defence 
Maria McCann  Belfast Ladies Netball Club  Defence 
Mia Lanigan  YWCA Bury/Leeds Rhinos  Midcourt 
Michelle Magee  Leeds Rhinos NSL  Defence 
Niamh Cooper  Severn Stars NSL  Midcourt 
Olivia McCloskey  Kingsway Netball Club  Attack 
Orla McGeough  Manchester Thunder/Liverpool University Netball Club  Midcourt 
Orlaith Rogers  Sirens Development/Northumbria University  Attack 
Rachel Duckers  Nottingham Trent University   Attack 
Rosa McCloskey  Kingsway Netball Club  Attack 

Emerging Warriors 24/25: 

Name  Club/Franchise  Court Area 
Aela Stewart  Edinburgh University Netball Club  Midcourt 
Alice O’Brien  Exeter Netball Club/Exeter University Netball Club  Midcourt 
Erin Young  Belfast Ladies Netball Club   Defence 
Jill Smiley  YMCA Magic NC/Leeds University Netball Club  Attack 
Joy Ebbinghaus       Donaghadee Netball Club  Attack 
Laura Mills  Exeter Netball Club  Midcourt 
Mica Quinn  Central Warriors  Midcourt 
Tillie Irvine  Saracens Mavericks/Hertfordshire Uni Netball Club  Defence 
Zoe Maynard   Team Bath/Mavericks Netball Club  Midcourt 

*club as per the 23/24 season 

Northern Ireland selects Warriors Squad for exciting Paradise Series

Netball Northern Ireland are thrilled to announce that the NI Warriors will be travelling to Barbados to compete in the Paradise Series against the Bajan Gems. A 13-strong squad has been selected for this opportunity to represent Northern Ireland on international soil. 

The 3 match test series will take place in Barbados on August 24th, 26th & 27th, with a warm up match against Barbados U21 on the 23rd. 

Sheonah Forbes, NI Warriors Head Coach, 

We are looking forward to travelling overseas to play against a different style of netball and exposing our athletes to a different climate. We are looking forward to playing Barbados again, having not played them since the 2019 World Cup.  

We keep pushing and striving to play the best teams around us to test where we are as a squad and continuing to show growth individually. The opportunity to play international netball is key in our aim to compete in big events on the world stage.

Warriors Squad:  

Name   Club/Franchise    Court Area  
Caroline O’Hanlon   Leeds Rhinos/Larkfield NC   Centre Court  
Ciara Crosbie   Oldham NC   Circle Attack  
Emma Magee   Leeds Rhinos/The Downs NC   Circle Attack   
Evelyn McCagherty   Central Warriors/Weston Park Blades   Centre Court  
Fionnuala Toner   Belfast Ladies NC   Circle Defence  
Frances Keenan   Belfast Ladies NC   Centre Court  
Georgie McGrath   Kingsway NC   Circle Attack  
Lauren Walshe   Belfast Ladies NC   Circle Defence  
Maria McCann   Belfast Ladies NC   Circle Defence  
Michelle Magee   Leeds Rhinos   Circle Defence  
Niamh Cooper   Severn Stars   Centre Court  
Orlaith Rogers   Sirens Development NSL   Circle Attack  
Rosa McCloskey   Kingsway NC   Circle Attack  

*clubs as per the 2023/24 season 

Reserves: Lisa Carlin, Mia Lanigan, Orla McGeough  

Head Coach: Sheonah Forbes  

Check out opportunities to sponsor the Northern Ireland Warriors here.

If you would like to show your support for the NI Warriors, please donate here.

Northern Ireland Selects Warriors Squad Ahead Of Europe Netball Open

The NI Warriors are prepared and ready to demonstrate what they are capable of, ahead of their first appearance at the Europe Netball Open Event since 2021, where they will take on the Republic of Ireland, UAE and hosts, Isle of Man.

Given the timing of this event, this is a great opportunity for our newer Warriors to gain exposure on an international stage, play in new units and experience an intense competition period.

The competition will commence on the 16th May, in the National Sports Centre, Isle of Man.

Sheonah Forbes (NI Warriors Head Coach)

We, as the Warriors group, are excited to get ourselves back out there competing on the international stage at Europe Netball and are looking forward to the challenge of 5 games in 4 days. In a period of re-build & training, we cannot wait to see what this group, lead by Fi Toner, can put out there on court.

As we continue to support athletes and their Netball development, the potential of 5 new caps before a period of increased international calendar is pivotal to the growth of the Warriors.

NI Warriors Squad:

Name Position Club/Franchise
Lisa Carlin WD/GD North East Phoenix NPL
Ciara Crosbie GS/GA Oldham Netball Club
Tillie Irvine GK/GD Saracens Mavericks NPL
Frances Keenan WA/C Belfast Ladies Netball Club
Michelle Magee (VC) GD/WD Leeds Rhinos NSL
Evelyn McCagherty C/WA Central Warriors NPL/Weston Park Blades Netball Club
Maria McCann GD/GK Belfast Ladies Netball Club
Olivia McCloskey GS/GA Kingsway Netball Club
Rosa McCloskey GA/GS Kingsway Netball Club
Orla McGeough C/WD Manchester Thunder NPL
Georgie McGrath GA/WA Kingsway Netball Club
Ana Mulholland WD/GD Crumlin Community Netball Club
Orlaith Rogers (VC) GS/GA Sirens Development NSL
Fionnuala Toner (C) GD/WD Belfast Ladies Netball Club
Lauren Walshe GK/GD Belfast Ladies Netball Club

Reserves: Laura Mills (Durham University Netball Club), Mia Lanigan (Leeds Rhinos NPL/YWCA Bury)

Management

Head Coach – Sheonah Forbes

Assistant Coach – Debbie Bleakley

Team Manager – Beth Healy

Physio – Sinead Chambers

Performance Analyst – Lauren Webb

 

To note;

Caroline O’Hanlon will not be travelling whilst we support her during a period of load management.

Emma Magee will not be travelling due to currently recovering from injury.

Niamh Cooper will not be travelling due to NSL commitments at a critical time in the calendar.

We know they will all be supporting the Warriors from home.

 

Tickets can be purchased here.

All matches will be live streamed on the Europe Netball TV YouTube.

If you would like to show your support for the NI Warriors, please donate here.

Netball Northern Ireland Warriors Selection

A squad of 15 Warriors have been selected for December’s Test series vs ROI Emeralds.

Sheonah Forbes, NI Warriors Head Coach

“I cannot wait for my first test series with the squad, especially with it being on home soil. We have been really busy since I have come into the position of NI Warriors Head Coach and the squad has been progressing well. It will be great to get out there and see the squad on court against our neighbours.” 

Karen Rollo-Stewart, NNI Executive Manager

“I cannot wait to see our Warriors back on court in a home test series. The work behind the scenes from the entire squad, management and performance team has been phenomenal, with huge commitment and buy in from everyone to drive the Warriors forward both on court and off. It will be great to see them do what they love, and we are thrilled to be competing against our close neighbours, ROI Emeralds, who have been putting out some incredible performances over the last 12months.” 

Warriors Squad: 

Name  Club/Franchise   Court Area 
Niamh Cooper  Leeds Rhinos/Eagles NC  Mid Court 
Ciara Crosbie  Oldham NC  Circle Attack 
Frances Keenan  Belfast Ladies NC  Mid Court 
Emma Magee  Leeds Rhinos/The Downs NC  Circle Attack 
Michelle Magee  Leeds Rhinos/Grangetown NC  Circle Defence 
Evelyn McCagherty  Central Warriors/Weston Park Blades NC  Mid Court 
Georgie McGrath  Kingsway NC  Circle Attack 
Caroline O’Hanlon (C)   Leeds Rhinos/Larkfield NC  Mid Court 
Orlaith Rogers  Sirens Development/Northumbria University  Circle Attack 
Fionnuala Toner  Belfast Ladies NC  Circle Defence 
Lauren Walshe  Belfast Ladies NC  Circle Defence 
Maria McCann*  Belfast Ladies NC  Circle Defence 
Lisa Carlin**  Northeast Pheonix/Northumbria University  Circle Defence 
Reserve: Olivia McCloskey  Kingsway NC  Circle Attack 
Reserve: Orla McGeough  University of Liverpool  Mid Court 

*Maria McCann will be selected for the 12 in Test 1 and reserve for Test 2 

**Lisa Carlin will be selected for the 12 in Test 2 and reserve for Test 1 

Management

Head Coach: Sheonah Forbes 

Assistant Coach: Debbie Bleakley 

Team Manager: Beth Healy 

Northern Ireland Netball Warriors Long Squad & Emerging Warriors Announced!

Northern Ireland is thrilled to announce the athletes selected for the new cycle of NI Warriors Long Squad.

After a period of uncertainty while completion of the recruitment process for the new Head Coach was completed, (Read more about Sheonah Forbes, new Warriors Head Coach here) we were delighted with the response to trials. A significant number of athletes registered and left an indelible mark on the court.

The trials were designed to assess the athletes’ skills and potential thoroughly. A full day of movement, skills, and match play allowed the selection panel to evaluate the candidates’ abilities in a variety of scenarios. After careful consideration, 15 talented individuals were selected to form the core of the Northern Ireland Netball Warriors Squad. Furthermore, the opportunity to expand the squad to 18 remains open, as there are still nine registered athletes who are yet to be evaluated.

In addition to the Long Squad, a group of seven outstanding athletes has been chosen as the ‘Emerging Warriors.’ These individuals demonstrated exceptional potential during the trials and will receive specialised support through focused training sessions. The Emerging Warriors will have the opportunity to train alongside the full Warrior group, providing them with valuable experience and exposure to the highest level of play.

Northern Ireland Netball is excited about the future and the potential this talented group of athletes brings to the team as we build into a new cycle of netball and aim to perform on the world stage. With the Long Squad finalised and the possibility of expanding it in the near future, the coaching staff is optimistic about the success that lies ahead. Congratulations once again to all the athletes who have been selected, and we look forward to witnessing your growth and accomplishments on and off the court.

Warriors Head Coach Appointed

Warriors Head Coach Appointed

Netball NI are excited to announce, we have completed our recruitment process for the Warriors Head Coach and are thrilled to have appointed Sheonah Forbes to the role.

As we move forward with the recommendations from the Performance Review and build our High Performance and Performance Pathway programmes, Sheonah is perfect Head Coach to lead our performance team.

‘Sheonah really impressed at interview; she has excellent experience most recently as England Netball Pathways Head Coach, fulfilling both Head Coaching roles and developing the Future Roses programme.

Her professional, experienced background imbedded in High Performance will be invaluable to the Warriors with the ability to lead on culture and style of play of the group as a whole and individuals.’

Helen Stirling, Chair

‘We have taken our time to appoint our new Head Coach as this appointment will be instrumental in the next phase of our work in performance. On connecting with Sheonah it has been clear from the start her passion for developing athletes and supporting their drive for success is second to none. Her experience and knowledge speak for itself.  Add to that her integrity, personal values and dedication to her sport, she is the ideal fit for the Warriors and the wider Netball NI staff team and I am really looking forward to seeing her take us forward.’

Karen Rollo-Stewart, Executive Manager

‘I am delighted to have been appointed into this key role for Netball Northern Ireland and a role that I am excited to step into. I can’t wait to contribute to the next phase in developing the Warriors both on and off the court, the systems supporting this, to ensure we are in the best place possible for future success. I look forward to meeting the team as well as using my knowledge and experiences to drive the Warriors through this next cycle.’

Sheonah Forbes, NI Warriors Head Coach

We know our members have been keen to see the Warriors back and will wish Sheonah well in her role.