Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Netball Team Previews

Nickname: England Roses

Current World Ranking: 3^rd

Commonwealth Games highlights: England are the host nation of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and are also the defending Commonwealth Games Champions, after they beat Australia in the Gold Coast 2018 Final 51-52 thanks to a final second Helen Housby goal. This was the first time England had won gold at the Commonwealth Games, with their previous highest placing being 3rd, which they achieved three times in 2010, 2006 and 1998.

Nickname: Australian Diamonds

Current World Ranking: 1^st

Commonwealth Games highlights: Australia hosted the last Commonwealth Games in 2018 in the Gold Coast, where they lost out to this year’s hosts, England, in the Final 51-52, and took home the silver medal. This was Australia’s third silver medal, as they previously finished 2nd in 2006 and 2010. Since netballs inclusion in the Commonwealth Games in 1998, Australia have won gold three times (1998, 2002 and 2014).

Nickname: Silver Ferns

Current World Ranking: 2^nd

Commonwealth Games highlights: New Zealand are the current Netball World Cup Champions, after they won gold at the Liverpool 2019 Netball World Cup beating Australia in the Final. However, at the last Commonwealth Games in 2018, they missed out on a medal as they finished 4^th losing to Jamaica in the bronze medal match. This was the first time in Commonwealth Games history that New Zealand did not finish in a medal position, as they previously finished 2nd in 1998, 2002, and 2014, and 1st in 2006 and 2010.

Nickname: Sunshine Girls

Current World Ranking: 4^th

Commonwealth Games highlights: Jamaica have finished 3rd in the last two Commonwealth Games, Gold Coast 2018 and Glasgow 2014, and prior to this they also won bronze at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester. Notably, at the Gold Coast 2018 games Jamaica beat two-time gold medallists New Zealand in the bronze medal match 55-60 to finish 3rd.

Nickname: SPAR Proteas

Current World Ranking: 5^th

Commonwealth Games highlights: The hosts of the next Netball World Cup in 2023, South Africa, are yet to finish on the podium at the Commonwealth Games. Their highest finish in the event came in 1998 when they finished 4^th, after losing the bronze medal match to England 56-54.

Nickname: Malawi Queens

Current World Ranking: 7^th 

Commonwealth Games highlight: Malawi have qualified for all but one of the Commonwealth Games, missing out in 2002. The highest place they have finished is 5^th, where they have now finished twice, in 2010, 2014.

Nickname: She Cranes

Current World Ranking: 6^th 

Commonwealth Games highlight: Uganda made their Commonwealth Games debut in 2018, at the Gold Coast, Australia Games. Their first Commonwealth Games victory came against Malawi, who they beat 54-52, in their second game of the tournament. Uganda finished 6^th overall, after losing to South Africa 53-32 in the 5^th place match.

Nickname: Scottish Thistles

Current World Ranking: 9^th

Commonwealth Games highlight: This will be Netball Scotland’s third Commonwealth Games, after competing as the host nation in Glasgow 2014 and then qualifying for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games. In both of their Commonwealth Games appearances the Scottish Thistles have finished in 9^th place.

Current World Ranking:  8^th

Commonwealth Games highlight: Wales have been present at all but one of the Commonwealth Games, missing out only in 2010. Their highest ever finish came in 2002 when they finished the games 6^th, after losing the 5^th place play-off to South Africa 71-27.

Nickname: Calypso Girls

Current World Ranking: 10^th

Commonwealth Games highlight: Trinidad and Tobago have competed in two Commonwealth Games, with their first appearance at the 2010 games in Delhi, India and their second appearance at the 2014 Games in Glasgow, Scotland, before missing out on qualification for the last games in Gold Coast, Australia. Their highest finish came in their inaugural games when they finished 8^th, narrowly missing out on 7^th as they lost their classification match by one to Barbados.

Nickname: Warriors

Current World Ranking: 11^th

Commonwealth Games highlight: This will be Northern Ireland’s third appearance at the Commonwealth Games, after they made their debut at Glasgow 2014 and then qualified for a second time in 2018. Their highest Commonwealth Games finish came in 2014, when they finished 7^th after they beat Wales 58-36 in the 7^th place match.

Nickname: Barbados Gems

Current World Ranking: 12^th

Commonwealth Games highlight: Barbados have been present at all the Commonwealth Games, since netballs inclusion, with their highest place finish coming in 2010 when they were placed 7^th. They secured 7^thplace by beating Trinidad and Tobago by one goal, 60-59 in the classification match.