Netball in Wales

Netball in Wales is organised by Wales Netball. The Wales national netball team regularly competes in international netball competitions such as the Netball World Cup, Netball at the Commonwealth Games, the Netball Europe Open Championships and Netball World Cup Qualifiers. Since 2005–06, Wales has also effectively competed in the Netball Super League, initially playing as Celtic Dragons and later as Cardiff Dragons.

There is evidence that netball was played in Wales in the late 1930s when a Miss George of the YMCA, organised matches in South Wales for the Coalfield Federation and a Miss Pugh Williams arranged matches in Cardiff. Sometime between 1943 and 1945, a group PE teachers, including Marion Morton of the Mary Datchelor School, which was evacuated to Llanelli for the duration of World War II, and Beatrice Williams from Carmarthenshire, formed a small committee to organise netball matches. This committee later became the Wales Netball Association. In 1944–45, Marion Morton also formed the first county team, Carmarthen, which began competing in English inter-counties tournaments.^[2][3]

Wales Netball (Welsh: Pêl-rwyd Cymru) is the main governing body for netball in Wales. It was originally founded in 1945 as the Welsh Netball Association (Welsh: Cymdeithas Pêl-rwyd Cymru). In 2021, it adopted its current name. It is affiliated to both World Netball and Europe Netball. Wales Netball were founding members of both these governing bodies. It is responsible for organising and administering the Wales national netball team and the Netball Super League team, Cardiff Dragons, as well local leagues and other competitions. Since 2009, its headquarters have been based at the Sport Wales National Centre.^[2][3][4]

The Wales national netball team made their Test debut on 7 May 1949 with a 14–13 win against Scotland. The match was played at the General Electric Company ground on Preston Road, Wembley during the 1949 England Scotland Wales Netball Series. Wales also played England for the first time on the same day, losing 25–3.^{[2][5][6][7][8]} They have since represented Wales Netball in various international netball competitions.^[2]

Since 2005–06, the Wales national netball team has also effectively competed in the Netball Super League, initially playing as Celtic Dragons. Since 2024, they have played as Cardiff Dragons.^[14][15]

Wales has hosted the following international tournaments.

In 2023, Wales Netball, launched a new national league. It began with six teams and later expanded to eight. The teams represent the regions of Wales. Players who are included in the Wales, the Cardiff Dragons and other Netball Super League squads are ineligible to play in the national league.^{[28][29][30][31]}

Sources:^[30][31]

1975 saw the introduction of the Senior National Club Championship. Newport Athletic Club were the inaugural champions.^[2][3] In 2023, after several years of inactivity the Championship was revived.^[32] Clubs compete in local leagues across Wales during the winter season, which typically concludes in the April/May. The top-performing clubs from these eligible leagues, plus the reigning champions, qualify for the national championship.^[33][34]