Team England’s netballers produced a dominant performance to defeat Northern Ireland 83-34 and earn their first win of the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Anna Stembridge’s side quickly pulled clear in front of a packed house at The Hydro and were in control throughout to put three points on the board at the first opportunity.
Stembridge used all 12 players and was able to test out different combinations across the court as they prepare for the rest of the competition.
That starts with a clash with defending champions Australia on Sunday morning but Stembridge was pleased to get the first game out the way without any hitches.
“It felt really special,” she said. “We had 10 Commonwealth Games debutants, so there was a lot of excitement but also some nerves.
“Getting that first win and performance under our belts was important.
“There were some beautiful moments, but there were also periods where things got a little sticky. Credit to Northern Ireland, who caused us a few headaches at times.
“We'll make sure we close the loop in our debrief and then turn our full focus to Australia tomorrow.”
Stembridge tried out a number of different options on court, with Liv Tchine and Sasha Glasgow combining early on in the shooting circle before Eleanor Cardwell and Ella Clark did the same in the second half.
There were also appearances for Imo Allison, Amy Carter, and Fran Williams at goal defence while Jayda Pechová impressed at goal keeper.
“The different combinations out on court were earned through performance,” said Stembridge.
“What's been really great for us is having these three weeks of preparation to work on certain combinations and build established connections.
“In the second half, we saw Jess [Shaw] playing with Ella [Clark], which is a partnership they have from club netball, but we've also seen a really strong connection develop between Eleanor [Cardwell] and Ella [Clark] over the last couple of weeks.
“That preparation has given us the opportunity to show some tactical diversity.”
While Stembridge made plenty of changes, she also kept plenty up her sleeve ahead of the match with Australia on Sunday morning.
The Diamonds opened up with a 99-38 win over Tonga and are ranked No.1 in the world.
But Stembridge knows her side are relishing the opportunity to play in one of the biggest matches of the Games.
“It's a bit of a balance,” she added. “We want to build confidence, but at the same time we don't want to show everything.
“We've prepared really well for every opposition and done our due diligence, which is exactly what we'd expect from the coaching group.
“Our focus was very much on this first game. We'll review it properly, assess our preparation, and then move on to Australia.”
There were 10 Commonwealth Games debutantes in the squad, and vice-captain Liv Tchine admitted there were plenty of nerves ahead of the opening match.
Tchine started the match and shot at 96% across her 30 minutes of action, and was thrilled to finally step out on court for Team England.
“I was nervous, but I was really excited as well,” she said. “If you think about the whole season, this is what you've been working towards.
“This morning, when I woke up, it really hit me that the competition was finally here. There were a few nerves, but it's all done now.
“It was great to see everyone putting into practice what we've been working on in training.
“Everyone came out and gave everything. It was a really good win, and I think we needed that. We played together well and got those first-game nerves out of the way.”
James Reid/Sportsbeat 2026
