Latest news with #EnglandThorns
BBC News
3 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Australia Kelpies win Test series against England Thorns
Australia's men's netball team won the Aurora Series after dominating England Thorns in a 62-30 victory at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham to take a 2-0 series, which is the first Australia have contested in England, consists of three lost the opener 63-34 at the Copper Box Arena in London on 25 May and were well beaten in Saturday's second encounter.A dominant last two quarters by Australia sealed the success and the series, although the hosts were competitive at the first-quarter score was 12-9 in favour of the visitors and it was a similar story in the second quarter as good work by James Firminger kept England within touching distance. But Australia's Kelpies stretched their lead to 27-15 at the break and took command in the third quarter to move 47-21 men only played their first international match in 2022, while their opponents have been competing on the international stage since the that experience and quality showed as the Kelpies, led by the impressive Josh Byron, extended their lead in the fourth third and final Test will take place on Sunday at the Copper Box Arena.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
'Netball? You mean football?' - Now I'm England men's netball captain
Joining a men's netball club in England was not easy for James Thomson-Boston when he moved over from Australia nine years ago. "When I came here I wanted to join a men's netball team, and everyone was like, 'Oh, I think you mean football?' - I was like, 'No, I mean netball'," the 32-year-old told BBC Sport. Now, he captains the England men's team and led his side out at London's Copper Box on Sunday for game one in a three-match international series against Australia. "Netball has always been something your sister played, or the girls played at school, or a sport you were forced to play when you were like 12," Thomson-Boston said. But in his experience, that's changing. Certainly his England side gave a good account of themselves in their first match of the series against the Kelpies. Although they suffered a 63-34 loss, it was a much narrower margin of defeat aganst the most dominant side in men's international netball than in their last meeting. The England men's team, or the England Thorns, played their first international match in October 2022, after being formed just seven months earlier. They were defeated by hosts Australia 73-27 but it was a landmark moment for men's netball back home. "We didn't get people saying 'Oh God, you got beaten by 60 goals'. People were like, 'It was really impressive to see you go out there, and show that the UK is developing in the netball world'," Thomson-Boston said. Since that tour, male participation in netball has more than tripled in England. There are now over 70 clubs across the UK offering men's and mixed teams. The England Men's and Mixed Netball Association, EMMNA, is looking to expand its National Championships given the increasing demand from clubs to be involved. There were 14 teams involved in the first men's and mixed National Championships in 2021. This year, they have 48 teams competing, with a further 10 on a waiting list. The men's game continues to grow around the world. Australia, a dominant force in both men's and women's netball, has been running a Men's and Mixed Netball Championship for more than 40 years. "People [in Australia] are encouraged from a young age to play the sport and to really see it as a viable option", Thomson-Boston said. New Zealand, the Caribbean and Americas regions all field men's national teams, and clubs continue to emerge across Africa. Ryan Allan, president and founder of the volunteer-run organisation EMMNA, believes the biggest barrier to the growth of men's netball in England is funding. All the athletes in the England men's team are self-funded, with Thomson-Boston saying they play "for the pride" and "to further the sport". Allan identifies boys aged between 11 to 16 as those who tend to have limited opportunities to continue playing because of a lack of school-based netball programmes or pathways. Then there is the stigma of netball being a sport "that the girls played at school", which Thomson-Boston believes is changing. "Less people are coming up to me and saying, 'Oh, I thought that [netball] was for girls'," he said. "More people are saying, 'Oh, you can play netball, you can play men's netball and you play for England'." The narrative of women's sport fighting for recognition in a historically male-dominated space is a familiar one. But for netball, it is quite the opposite position. The women's game is supporting growth in the men's ranks, with the Netball Super League teams – the elite women's clubs in England – welcoming England men's players as training partners. The benefits are mutual. London Pulse head coach Sam Bird, with whose Super League team Thomson-Boston trains, said: "The men play a slightly different form of the game, so it's quite good for challenging us. "If you've been playing netball as a female, coming up through the ranks, you tend to sort of play in one style. The men create an unpredictable style for us, and the girls really enjoy training against that sort of unpredictability." Pulse defender Darcie Everitt added: "They bring a lot of strength and they also play really, really fast. As a defender, it's good to practise against that style of play. They push us even further." The men's matches against Australia are being promoted as double-headers with Super League matches, where fans can watch both the England men and a Super League women's match with a single ticket. Game 1 – Sunday 25 May, 15:30 BST - England v Australia, double-header with London Pulse v Birmingham Panthers Game 2 - Saturday 31 May, 12:00 BST - England v Australia, double-header with Loughborough Lightning v Nottingham Forest Game 3 - Sunday 1 June, 15:30 BST - England v Australia, double-header with London Pulse v Leeds Rhinos As men's netball continues to develop, protecting the sport's identity as a traditionally female-led sport has become a key part of that journey, Thomson-Boston said. "This was a female-led space that was for females, aimed at females," he said. "We aren't coming in to dominate that space. We just want to increase the amount of people who can see the sport". "Because it's a female-led sport, you are always surrounded by this really inclusive feminine energy, I think, and they are the ones welcoming people in." There has never been a men's netball World Cup - but there are ongoing discussions around a potential launch in 2027, the same year of the women's Netball World Cup in Sydney. Could a men's World Cup run alongside the women's edition? "The end goal would be that it runs in tandem. Everyone is in the same area, all the same energy, bringing all the netball noise!" Thomson-Boston said. As for the Olympics, netball has yet to make its debut. "The bigger we can make it in the next couple of years, the more chance we're going to make it to the Olympics," Thomson-Boston said. "I don't think my knees will survive until then, but who knows!" 'Two concussions in a month was scary and it's why I'm retiring' 'I was completely burnt out, I could not function' How Panagarry turned career doubts into NSL titles
BBC News
23-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
'Netball? You mean football?' - Now I'm England men's netball captain
Joining a men's netball club in England was not easy for James Thomson-Boston when he moved over from Australia nine years ago."When I came here I wanted to join a men's netball team, and everyone was like, 'Oh, I think you mean football?' - I was like, 'No, I mean netball'," the 32-year-old told BBC he captains the England men's team and will lead his side out for a three-match international series against Australia, starting this weekend in London."Netball has always been something your sister played, or the girls played at school, or a sport you were forced to play when you were like 12," Thomson-Boston in his experience, that's changing. How big is men's netball in England? The England men's team, or the England Thorns, played their first international match in October 2022, after being formed just seven months were defeated by hosts Australia 73-27 but it was a landmark moment for men's netball back home."We didn't get people saying 'Oh God, you got beaten by 60 goals'. People were like, 'It was really impressive to see you go out there, and show that the UK is developing in the netball world'," Thomson-Boston that tour, male participation in netball has more than tripled in England. There are now over 70 clubs across the UK offering men's and mixed England Men's and Mixed Netball Association, EMMNA, is looking to expand its National Championships given the increasing demand from clubs to be were 14 teams involved in the first men's and mixed National Championships in 2021. This year, they have 48 teams competing, with a further 10 on a waiting men's game continues to grow around the a dominant force in both men's and women's netball, has been running a Men's and Mixed Netball Championship for more than 40 years."People [in Australia] are encouraged from a young age to play the sport and to really see it as a viable option", Thomson-Boston Zealand, the Caribbean and Americas regions all field men's national teams, and clubs continue to emerge across Africa. What are the barriers to men playing netball? Ryan Allan, president and founder of the volunteer-run organisation EMMNA, believes the biggest barrier to the growth of men's netball in England is the athletes in the England men's team are self-funded, with Thomson-Boston saying they play "for the pride" and "to further the sport".Allan identifies boys aged between 11 to 16 as those who tend to have limited opportunities to continue playing because of a lack of school-based netball programmes or there is the stigma of netball being a sport "that the girls played at school", which Thomson-Boston believes is changing."Less people are coming up to me and saying, 'Oh, I thought that [netball] was for girls'," he said. "More people are saying, 'Oh, you can play netball, you can play men's netball and you play for England'." A helping hand from the women's game The narrative of women's sport fighting for recognition in a historically male-dominated space is a familiar for netball, it is quite the opposite women's game is supporting growth in the men's ranks, with the Netball Super League teams – the elite women's clubs in England – welcoming England men's players as training benefits are Pulse head coach Sam Bird, with whose Super League team Thomson-Boston trains, said: "The men play a slightly different form of the game, so it's quite good for challenging us."If you've been playing netball as a female, coming up through the ranks, you tend to sort of play in one style. The men create an unpredictable style for us, and the girls really enjoy training against that sort of unpredictability."Pulse defender Darcie Everitt added: "They bring a lot of strength and they also play really, really fast. As a defender, it's good to practise against that style of play. They push us even further."The men's matches against Australia are being promoted as double-headers with Super League matches, where fans can watch both the England men and a Super League women's match with a single 1 – Sunday 25 May, 15.30 BST - England v Australia, double-header with London Pulse v Birmingham PanthersGame 2 - Saturday 31 May, 12.00 BST - England v Australia, double-header with Loughborough Lightning v Nottingham ForestGame 3 - Sunday 1 June, 15.30 BST - England v Australia, double-header with London Pulse v Leeds Rhinos As men's netball continues to develop, protecting the sport's identity as a traditionally female-led sport has become a key part of that journey, Thomson-Boston said."This was a female-led space that was for females, aimed at females," he said. "We aren't coming in to dominate that space. We just want to increase the amount of people who can see the sport"."Because it's a female-led sport, you are always surrounded by this really inclusive feminine energy, I think, and they are the ones welcoming people in." What's next for men's netball? There has never been a men's netball World Cup - but there are ongoing discussions around a potential launch in 2027, the same year of the women's Netball World Cup in a men's World Cup run alongside the women's edition?"The end goal would be that it runs in tandem. Everyone is in the same area, all the same energy, bringing all the netball noise!" Thomson-Boston for the Olympics, netball has yet to make its debut."The bigger we can make it in the next couple of years, the more chance we're going to make it to the Olympics," Thomson-Boston said. "I don't think my knees will survive until then, but who knows!"
