Netball Scotland will establish a new High Performance Centre in partnership with the University of Strathclyde and the sportscotland Institute of Sport.
The development marks a significant step forward for the sport in Scotland. A second centre will be based at the University of Edinburgh.
Competitive opportunities
The Centres will support the development of elite-level netballers through access to world-class facilities, sports science expertise, and competitive opportunities.
The initiative, unveiled during Women and Girls in Sport Week, is designed to strengthen the performance pathway ahead of major competitions including the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games and the 2027 Netball World Cup in Sydney.
Neil Brown, Director of Sport and Active Health at the University of Strathclyde, said: “We are proud that the University of Strathclyde has been recognised as one of Netball Scotland’s new High Performance Centres. This partnership reflects our commitment to supporting women and girls in sport, developing high-performance environments, and helping athletes reach their full potential on the international stage.”
Kath Tetley, Performance Director at Netball Scotland and Head Coach of the Scottish Thistles, said: “The establishment of the High Performance Centres marks a new era for Scottish netball. We are delighted to be working with these world-class institutions to give Scotland’s elite level netballers the highest quality training environment, supporting them to reach their full potential.”
Coaching support
Athletes including Scottish Thistles and age-grade players Lexi Gillies and Felicity Rome will benefit from the programme, which includes coaching support from Trish Wilcox and Rachel Cremin, as well as strength and conditioning, nutrition, and access to Netball Scotland’s National League.
Mark Munro, Director of Sport and Active Health at the University of Edinburgh, said: “The creation of a High Performance Centre here at the University of Edinburgh will provide Scotland’s netballers with world-class facilities, coaching expertise, and support. Together with our partners, we are strengthening the pathway for elite netball in Scotland.”
Craig Burn, Director of Sport at sportscotland, said: “This new partnership is a great example of how working together across the sporting sector can deliver more and better opportunities for participation and progression in sport. We will continue to support Netball Scotland as it strengthens its performance pathway and look forward to seeing the impact of this partnership.”
The Centres will play a key role in supporting Netball Scotland’s mission to align with World Netball’s vision of world-class netball played more often and to expand participation and excellence in the women’s sport across the country.