Tenth place stings Wales but 'future still bright'

Wales head coach Emily Handyside said the team's disappointing 10th-place at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow "stings".

Wales finished two places lower than the eighth they managed at Birmingham 2022 after managing just one win from their six games, including a 63-53 loss to Tonga in the final match.

But Handyside, who steps down from the role at the end of these Games, insisted Wales were still "on a good trajectory and the future is bright".

She added: "We're all upset and disappointed with ourselves.

"But what we have to remember, and we've been talking about all week, is that for a large part of the games, we've played some really fantastic netball.

"We have challenged even the best teams for periods. We challenged Jamaica in the second half, New Zealand in the first quarter. It's all there. It's just bringing it all together for 60 minutes."

Handyside's planned departure from the role was announced in in May and she believes the work done since her arrival in January 2023 - which saw Wales reach sixth in the world in March 2025 - has put Welsh netball in a good place.

"We have beaten teams like Uganda that we hadn't beaten before. We achieved the highest ever ranking," she said.

"We've brought in new blood into the team and we're regenerating it.

"So there is so much to be pleased about. And although this week isn't what we wanted it to be, they're still on a good trajectory and the future is bright."

Handyside was also encouraged by the development of young players, such as Lowri Windsor who made her debut during the Games, for the future.

"There are another handful of athletes who have just got a handful of caps between them," she said.

"For them to get these experiences and exposure is key for the Welsh Feathers moving forwards.

"There isn't a huge amount of experience across the squad. There's two or three players with a lot of caps, but then the rest are really still learning.

"This week's competition will set them up for the future."

Wales captain Bethan Dyke echoed Handyside's disappointment at their Glasgow showing but agreed the experience will help as they plan for the World Cup qualifiers.

They return to Scotland for the qualifiers in which they will face the hosts, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland aiming to reach the finals in Sydney in 2027.

"That experience is amazing for all the group," said Dyke.

"In lots of games we were able to get lots of players out there to experience the different styles of play which we don't come up against very often so it's really valuable."