Netball Scotland Statement

Please find below a statement issued on behalf of Ken Hay, CEO of Netball Scotland, on the future of the Strathclyde Sirens:

“Netball Scotland is desperately disappointed to announce that there will not be a team from Scotland competing in England Netball’s new Netball Super League 2.0 from 2025.

“Netball Scotland has worked tirelessly to find a model that would work in the long-term interests of the sport in Scotland. This includes pursuing alternative financing, ownership and delivery options, plus new sponsorship and partnership opportunities. Despite best efforts, a viable model for a small governing body to sustain what requires at least an additional £500,000 funding each year, could not be found at this time.

“Netball Scotland fully supports England Netball’s vision for creating the best professional netball league in the world, but the additional demands and costs for a professional franchise were beyond its ability and resources at this time.

“Netball Scotland remains committed to developing professional opportunities for Scotland’s elite athletes and looks forward to working with franchises here in the UK and further afield in supporting these ambitions.

“Netball Scotland is continuing a review of its long-term strategic plan, to identify the best and most sustainable strategy for the continued growth of netball in Scotland at all levels, from the grassroots to the Scottish Thistles. As a key part of that future, we will be announcing the new Thistles Head Coach next week.

“Meanwhile, Netball Scotland is working closely with affected athletes, coaches and staff to understand the implications of this decision and will support them in their next steps. There will be no redundancies for any permanent staff within Netball Scotland as a result of this news.

“We want to thank all our players, coaches, volunteers, staff, fans and supporters, past and present, including Glasgow Life and our principal sponsor, the University of Strathclyde, as without them there would have been no Strathclyde Sirens.

“Strathclyde Sirens has been part of the existing Netball Super League since 2016 and we hope Sirens fans past and present will join us in supporting the team to finish the 2024 season on a high in their last two home matches on 7 and 15 June.”