Sport

Programmes launched to develop young Welsh netball talent

07 Oct 2026 2 minute read

Bethan Dyke of Wales in action against Scotland during the Women’s Netball Preliminary Round match in the Commonwealth Games. Photo credit: Jane Barlow/PA Wire.

Nation.Cymru staff

Two netball training programmes have been launched to help talented Welsh players develop closer to home and progress towards national squads.

Welsh Dragons will run weekly sessions for players aged 13 to 16 at ten hubs across Wales and the west of England, while Wales Netball is opening four centres offering training through a selection process.

The Dragons Hubs will combine match play, skills training, game awareness and physical conditioning. Players do not need to be eligible to represent Wales or be Wales Netball members to take part.

Ken Owens, chair of Welsh Dragons, said: “Dragons Hubs are about opening up performance netball to more young players.

“Every player who comes through a Hub will be better prepared for their next step, whether that is a Wales Netball Centre, a future in the Netball Super League or making a bigger impact with their club and school team.”

Wales Netball Centres will run two programmes: Aspiring, for players aged 13 to 18, and Futures, for those aged 19 and over who show potential to progress.

Players selected for the centres could move into Welsh Feathers Performance Academies, with opportunities to reach the under-17, under-19, under-21 and senior Welsh Feathers competition squads. National eligibility rules apply.

The four centres will be based at Coleg Cambria, Rydal Penrhos, Coleg y Cymoedd and Coleg Sir Gâr. A fifth, in mid Wales, is planned for 2027.

Helen Williams, chair of Wales Netball, said: “We want all talented players to see a clear route through our performance system and understand where their potential could take them.”

Players can trial for a centre without first attending a Dragons Hub, although they cannot take part in both programmes at the same time. They will continue to train and compete with their existing clubs and education teams.

Dragons Hubs will be based at Coleg Cambria, Bangor University, Coleg Gwent, Coleg y Cymoedd, Haberdashers’ Monmouth School, Gower College, the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Cefn Hengoed Leisure Centre, Cardiff University and Wellington School in Somerset.

Trials for both programmes will take place during October and November. Applications are available through the Sport:80 platform, with details of eligibility, venues and costs on the Wales Netball website.

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