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.