Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games: Nigeria missing as 12 nations confirmed for netball

The Netball competition will take place from Saturday 25 July to Sunday 2 August 2026 in the iconic Hydro, promising nine days of incredible sport, 38 matches and an electric atmosphere.

The confirmed nations are Australia, England, Jamaica, Malawi, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Scotland, South Africa, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, Wales

Netball officially joined the Commonwealth Games programme in 1998 in Kuala Lumpur, following its debut as a demonstration sport in Auckland in 1990. Since then, it has become one of the most anticipated team sports at the Games.

The Australian Diamonds — reigning Commonwealth and Netball World Cup champions — return to defend their title after a thrilling 55–51 victory over Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls in the Birmingham 2022 final.

As the most successful nation in Commonwealth Games Netball history, the Diamonds have claimed four gold medals and appeared in seven finals, firmly establishing their dominance on the international stage and one of the must-see teams in the tournament.

New Zealand’s gold medal win over Australia in 2010 remains one of the most legendary matches in Commonwealth Games history. The final stretched to an extraordinary 84 minutes and was decided in double extra time.

Eight years later, the Gold Coast 2018 final delivered another unforgettable moment, as the England Roses stunned the Netball world by defeating Australia 52–51 with a – now iconic – last-second goal. That dramatic victory not only marked England as the third nation ever to win Commonwealth Netball gold but also inspired a new generation of players and fans across the UK and beyond.

Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls have consistently challenged the sport’s traditional powerhouses of Australia and New Zealand having claimed three bronze medals in Manchester 2002, Glasgow 2014 and Gold Coast 2018, narrowly missing out on a podium finish in 2006 after losing by just one goal to England in a dramatic 53–52 bronze medal match. Jamaica’s breakthrough came at Birmingham 2022, where they reached the final for the first time and earned a historic silver medal.