Following a hugely successful international campaign over the last eighteen months, Netball in Northern Ireland is on the move; participation levels are increasing, performance levels are being pushed steadily higher and Netball NI is driving forward to take its place front and centre as promoter and facilitator of this increasingly popular female sport.

In the run up to competing in the showcase event of the Netball World Cup (12th – 21st July 2019, Liverpool), Netball NI have some exciting announcements;

 Dan Ryan, appointed Head Coach in November 18 will lead Northern Ireland in the Netball World Cup. Ryan, who joins Netball NI after two years plying his trade as the Head Coach of the Adelaide Thunderbirds in the Suncorp Super Netball League, said it was a great honor to take the reigns of the world number eight.

 “It’s incredibly humbling to be entrusted to lead the national team and the opportunity to coach at a World Cup is a dream come true,” he said.

 “For me, working with a team and organisation that shares my passion and enthusiasm for the sport is really important and I’ve been so inspired by Northern Ireland’s vision and the direction they want to head.”

 “I’m really optimistic about the next chapter and looking forward to seeing what we can create together.”  

 Not only do Northern Ireland have a new Head Coach in place, the success on court and growth within the organization has led to three new partners being announced over the weekend.

PwC Northern Ireland has been announced as title sponsors for the Northern Ireland squad who will now be known as the ‘PwC Warriors’,

 Paul Terrington, PwC NI chair, said he was inspired by the team’s commitment and ambition, making it a natural fit for the firm:

“We’re delighted to be working with the most successful netball team that Northern Ireland has produced, and especially during this critical World Cup year.

 “This is a team driven by passion for the sport and determination to succeed, and I’m inspired by the world-class level they’ve achieved, particularly as semi-professional athletes.

 “Funding issues in womens’ sport are well known, but finding solutions to important problems is PwC’s core purpose. We believe in the value of increasing diversity and inspiring the next generation to believe they can achieve great things. This team is a great example of what is possible, and we look forward to watching them compete against the best in the world in Liverpool this summer

Rushmere Shopping Centre are no strangers to Netball Northern Ireland having supported the squad during their Commonwealth Games campaign and have once again come on board to support the team in this World Cup Year.

Martin Walsh, Manager of Rushmere Shopping Centre, said he was delighted to see the performances of the team in Gold Coast and is excited about what they can achieve in Liverpool this year.

‘Seeing the Northern Ireland team working hard and achieving success on court is a wonderful influence on younger players coming through who aspire to be like them. The junior players from the clubs local to Rushmere coming here to the press conference today, listening to the Fionnuala (Fionnuala Toner, Vice Captain NI) and getting their photographs taken with her and Dan is incredible to see and Rushmere are delighted to be a part of that excitement and encourage them on their journey.’

Playing to your best requires full focus on what you are delivering on court, Kukri Sports being involved in elite sport know that better than most and Netball NI are thrilled to have them as official clothing supplier for the next two years. In addition to providing the National Squads with bespoke sportswear, there will also be an extensive Core range offering which will be widely available to all members and supporters.

Terry Jackson, Kukri Sports, General Manager, Kukri Sports Ireland, said:

“We are delighted to be announced as the official apparel supplier to Netball NI. As a business we are looking forward to supporting the great work they do both in the community and for the sport of netball at grassroots and performance level in Northern Ireland. Working together to bring to life the first ever Netball NI online store has been an absolute pleasure.’’

Netball Northern Ireland are thoroughly in the midst of extremely exciting times, some highlights being; the performances of the National Team, the introduction of social netball, online merchandise available and online club locater and registration system. At the helm through all this work is Chair, Geoff Wilson who has been working tirelessly to ensure Netball Northern Ireland are ahead of the game off court to support achieving their performance goals on court.

Geoff Wilson, Chair Netball NI said;

‘It has been a massive step forward for Netball Northern Ireland to announce three renowned partners this weekend, to get to the stage of having a global company such as PwC as title sponsors of our Senior Squad is a testament to work our athletes and coaches are putting in on court and also to the team in the background who have the job of developing all the aspects of a National Governing Body; participation, volunteers, workforce, volunteers, governance, sustainability and growth. It’s great to see our vision and how we work has impressed these companies and they have chosen to support us. We are well aware there are lots of sports seeking sponsorship and we believe it’s a testament to our good work and strategy to push forward that has attracted and gained the confidence of our partners to support us and help us deliver our goals. We are delighted to have them on board and are immensely grateful for their support.’

 With the countdown to the Netball World Cup well and truly on, Netball Northern Ireland have a lot of work ahead and are up for the challenge.

#PwCWarriors #LeadingNI

Netball NI Web Site

Twitter – @netballni

Instagram – @netballni