Cardiff Dragons 2024 Netball Super League Squad Announcement
Netball goal ring and net against a blue sky and clouds at Hagley park, Christchurch, New zealand.
After a week of player announcements for the 2024 Cardiff Dragons netball team, here is the full summary of the squad that will compete in the 2024 Netball Super League.
Shooters
Familiar faces dominate the shooting end with Georgia Rowe, Phillipa Yarranton and Laura Rudland retuning, and Hannah Passmore making the move from Team Bath to Cardiff Dragons this season.
Georgia Rowe is back again for another season, and after a dominant Netball World Cup with the Welsh Feathers, Georgia is certain to replicate her world class shooting form this season for Dragons. Georgia has notched up over 90% shooting accuracy for the past four seasons in Netball Super League and displayed impressive performances against the best defenders in the world whilst in Cape Town, bagging herself a Player of the Match award.
Phillipa will once again pair up with Welsh Feathers teammate Georgia Rowe this season and this exciting new partnership is set to build following their success at the Netball World Cup. Phillipa was a Training Partner in 2023 and has been elevated to the 12 for 2024, following a string of standout performances for Dragons and Wales. Phillipa made her Netball World Cup debut in the first match of the competition and won the Player of the Match award after a dominant display against Trinidad and Tobago.
Equally as deadly at Wing Attack or Goal Attack, Laura Rudland returns for her fourth season with Dragons. Laura had a solid 2023 season and stepped up to the Goal Attack position with ease when it mattered most for Dragons! Laura brings a wealth of experience and knowledge and was a part of the Leadership Group last season.
Hannah joins Dragons from local rivals Team Bath. Hannah covers both the Goal Attack and Goal Shooter positions and 2024 will mark Hannah’s sixth season in top-flight netball, despite her only being 22 years of age. Hannah was a part of the Team Bath’s development pathway for a number of years, playing NPL at U19 and U21 levels. She also played for the England U21 squad. Hannah will add a different dynamic to the Dragons shooting circle, with her movement and her ability to hold!
Midcourt
A refresh of the midcourt this season sees former Dragons captain, Nia Jones, returning alongside Elle McDonald, Beth Ecuyer-Dale, and South African Khanyisa Chawane who also make their way to Cardiff this season.
Nia made her debut for Dragons back in 2013 and is now back to the newly rebranded Cardiff Dragons hoping to add to her 64 appearances for the club. Nia captained the Welsh Feathers at the Netball World Cup and is relishing a return to Cardiff for the 2024 season.
Nia is joined by former Leeds Rhino’s teammate Elle McDonald. Elle played her netball in Australia for the Melbourne Vixens before moving to the Adelaide Thunderbirds. Elle then moved to England to play for Leeds Rhinos and was selected to represent the England Vitality Roses. Elle also made her England Vitality Roses debut last year against Jamaica in the final game of the Vitality Netball International Series in January 2023. Elle has recently been selected to represent the Roses again on their tour to New Zealand later this month.
Beth Ecuyer-Dale joins us from Saracens Mavericks after graduating from their pathway and representing them for seven years. Beth made her NSL debut in 2020 and has gone from strength to strength. Beth made nine NSL appearances for Mavericks in 2023, with 174 feeds, two intercepts, a deflection and three turnovers.
Coming from South Africa is midcourt maestro Khanyisa ‘KC’ Chawane. KC was a part of the South African Spar Proteas Netball World Cup squad in 2019 that finished 4th and represented the Proteas again in the 2023 Netball World Cup in her home country. KC has previously played for teams in her home country of South Africa, and for Team Bath in the Netball Super League. KC covers all three midcourt positions.
Defence
Cardiff Dragons welcomes back Lucy Howells, alongside three new editions, Nansi Kuti, Leah Middleton, and Jacqui Newton, who make up the defensive end this season.
Lucy debuted for Dragons in 2022 and is now back for 2024. Lucy can play across all three defensive positions (GD/GD/WD) and represented the Welsh Feathers at the Netball World Cup in Cape Town, displaying some solid performances against top ranking opposition.
Nansi Kuti was a Training Associate last year and has been elevated into the squad this season. Nansi also represented the Welsh Feathers at the Netball World Cup, where she gained her first international cap. Nansi can also play in the Goal Shooter position, making her a versatile and valuable asset for the franchise.
From Surrey Storm to Cardiff Dragons, Leah Middleton will wear the green dress in 2024. Leah played a key role for Surrey Storm last season, helping them secure a spot in the semi-finals. Leah notched up an impressive 18 interceptions, 42 deflections, and 44 turnovers for the season.
Joining us all the way from Melbourne, Australia, is Jacqui Newton. Jacqui played for Collingwood Magpies last season and has previously played for Melbourne Vixens in the Suncorp Super Netball league and played for Victorian Fury in the ANL league. Jacqui plays in both the Goal Defence and Goal Keeper positions.
Training Partners
2024 Training Partners are Zoe Matthewman, Shona O’Dwyer, and Millie Carter.
Shooter Zoe Matthewman is back for another season after making her debut for Dragons in 2023. Zoe has recently represented the Welsh Feathers at the Netball World Cup in Cape Town.
Midcourter Shona O’Dwyer, is returning for her fifth season after making her debut for Celtic Dragons in 2020. As well as being a Dragon, Shona plays internationally for Wales and represented the Welsh Feathers at the Netball World Cup this summer.
Millie Carter is returning for another year; the young defender has plenty of potential and secures her Training Partner spot again this season. Millie is a Welsh Feather and was named as a reserve for the Netball World Cup. Millie made her debut for Dragons last season on the 4th of March against Saracens Mavericks, making her Dragon #110.
Head Coach
Jill McIntosh returns as Head Coach of the newly rebranded Cardiff Dragons for the 2024 season. McIntosh joined the team at the end of last season.
Jill is a former Australian Diamonds player, Captain, and Coach, who was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 2020 for her contribution to netball. She held the Head Coach role with the Australian Diamonds from 1995 to 2003, leading them to two gold medals at the Kuala Lumpur 1998 Commonwealth Games and the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games, and two World Championships in 1995 and 1999. Furthermore, she led several unbeaten campaigns with the Diamonds, racking up a 94%-win ratio.
She has worked with several different teams since coaching Australia, including Central Pulse in the ANZ from 2007-2008; Singapore from 2009-2011; and Jamaica where she worked as Technical Director and Head Coach at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the 2015 World Cup in Sydney.
About the season ahead, Head Coach Jill McIntosh said “I am thrilled to be returning to the Head Coach position with the Cardiff Dragons for the 2024 NSL season. Having had a small stint with the Dragons in the 2023 NSL season I look forward to working with the returning athletes as well as some new and exciting athletes who will join the Cardiff Dragons franchise for the upcoming season. The 2024 NSL season will hopefully see the Cardiff Dragons as a very competitive outfit who will do very well.”
The team is excited to have Jill McIntosh back at Dragons for a full year for the 2024 Netball Super League season, and excited to see what the Dragons can achieve.
For news about the 2024 season, please visit cardiffdragons.com