Cardiff Dragons (netball)

Cardiff Dragons are a Welsh netball team based in Cardiff. Their senior team plays in the Netball Superleague. In 2005–06 they were founder members of the league. Their best performance in the Superleague came in 2013 when they finished as runners up to Team Bath. Playing as Celtic Flames, Dragons also played in the 2017 Netball New Zealand Super Club. Cardiff Dragons main partners include the Welsh Netball Association, the Wales national netball team and Cardiff Metropolitan University. The team changed its name from Celtic Dragons to Cardiff Dragons on 31 August 2023 in preparation for the 2024 season ^[1]

Cardiff Dragons

Founded	2005
Based in	Cardiff
Regions	Wales
Home venue	Cardiff City House of Sport CF11 8AW
Head coach	Danielle Titmuss-Morris
Captain	Claire Jones
Vice-captain	Laura Rudland, Annabel Robby, Shaquanda Greene-Noel
League	Netball Superleague
Website	www.cardiffdragons.com
Uniform

History

Netball Superleague

Celtic Dragons were formed in 2005 and were named as the Wales franchise in the new Netball Superleague. Together with Brunel Hurricanes, Galleria Mavericks, Leeds Carnegie, Loughborough Lightning, Northern Thunder, Team Bath and Team Northumbria, Dragons were founder members of the league.^[2][3] Their best performance in the Superleague came in 2013 when they finished as runners up to Team Bath.^{[4][5][6][7][8]}

Celtic Flames

Playing as Celtic Flames, Celtic Dragons played in the 2017 Netball New Zealand Super Club. The Celtic Flames squad featured past and present Dragons players, including Chelsea Lewis and Nia Jones, and two guest players, Anna Thompson and Temalisi Fakahokotau of Mainland Tactix. Both were also New Zealand internationals.^{[9][10][11][12][13]} Flames finished in fifth place, ahead of all other invited international teams outside Australia and New Zealand.^[14][15]

Wales

Cardiff Dragons work in partnership with both the Welsh Netball Association and the Wales national netball team. Melissa Hyndman, Trish Wilcox and Julie Hoornweg all served as joint head coach of both Dragons and Wales.^{[16][17][18][19]} At the 2018 Commonwealth Games eleven of the squad were Dragons players and the twelfth, Chelsea Lewis was a former player.^[20][21][22]

Senior finals

Netball Superleague Grand Finals

Season	Winners	Score	Runners Up	Venue
2013^[4]^[5]^[6]^[7]^[8]^[23]	Team Bath	62–56	Celtic Dragons	University of Worcester Arena

Home venue

Dragons' current home venue is the Cardiff City House of Sport, located adjacent to the Cardiff City Stadium, having moved to the 1100-seat venue in 2022.^[24] Until 2022 Dragons played the majority of their home Netball Superleague games at Sport Wales National Centre in Sophia Gardens.^[25][26] They also train and play some home games at Cardiff Metropolitan University.^[27][28] They have also occasionally played home games at Wrexham Glyndŵr University^[29][30] and at Cwmbran Stadium.^[31]

Notable players

2024 Squad

2024 Celtic Dragons roster
Players	Coaching staff
Nat. Name Position(s) DoB Height   Phillipa Yarranton GA, GS 28 November 2003 –   Laura Rudland WA, GA 6 November 1994 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)   Georgia Rowe GS 9 May 1995 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)   Beth Ecuyer Dale C, WD 6 August 1999 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)   Hannah Passmore GS, GA 11 December 2000 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)   Leah Middleton GD, GK 7 April 1995 –   Nia Jones WD, GD, C 6 April 1992 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)   Elle McDonald C, WA, WD 16 September 1994 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)   Khanyisa Chawane C, WD 14 January 1994 1.67 m (5 ft 6 in)   Jacqui Newton GD, GK, WD 14 February 1997 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)   Lucy Howells WD, GD, GK 12 September 1994 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)   Nansi Kuti GK, GS 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)   Shona O'Dwyer (TP) C, WA 20 January 1998 1.67 m (5 ft 6 in)   Millie Carter (TP) GK, GD 1 May 2003 –   Zoe Matthewman (TP) GA,GS 26 January 2000 –	Head coach Jill McIntosh Notes (c) – Captain (cc) – Co-captain (vc) – Vice-captain   – Injury / maternity leave (TRP) – Temporary Replacement Player
Player profiles: Team website	Last updated: 13 September 2023

Source:^[26][32][33]

Internationals

  Wales

• Nia Jones
• Chelsea Lewis
• Nicola Lewis

  England

• Lindsay Keable

  Fiji

• Adi Bolakoro
• Episake Kahatoka
• Afa Rusivakula

  Jamaica

• Rebekah Robinson

Head coaches

Coach	Years
Jess Garland^[34]^[35]^[36]^[37]	2006–2007
Melissa Hyndman ^[5]^[16]	2010–2014
Trish Wilcox ^[17]^[18]	2014–2018
Julie Hoornweg ^[19]	2018
Tania Hoffman ^[38]	2018–

Honours

• Netball Superleague
  • Runners Up: 2013: 1

References

1. [1]
2. "Our History". www.welshnetball.com. from the original on 29 June 2019. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
3. Dr. Louise Mansfield & Dr. Lara Killick (1 January 2012). "The UK Netball Superleague: A Case Study of Franchising in Elite Women's Sport" (PDF). Brunel University, School of Sport and Education, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UK; and University of the Pacific, Department of Health, Exercise and Sport Science, Stockton, CA. (PDF) from the original on 13 August 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
4. "Team Bath are champions". www.itv.com. 25 May 2013. from the original on 20 February 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
5. "Pride for beaten Celtic Dragons". www.southwalesargus.co.uk. 26 May 2013. from the original on 20 February 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
6. "Super show by Celtic Dragons recognised by Team Bath conquerors". www.walesonline.co.uk. 29 May 2013. from the original on 20 February 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
7. "Superleague final: Celtic Dragons 56–62 Team Bath". www.bbc.co.uk. 25 May 2013. from the original on 12 June 2013. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
8. "Team Bath are the 2013 Superleague Champions". www.teambath.com. 25 May 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
9. . www.bbc.co.uk. 20 June 2017. Archived from the original on 30 August 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
10. (PDF). www.netballnz.co.nz. 26 June 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 February 2018. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
11. "Netball: Tactix players to turn out for Welsh side". www.nzherald.co.nz. 30 June 2017. from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
12. "Temalisi Fakahokotau links up with Welsh Super Club side ahead of NZ trials". stuff.co.nz. 2 July 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
13. "International Super Cup: Celtic Flames suffer second defeat in New Zealand". www.bbc.co.uk. 5 July 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
14. . www.bbc.co.uk. 7 July 2017. Archived from the original on 31 August 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
15. . www.welshnetball.com. 11 July 2017. Archived from the original on 18 January 2021. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
16. "Sacked netball coach Melissa Hyndman reveals allegations". www.bbc.co.uk. 17 July 2014. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
17. "Departure of Trish Wilcox, Celtic Dragons Head Coach". www.celticdragonsnetball.com. 24 January 2018. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
18. "Trish Wilcox: Wales Netball part company with coach". www.bbc.co.uk. 24 January 2018. from the original on 30 March 2018. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
19. "Julie Hoornweg Named as Celtic Dragons Interim Head Coach". www.celticdragonsnetball.com. 26 February 2018. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
20. "Chelsea Lewis". www.teambath.com. 1 August 2017. from the original on 13 February 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
21. "Wales Record Record Goals Total in Final 2018 Commonwealth Games Match". www.welshnetball.com. 12 April 2018. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
22. "VNSL 2018 Round 9 – Celtic Dragons 51 Team Northumbria 56". www.celticdragonsnetball.com. 28 April 2018. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
23. "Worcester Arena gets thumbs up after first big event". www.worcesternews.co.uk. 25 May 2013. from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
24. "Dragons to Call House of Sport New Home Venue". www.celticdragonsnetball.com. 23 June 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
25. "About Us". www.celticdragonsnetball.com. from the original on 8 August 2019. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
26. "Celtic Dragons". www.netballsl.com. from the original on 15 May 2019. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
27. "Celtic Dragons Announce New Training Home at Cardiff Metropolitan University as Part of High-Performance Partnership". www.celticdragonsnetball.com. 14 September 2018. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
28. "Celtic Clash at Cardiff Met Returns for 2019". www.celticdragonsnetball.com. 29 March 2019. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
29. "Netball: Co-operative SL18 Celtic Dragons V Team Northumbria". www.sportsister.com. 3 December 2008. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
30. "Netball: Celtic Dragons go to Wrexham". www.walesonline.co.uk. 18 March 2009. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
31. "Cwmbran Stadium Confirmed". www.celticdragonsnetball.com. 29 November 2016. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
32. "Players". www.celticdragonsnetball.com. from the original on 8 August 2019. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
33. "Congratulations Chelsea Lewis". www.celticdragonsnetball.com. 9 January 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
34. "End of an era as Jess Thirlby announces Team Bath Netball departure after 20 successful years as player and coach". www.teambath.com. 14 January 2019. from the original on 20 February 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
35. "Garland joins new coaching line-up for Superleague defence". www.womensportreport.com. 31 August 2007. from the original on 21 February 2020. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
36. "Team Bath names new coaching line-up". www.express.co.uk. 16 May 2008. from the original on 24 February 2020. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
37. "Inspired Abbott Fires Up Dragons". www.sportfocus.com. 11 December 2006. Retrieved 24 February 2020.
38. "Celtic Dragons appoint Tania Hoffman as new head coach". www.celticdragonsnetball.com. 24 August 2018. from the original on 9 June 2019. Retrieved 21 April 2020.

External links

• Celtic Dragons on Facebook
• Celtic Dragons on Twitter