2023 Dragons Midcourt

Celtic Dragons have announced their “middies” for 2023.

Shona O’Dwyer, Laura Rudland, Hannah Leighton, Clare Jones, and Celyn Emanuel! are next to be confirmed.

Our pocket rocket is back again! Shona O’Dwyer is returning for her fourth season! Shona made her debut for Celtic Dragons in 2020 and we are thrilled to have her in green for yet another season! As well as being a Dragon, Shona plays internationally for Wales and competed at the Commonwealth Games this summer. Last season, Shona accumulated 236 feeds, five intercepts, six deflections and seven turnovers!

When asked about returning to Dragons this season, Shona said “I am super excited to be back at Dragons this season. The progress we made last year was amazing and I’m looking forward to continuing to build and move forwards as a squad.”

Our next returning midcourter is our pin-point feeder! Laura will be putting on the green dress for her third season, and she is ready to play in front of the Green Army once again. Laura was a part of the captaincy team last season and we’re delighted to have her representing Celtic Dragons once again!

Talking about the 2023 season, Laura said “I am really excited to be back at Dragons this year. Our progress over the last season was huge, and I am looking forward to building on that and showing everyone what we are capable of from the start.”

She came to Dragons last season and she’s back again! Hannah Leighton will put on the green dress for her second season in Cardiff! When she made her debut for Celtic Dragons last year Hannah made a huge impact, and she’s happy to be back for another season. From her eight appearances last season, Hannah gained three intercepts, seven deflections, five turnovers and 74 feeds!

About her return to Dragons, Hannah said, “I am very pleased to be returning for my second season at Dragons. I’ve loved the team environment and am very excited to see what we can achieve, building on last year. I can’t wait to be back working with some familiar faces and new ones ahead of the 2023 season!”

Returning for her seventh season is Clare Jones! The ever-tenacious Clare is determined to continue to build on the momentum from last season and we’re excited that she will be back in green once again!

About signing for Dragons, Clare said, “I couldn’t turn down the opportunity to re-sign for Dragons, particularly after the promising season we had last year. We showcased an exciting style of netball that demonstrated our capability and I very much wanted to be a part of continuing to build on that this year. I am hoping to continue to drive standards both on and off the court for Dragons and I am ready to approach this season as ever with passion, determination, and tenacity.”

Our final midcourter for the 2023 season is Celyn Emanuel! Celyn made her debut in the VNSL in 2022 and is ready to progress and build from last season. Celyn is part of the Wales Senior Squad and made her international debut this year.

About last season, Celyn said, “Last year was a great learning experience for us. I’m so excited to build on that and show everyone what we can do!”