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 

Donate now to our performance squads!

Netball NI is registered charity and thanks to the new enthuse platform, it has never been easier to support our performance squads.

Whether you want to support your sister, aunt, coach, or friend…you can do it now, by simply clicking the link below!

Donation Links
U17 https://netballni.enthuse.com/donatetoNNIU17s
U19 https://netballni.enthuse.com/donatetoNNIU19s
U21 https://netballni.enthuse.com/donatetoNNIU21s
Warriors https://netballni.enthuse.com/donatetoNNIWarriors
Netball NI https://netballni.enthuse.com/donatetoNNI

Netball NI Welcome new Board Directors

Welcome to our new Board Directors

The Summer months saw the Board undertake and complete a thorough recruitment process as they sought to strengthen the performance expertise on the Netball NI Board. We are delighted to announce, that following a successful process, the Board have appointed 2 new Directors, commencing their tenures in September 2023. Shirley McCay takes up the position of Performance Pathway Director and Roisin Murphy the role of High Performance Director.

Joining current Directors;

Helen Stirling (Chair)

Richard Bullick (co opt)

Jade Blair

Jasmine Bennett

Steven Mills

Lisa Venney

Both Directors are household names in the Northern Ireland sports arena, with extensive knowledge and experience in female, team sports across the pathways and into elite performance. Each having attended multiple European and World Championships as well as the Tokyo Olympics as either an athlete or leading the support services teams.

Shirley McCay

From 2007-2021 McCay, was part of the Senior Women’s hockey team, retiring with a record holding, 315 International caps. An inspirational athlete who has the lived experience of progressing in performance sport in NI with the understanding of the challenges and opportunities alike. This, along with her 10 years leading the Ulster Hockey talent programme for boys and girls, makes her the ideal person for Netball NI as we progress the recommendations for our performance pathway programme and infrastructure from the recent performance review.

Shirley McCay

‘‘I am delighted to join the board of Netball NI with a specific focus on performance supporting and leading on the pathway for young athletes. I hope I can add value to an already experienced Board, and am really looking forward to getting started.’

 

 Roisin Murphy

Currently Head Physio at the centralised and professional women’s XV Irish Rugby programme at the IRFU, Murphy comes with a wealth of experience having previously led support services for the Irish Women’s Hockey team as they qualified for and competed in the Tokyo Olympics. Prior to this she was part of the inaugural management team at Strathclyde Sirens while also working with the Scottish Thistles. Having implemented strategies across each sport to ensure the holistic health of multiple athletes and teams to support elite performances, Murphy will play an integral role in the High-Performance area of the business.

Roisin Murphy

‘I am delighted to be joining the board of directors at Netball NI as a high-performance specialist. I have always had a passion for driving success of women in sport, especially in Ireland. I have followed the success a small nation like NI has had in netball on the international stage for some time, and more recently been impressed and excited by the steps forward Netball NI has made around high performance and pathway strategy. I’ve worked in Women’s sport at an elite level for many years and hope I can bring my experiences of Olympic sports and other into this role. I am very excited to see what the future holds for NI netball and be a part of the ‘strongest together’ mantra.’

 

Helen Stirling, Chair Netball NI

‘We were delighted with the calibre of applications we received for our vacant Board positions especially at a time with so many Board opportunities open within the sporting landscape in NI. With a need for a clear focus and drive to implement and monitor the performance recommendations, the experience of both Roisin and Shirley in these areas is a huge addition to our Board team. Their professional knowledge of the performance sporting landscape both in NI and beyond will serve to ensure we not only deliver on the recommendations but that we continue to push forward in the performance environment.  I am thrilled to welcome both Shirley and Roisin to the Board and know they will enjoy being a part of the restructured NNI team.

We are sure our members join us in welcoming them and wish them well in their roles.

Netball NI at World Netball Congress by Netball NI Executive Manager, Karen Rollo

World Netball Congress is traditionally held once every two years, coinciding with the World Cup and the World Youth Cup; the two major competition events hosted by World Netball in the four year cycle and where many of the member nations are already in attendance.

Netball NI were represented at World Netball Congress by Chair of the Netball NI Board, Helen Stirling and Executive Manager, Karen Rollo. Northern Ireland also held the proxy vote for our neighbours, Ireland Netball.

World Netball Congress is a face to face formal meeting of the members of World Netball where the World Netball Board and secretariate report on the operational and strategic objectives of the business and where key decisions are discussed and voted on by the membership.

These include; elected members of the World Netball Board, financial management, rules of the game, strategic direction, event locations etc. Sitting within the Europe Netball region, it’s important to represent the views and opinions that will not only support Northern Ireland in our growth and performance, but also that of our region as we collaborate to build a solid and sustainable structure for our sport to reach new participation and performance heights.

 

World Netball Congress Highlights

1.    Reconnecting with those who do our roles across the world, sharing highlights and positive steps within each of our businesses and being able to offer and receive support around the challenges we are facing, which more often than not are actually very similar, if on differing scales.

2.    Being selected as a ‘go to’ country to support World Netball as they launch and work through the role and remit of their charitable arm and foundation. Netball NI have been a front runner in this aspect having gone through this process following our governance review in 2014.

3.    Advancing our collective performance aims with the Home Nations and creating an operational plan to deliver a new competition series with a clear event strategy and purpose to be realised.

4.    Commercial meeting with key partners as we seek to grow our profile and market value products

5.    Re-election of Dame Liz Nicolas President of World Netball for another 4 years.

6.    Being witness to and hearing the stories of the Service Award Winners with their astounding commitment and dedication to multiple roles within our sport.

7.    Seeing the joy our sport brings to so many and the lifelong friendships that have been built across athletes, coaches, administrators and officials

Changes within World Netball

1.    Previous online Congress members voted to amend the articles to enable more independence on the World Netball Board. This Congress saw the approval of 2 recruited Board members, in the Finance and Athlete Director roles, Suri Bartlett and Stacey Francis-Bayman respectively.

2.    Rules changes  – Following a 12 month consultation process the WN Rules Advisory Panel presented proposed changes to Congress, which following an additional meeting outside of Congress for further clarity, were voted in favour by members.

3.    Launch of Foundation – experienced and knowledgeable trustees were recruited who launched the foundation and have begun consultation with members to determine needs and support available.

4.    Change to bid process for major events.

5.    CEO is beginning process to recruit successor after 10 years in post.

 

Cape Town Highlights

A full day of travelling to get there is totally worth it! A vibrant, multicultural city that fully embraced hosting the World Cup, the people were friendly and extremely welcoming.

From Table Mountain to the Waterfront with Robben Island, Vineyards to Game Drives, the city and its suburbs, offer a host of activities that are affordable for visitors and give insight to the history of the region.

Having visited in the South African Winter, it was pretty chilly and wet, but thankfully on the day we took the Cable Car to the top of Table Mountain, there were clear skies and we got to experience the amazing panoramic views of the city and marina landscape below.

A trip to be remembered and one I hope to take again.

World Cup Competition Highlights

In a stadium of 5000 seats, the compact nature only enhanced the atmosphere in the main arena, which when an African team was playing took the noise to another level! Barely a seat sat in throughout those matches with singing, dancing and cheering at every pass.

Widely promoted as the most open WC for years, it really did not disappoint and while we have ultimately seen Australia take another title, the disappointment felt by those who ran them close, shows just how far the sport has come. With the largest broadcast deal for any netball event, the performances of the teams on court delivered the calibre and contest the viewers were hoping for and it was a privilege to see these athletes perform at their peak.

Next up, is the World Youth Cup being held in Gibraltar in 2025 when we hope to be cheering our NI U21’s!

In summary, World Netball Congress, like many clubs and indeed our own AGM, can be admin heavy and appear daunting with so many people in the room that you are not quite sure how things will go – but one thing that happens in all our settings, the people present love our sport and are passionate about driving it forward and helping others to see and experience all the things we love about our game.

It is hugely empowering and rewarding to be surrounded by people from all over the world who value what we all do and understand the various situations we all find ourselves in whether they be positive or challenging! Each of us have a network we call our own ‘Netball Family’, World Congress is absolutely an extension of that and a valuable one that Netball Northern Ireland will continue to attend, both to support their work and voice opinions on matters that impact us and the place of our sport in NI and the World platform.

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.

Netball NI welcome Meg Wallace to the staff team as Performance Coordinator

Following a thorough recruitment process, we are thrilled to announce the appointment of Meg Wallace to the Netball NI staff team in the new position of Performance Coordinator. The role has been created following our independent performance review with a significant remit to drive the structural and programme recommendations to build a sustainable, successful performance pathway for our NI athletes.

Rebecca Hope; Head of Workforce

We are delighted to have Meg Wallace join the performance department in the role of Performance Coordinator.

Her varied experience across grass roots and performance coupled with her solid work ethic made her an excellent candidate for this role, and someone who has the initiative and willingness to drive the achievements from the recent Performance Review.

Meg will be leading the operational and logistic plans behind our performance pathway squads and programmes and be the first point of contact for coaches, team managers and parents.

Meg Wallace

I am absolutely delighted to begin working with Netball NI, an organisation that has so much potential in such an exciting time for netball and women’s sport. I am looking forward to contributing to a new era of performance netball within Netball NI and driving the objectives of the performance pathway.

Meg will take up the position mid-July and as we welcome her to the staff team, we know our members will wish her well in role.

Read the full Independent Performance Review Summary here!

Given the timing in the World Netball major events calendar, Netball NI investment position with Sport NI and changes within the performance staff team, alongside not securing qualification for the World Cup, this was an opportune time to review not only the international competitions but to assess where NI are across the wider performance programme and infrastructure, seeking support to develop practical actions in line with resource and capacity that will best prepare us for moving forward.

Netball NI appointed Mel Mansfield –Former England player 1993-1998, Former Superleague HC, UKCC Level 3 coach, Director of Netball & Senior Lecturer at University of Hertfordshire, to complete the review on our behalf. Mel’s experience in pathway and performance netball programmes, coach mentoring and NSL technical specialist, made her an ideal candidate to provide a strategic and operational oversight of our position and make recommendations to enable progress.

30 + individual consultations were carried out including coaches (u13 club, pathway u13/15/17/21 and EM / Warriors coaches) Netball NI employed staff, club coaches, selectors, board members, performance staff (TM, PA, S&C) Combination of face to face and online. Warriors Player group (17 players) plus individual senior players.

Read the full Independent Performance Review Summary here!

Committed & Enthusiastic Board Member Wanted

NNI Information and Role Description June 23 APPLICATION PACK

In line with Board tenures and following a recent independent performance review that considered the programmes and infrastructure within the performance aspect of our business, Netball NI is seeking to recruit an enthusiastic and forward-thinking person with specific skills, experience and knowledge relating to High Performance/Performance Pathway sporting programmes and environments to join its Board.

Netball NI is a limited company with charitable status with the Board supported by a team of fulltime and part time staff.

We are looking for an experienced individual to join the Board with strong critical thinking skills who can apply independent judgement to work effectively with other directors. The successful candidate would be required to help the operational team to implement and drive the recommendations from the performance review, ensuring the improved progression in the performance system.

We are committed to be a sector leading National Governing Body of sport in Northern Ireland and live our values of Respect, Equality, Accountability, Integrity, Professionalism, Remain passionate with a team first approach.

Board members positions are not remunerated but reasonable travel and subsistence expenses may be reimbursed.

Application packs are available via our website and social media platforms or by contacting our Executive Manager: executivemanager@netballni.org or 02890 736320.

The closing date for receipt of applications is midnight Friday 30th June 2023, with interviews taking place in July 2023.

If you would like an informal conversation about the role, please contact Executive Manager, Karen Rollo.

NNI Information and Role Description June 23 APPLICATION PACK