Scotland, backed by a huge home support, won Women’s EuroHockey Championship II in Glasgow with a 2-1 victory over Italy. The Tartan Hearts had already gained promotion back to the top level of European hockey, and did so with a gold medal at the Glasgow National Hockey Centre.

The Scots were undefeated on route to the final, topping their group with wins over Ukraine, Czech Republic and Austria, followed by a comfortable 3-0 win over Poland in the semi-final to secure promotion. They continued their run of form into the final, starting well and enjoying lots of early pressure in the contest.

Six minutes into the final, Scotland took the lead. Bex Condie powered her way into the D and turned the defender before smashing the ball towards the goal. Sarah Jamieson deflected the ball past the goalkeeper and it bobbled over the line to make it 1-0.

It was nearly a quick response from the Italians as they carved Scotland open at the back for a one-on-one with Amy Gibson, but the goalkeeper was out quick to block.

Scotland continued with some good pressure but couldn’t extend their lead with the Italians looking sharp as half time approached. Scotland stayed strong and held onto their lead at the break.

Early in the second half Fiona Burnet thought she’d scored but the goal was disallowed and the gap remained at one goal. Scotland continued to search for a second goal and Amy Costello had opportunities from penalty corners to find the net. The first prompted an excellent save low to the left, then another was blasted just wide of the right post.

Then Robyn Collins came close, this time from an elaborate penalty corner routine that saw the ball switched around the D with Collins smashing just wide left. The Italians emerged back into the contest and very nearly equalised when a great attack down the left saw Gibson touch the ball onto the post and wide.

After a series of Italian penalty corners it was Scotland who managed to strike the next goal. Amy Costello did well to win the ball, break forward and send Louise Campbell sprinting down the right. Campbell cut the ball back and Charlotte Watson managed to force the ball over the line to make it 2-0.

In the final minute of the match Italy pulled one back when a penalty corner looped into the net, but Scotland held on and won Women’s EuroHockey Championship II in Glasgow.

Scotland Head Coach Jen Wilson said, “I’m absolutely delighted with the win. We said yesterday we had one more job to do and the girls’ absolutely went out and did it today. It was a tough game for us but we played how we know we can play. It’s very exciting how this team is developing and they’ve earned this win tonight.”

Captain Kaz Cuthbert said, “I’m delighted, absolutely ecstatic. We had a goal when we came here – to get promoted and win the tournament. We got promotion yesterday and today was all about the gold medal. It’s important that we continue to develop from this but we’re over the moon to have won this on our own patch.”

Scotland’s men are currently in action at the Men’s EuroHockey Championships in Antwerp, looking to maintain their top division status after securing promotion last year.

Team Scotland’s second most successful Commonwealth Games sport, Athletics is next up in our ‘Celebrating Our Past, Building Our Future’ Sport Focus, which features all 25 sports in which Scotland has competed at the Commonwealth Games.

Look out for everything Athletics related on our website and social media channels in the coming month as we follow Scotland’s stars of track and field from their first appearance in 1930, to their five-medal haul at Gold Coast 2018.

Athletics at the Commonwealth Games

One of the six sports included in the first Commonwealth Games in 1930, Athletics has been contested at every Games to date. At the first Games in 1930 there were 19 events for men on the programme with nine women’s events first added in 1934. Over subsequent Games events were added to the women’s programme until, with the addition of the 3000m Steeplechase in 2006, the programmes became identical with the exception of the now discontinued 50km Walk and a Heptathlon for women in place of Decathlon for men. Para-Sport events were first contested in 2002 and have remained on the programme ever since, though the categories and disciplines included change from Games to Games.

With 75 medals: 18 gold, 23 silver and 34 bronze, Athletics is second only to Aquatics in terms of Scotland’s most successful sport at the Commonwealth Games. Scottish athletes have won medals at every Commonwealth Games to date, with the exception of Cardiff 1958.

Sprinter Allan Wells holds the prestigious position of being Athletics’ most successful athlete, winning four gold, one silver and one bronze for Scotland over two Commonwealth Games. He topped the Scottish all-time list of top Games athletes across all sports until the Gold Coast 2018 Games when lawn bowler Alex Marshall claimed top sport by winning his fifth Commonwealth Games gold. Liz McColgan is Scotland’s top female athlete with two gold and a bronze from two Games.

Find out more about Athletics in the Commonwealth Games, including the competition format, rules and equipment on our dedicated Athletics page.

Scotland’s Commonwealth Champions

Scotland were straight off the mark at the inaugural Commonwealth Games in Hamilton in 1930 as Dunky Wright took Marathon gold ahead of England’s Sam Ferris and Canada’s Johnny Miles, Scotland’s only medal in Athletics of those Games. Four years later it was bronze for Wright but Frank Hunter stepped up to become Scotland’s second gold medallist with victory in the 440 yards Hurdles, also taking bronze in the 4 x 440 yards Relay. There was no gold in 1938, David Young with silver in the Discus Scotland’s only Athletics medallist, but the Scots were back to winning ways in 1950 as Duncan Clark struck gold in the Hammer.

The Marathon again produced gold in 1954 as Joseph McGhee took victory following the collapse of England’s world record holder Jim Peters in the closing stages and in 1966 Scotland once again took the top step of the Marathon podium through Jim Alder. Edinburgh 1970 proved to be the first Games in which Scotland won more than one gold medal in Athletics and remains the sport’s most successful Games to date as Lachie Stewart took the 10,000m title, Ian Stewart the 5,000m, Rosemary Wright the 800m and Rosemary Payne the Discus in front of a home crowd at Meadowbank Stadium.

Rosemary Payne couldn’t quite defend her title four years later in Christchurch, her Discus silver the only medal for Athletics, but 1978 saw Allan Wells come to prominence with gold in the 200m and silver in the 100m, followed by a second gold alongside David Jenkins, Drew McMaster and Cameron Sharp in the 4 x 100m Relay. Four years later Wells was back with another golden double – this time in the 100m and 200m, the latter in a dead heat with England’s Mike McFarlane – before also taking 4 x 100m Relay bronze to give him the title of Scotland’s most successful Games competitor with a tally that would not be bettered for the next 36 years. The 1982 Games also saw Meg Ritchie take Discus gold in a Games Record of 62.98m, four metres ahead of her nearest rival.

The home Games of Edinburgh 1986 saw the Scots bring home six Athletics medals but only one gold courtesy of Liz Lynch, who finished nearly 12 seconds clear in the 10,000m final. Now competing as Liz McColgan, she was once again Scotland’s only Athletics gold medallist four years later in Auckland where she defended her 10,000m title and added bronze in the 3,000m behind team mate Yvonne Murray in silver. Murray stepped up to the 10,000m at Victoria 1994 and onto the top step of the podium, winning what would prove to be Scotland’s last Athletics gold for 20 years before Libby Clegg, guided by Mikhail Huggins, had the Hampden home crowd on their feet with a sensational win in the T12 100m at Glasgow 2014.

Team Scotland Athletics Gold Medallists

Click here for a full list of Team Scotland’s Athletics medallists

Youth Games Success

At the Commonwealth Youth Games, just as in the main Games, Athletics is a core sport and must be included on the sports programme. Scottish athletes have won at least one Athletics medal at every Youth Games to date, including at Samoa 2015 where all six athletes selected won medals, winning three silver and four bronze between them.

In 2004, javelin thrower James Campbell and 1500m runner Morag McLarty were Scotland’s first Youth Games gold medallists in Athletics and were followed by Tom Holligan with 200m gold in 2011 and Erin Wallace with 1500m gold in 2017. James, Morag and Erin all went on to compete as seniors at the Commonwealth Games, with Erin competing in Triathlon at Gold Coast 2018.

Others who competed in the Youth Games before going on to compete for Team Scotland in the Commonwealth Games include Pune 2008 representatives Lynsey Sharp, Chris O’Hare, Eilish McColgan and Beth Potter, who all went on to represent Team Scotland at Glasgow 2014 and Team GB at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Scotland at the Commonwealth Games

The Commonwealth Games is the only occasion where Scotland gets to compete in a multi-sport event as a nation in its own right and is one of only six countries to have competed in every Commonwealth Games since their inception in Hamilton in 1930. Represented by 15 athletes participating in six sports at those first Games, winning a very creditable 10 medals, Scotland have gone on to win medals at every Games since.

Edinburgh became the first city to hold the Games twice in 1970 and 1986 and also became the first city to host the Commonwealth Youth Games.

Scotland hosted the Games for a third time when Glasgow welcomed athletes and officials to the XXth Commonwealth Games which was held from 23rd July – 3rd August 2014. Team Scotland celebrated their most successful Games in history, winning a total of 53 medals and went on to record their highest overseas medal tally ever at Gold Coast 2018.

Find out more about the Commonwealth Games and Team Scotland’s past success in our Past Games section.

While Team Scotland’s athletes excelled in the arena, collecting a record-breaking 53 medals, the success of the whole Games came down to the dedication and upbeat attitude of thousands of volunteers. An army of ‘Clydesiders’ worked behind the scenes making sure everything ran smoothly across venues, transport, uniforms, the Athletes’ Village and so much more.

The welcoming face of the Games to the thousands of athletes, officials and spectators who descended on Glasgow, we asked three Clydesiders to share their memories and tell us what that experience meant to them, to Glasgow and to Scotland. Here’s what Andrew Miller, Marion Robinson and Chris Quinn had to say:

How did you get involved in volunteering at Glasgow 2014? What role did you take on?

ANDREW: I was really lucky to just by chance help out as a London 2012 volunteer interviewer for the Scottish Gamesmaker applicants at Glasgow Science Centre. It was a fascinating experience and led to a lot of us having the chance to be Frontrunners, the early volunteers who interviewed the candidates who would become Clydesiders.

At the Games themselves I was a member of the Protocol team in the Games Village. Our job was to look after the Games Chieftains, a group of prominent athletes who were the figureheads for events in the Village. Our ‘VIP’ tent was in the international zone where the athletes came for a drink but we spent a lot of time in the village running errands and showing visitors around.

MARION: I had volunteered as a Selection Event Volunteer (SEV) at the Glasgow Science Centre for London 2012 as part of their volunteer recruitment programme.  A number of the volunteers were actually staff members involved in Glasgow 2014 and were learning from the experience with a view to developing the volunteer recruitment programme for Glasgow 2014. A number of us gave contact details to the 2014 staff and at the end of 2012 I had an email asking if I wanted to get involved. I was lucky enough to be part of the Frontrunner team undertaking almost 21,000 interviews to find the 15,000 Clydesiders needed to make 2014 the success it was. I spent almost 15 months as part of the interview team, the training admin team and ultimately as a Clydesider at games time.

CHRIS: I seem to remember seeing it in a newspaper, not too sure. I never thought I’d be in with a chance. I began as a Frontrunner, then, during the Games, was a T2 Driver.

What are your memories of the lead into and during the Glasgow 2014 Games themselves?

ANDREW: Being a Frontrunner was probably one of the best things I’ve ever done – a year of uplifting events and laughter. There were about 300 of us interviewing the people who became Clydesiders along with the teams for ‘On the Day’ events, the Queen’s Baton Relay and Clyde the Mascot. I helped put on some of our social events so I got to know loads of people and made some cracking friends who I still see today (but not often enough!).

So it wasn’t just the absolute privilege of meeting some of the 21,000 people who got interviewed and hearing their inspirational stories it was meeting such a wide range of people and feeling the buzz as it grew in the Albion Street offices and in Glasgow generally, it was just awesome.

MARION: So many memories. As a Frontrunner I had the most amazing time meeting people from all sorts of backgrounds, age groups and experience from all over the UK, and beyond, who wanted to be part of Glasgow 2014. I worked with a fabulous group of volunteers during the selection/training period and have made many friendships which are still strong after five years.

As well as interviewing we did some accidental fund-raising. From donations for the home-baking which myself and a few other volunteers brought to the volunteer centre, which supported one of our volunteer colleagues who volunteered in Kenya. Our fundraising efforts helped buy desks for a school, and we donated pencils and pens to give to the children allowing them to attend school.

We also thought we’d give a lesser known Commonwealth sport a try. This was lawn bowls as one of our Frontrunner colleagues (who has sadly passed away earlier this year) was a ‘booler’. From that we developed ‘frontboolers’ with a day out at Gourock Bowling Club. As well as having a great deal of fun with our bowling efforts (or lack of), we also raised money from a raffle and a fiendishly quirky quiz which saw around £400 being donated to Ardgowan Hospice. This became an annual event with money raised for the Stroke Association and Diabetes Scotland. This year we held frontboolers7 and our chosen charity for the past few years has been Calum’s Cabin. A charity based in Rothesay which provides holidays for children with cancer or cancer related illnesses. This year we raised over £900

During the Games themselves I worked with a great group of volunteers from all over the UK and still keep in touch with them via social media or occasional meet-ups when paths cross at other volunteering events. I also got to witness some fabulous sporting performances at the Squash and Table Tennis events.

CHRIS: The lead in, as a Frontrunner, was the best volunteering experience I have ever had. I made lots of lifelong friends, met hundreds of inspirational volunteers and I remember many interviews I held with them. The whole event brought a buzz to the city that I have never experienced then, and since. That summer was Glasgow’s happiest summer, ever.

If you had to pick one personal standout moment of those Games, what would it be?

ANDREW: In my Games role I got to look after Sir Chris Hoy when he was chieftain playing host to the young Royals at the Athletes’ Village and another day I ended up not so glamorously holding Katharine Grainger’s piece of gum in my hand which she had to very quickly spit out to make a welcome speech! However my favourite moment was when the entire team from Kiribati took over the VIP lounge to celebrate their first ever gold medal. They gave it laldy all afternoon!

MARION: High-fiving almost every member of Team Scotland as they left the pitch at the Closing Ceremony in Hampden Park!

CHRIS: Choosing one is difficult. As a T2 driver, I carried many important passengers. The wife of a top Commonwealth Games official, athletes, coaches. But the passengers that stick in my mind were the parents of the young Scottish swimmer, Erraid Davies. They were the BEST people in the world. They are so proud of their daughter and they loved talking about her.

How special was it to be a Clydesider and do you still keep in touch with others?

ANDREW: Beyond words really.  Being part of something so unique and special was amazing. Through Facebook I’m still in touch with dozens of people and I hope we’ll have a proper reunion again soon.

MARION: It was an absolute honour and privilege to have been chosen as a Clydesider given so many people had applied for the volunteer roles. I still keep in touch with lots of my Frontrunner and Clydesider colleagues and many of them are now very good friends. We meet socially and at other events that we might be volunteering at.

CHRIS: I consider my time as a Clydesider to be one of the best chapters in my life. I was fortunate to be one of the volunteers for the Games and it’s something I will proudly tell my grandkids, when they ask. Yes, I’m still in touch with a huge number, especially through the volunteer group Vamos 2014. Also a fundraising group that meets once a year to raise funds for charity, mostly made up of 2014 Frontrunners as a social gathering, which started in 2014.

What was your favourite sporting moment from the 2014 Games?

ANDREW: I love athletics and used to run a wee bit so my favourite moment was Lynsey Sharp’s epic 800m. She had been ill on the morning of the event but came out and won the silver. The memories of her flat out on the track with the words ‘Get Out Strong, Commit’ written on her hands just summed it up for me but the Rugby Sevens and the chants of U-gan-da! are a close second.

MARION: Probably the look of surprise on Ross Murdoch’s face when he won the 200m Breaststroke gold!

CHRIS: My role meant I didn’t see much of any competition but an overall sporting moment is that the para events were combined with the able bodied events. This was hugely important to the success of the whole Games.

What has being part of Glasgow 2014 meant for you personally?

ANDREW: It made me realise how important it is to give something – your time, some effort, no matter how big or small – to your community and society. It was a very special time. Since then I’ve had lots of brilliant experiences volunteering and probably the one I least expected was being part of a group of athletics volunteers, Track Team 500, that were formed after the Games. We’ve helped out at the World Athletics in 2017 and Euro Indoors in Glasgow in 2019 and I’m now a fairly accomplished hurdle placer and long jump fluffer and raker!

MARION: It was the most amazing experience and I was very lucky to be part of it. It was hailed as the best ever Commonwealth Games and I was privileged to be part of it. Since then I’ve volunteered at a number of the major events which have taken place in Glasgow (Badminton World Cup, Glasgow 2018 European Championships, Glasgow 2019 Indoor Athletics championships) as well as being a long-term volunteer with Scottish Athletics at their indoor season in Emirates, volunteering at the Davis Cup and long term volunteering with the Kiltwalk.

CHRIS: When I started my role as Frontrunner, then driver, I was quite shy, hated being under the spotlight and uncomfortable talking in front of a group of people. Being involved in Glasgow 2014 changed all that. I became confident in many things, learned new roles and was recently asked to be the trustee of a charity. I am 54 just now and, at work, have just completed an apprenticeship that I approached management to do. This will make a huge difference to my life and is something I’d never have done before 2014.

What do you think hosting those Games meant for Glasgow and for Scotland, both at the time and now five years on?

ANDREW: I think there was a huge outpouring of love for the City and a well-deserved pride in the great success that thousands of people working together achieved. That kind of spirit is always there in Glasgow – as an incomer from the Highlands you feel that straightaway. I hope there will be more events in future, Glasgow and the people who live here deserve them. There are so many great venues here and we really know how to put on a show.

MARION: I think it was the perfect opportunity to show the world that Glasgow could excel at hosting large scale sporting events, that it was one of the friendliest cities in the world offering a warm welcome to visitors from all over the world. It set Glasgow on the map which I think is why so many other events have been held here since. Five years on people still talk fondly of the Games and the atmosphere in the city. From a volunteering perspective, the city has access to a wide number of volunteers who remain keen to get involved with whatever events, not just sporting events, are taking place in the city, and a lot of volunteers from all over the UK who are also keen to return to the city to take part in events too. I also think organisers of large scale events know that they will be able to access a high standard of volunteers who will do what they can to make their events a great success.

CHRIS: The legacy of the Games still lives on. People still talk about the ‘best Games ever’ and use Glasgow as a benchmark to beat. In 2014, holding the games in Glasgow and Scotland, made the country proud. The city and country were in the news for a whole different reason. People around the world saw the best of Glasgow and Scotland, they saw that we are friendly and a fantastic place to visit. It kick started a whole new army of volunteers, from the Clydesiders and City Hosts, both groups essential to the running of the event.

Five years on from the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, we asked rifle shooter Jen McIntosh to look back on the 11 days that made her Team Scotland’s most decorated female athlete in Games history.

What are your memories of Glasgow 2014?

It’s all a bit of a blur, if I’m honest. It was the first time I’d ever been to an Opening Ceremony (one of my events is usually on the first day) and, as part of the flag bearer escort, I was just behind Euan Burton as we came into the stadium. To hear the roar of the crowd was absolutely phenomenal – but then straight after we were on a bus back up to Barry Buddon near Dundee which is where the Shooting was being held, so it was all a bit surreal. The satellite village was actually really good and Team Scotland were great at making sure we still felt part of the team – posters all over the walls and everything!

If you had to pick one standout moment of those Games, what would it be?

Being presented with one of my medals by my mum – don’t have the words to describe that.

Do you have any memories from behind the scenes that stand out?

Our sport psychologist, Kris Dun, was doing some relaxation exercises with us in the satellite village one night. We were in the girls’ rooms and there was maybe four of us all lying on the floor as she talked us through it when someone started snoring! Kris just kept going while we were all trying not to wet ourselves laughing. I never did learn which one of us had fallen asleep!

Apart from your own performance, what was your favourite sporting moment from the 2014 Games?

It’s a tie. Ross Murdoch winning the 200m Butterfly – the look on his face was just pure gold! But also Euan Burton winning gold after coming out of retirement – it was just a proper storybook ending to a truly fantastic career, absolutely fitting for such an amazing person too.

What do you think hosting those Games meant to Glasgow and to Scotland, both at the time and now five years on?

I think it was a huge honour for us to host the Games and gave both Glasgow and Scotland the opportunity to showcase themselves to the rest of the world. Five years on we can see Scottish sport still benefiting from that, whether from world class facilities or the knowledge that, not only can we host major competitions, but we do it very well!

After years of planning by Commonwealth Games Scotland and all the key partners in Scottish sport, the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games saw a truly memorable and successful 11 days of competition in front of packed, world-class venues, with the home crowd roaring Team Scotland on to their best performance ever. A record haul of 53 medals, 19 gold, 15 silver and 19 bronze to finish fourth on the medal table, was just reward for the huge team effort that made the whole of Scotland proud.

Following a magnificent build-up to the Games, Team Scotland fielded its largest team ever, with 310 athletes. The athletes then chose multiple World and European medal-winning judoka, Euan Burton, to carry the Scottish Flag and lead them into the Opening Ceremony of the XX Commonwealth Games at Celtic Park on 23 July, to the rapturous applause of the crowd. In an amazing spectacle, everyone enjoyed a night of excitement and pride, setting the tone for the 11 days of world-class competition that were to follow.

Across the 17 sports, Scottish competitors gave it their all, with 10 sports and four out of five Para-Sports contributing to the medal tally. This was backed up by many other outstanding individual and team performances, with new personal bests, Scottish and Games records set.

The Games were full of unforgettable moments from Hannah Miley defending her 400m IM title and the look of sheer disbelief on Ross Murdoch’s face after he touched home for gold on the opening night in the pool, to Kirsty Gilmour taking Team Scotland’s best ever Singles Badminton result and final medal of the Games with silver. Erraid Davies became Scotland’s youngest ever medallist as she took SB9 100m Breaststroke bronze at the age of just 13 and won the hearts of the nation with her beaming smile, while Charlie Flynn was also a crowd favourite with his memorable interviews after he and Josh Taylor claimed gold on the final night of Boxing.

Shooter Jen McIntosh became Scotland’s most decorated female athlete in Commonwealth Games history as she added silver and bronze to her two gold and a bronze from Delhi 2010. Kimberley Renicks took Scotland’s first gold of the Games, swiftly followed by sister Louise, to start a Judo medal rush of 13 medals from 14 athletes, flagbearer Euan Burton also among the six gold medallists. There was a Para-Cycling double gold for Neil Fachie and Craig McLean, while Libby Clegg and Mikhail Huggins took Scotland’s first gold on the athletics track since Yvonne Murray in 1994.

Vio Etko and Alex Gladkov scored Scotland’s first Wrestling medals for 20 years and there was a first ever team medal for Gymnastics as Dan Keatings and Dan Purvis led the men’s team to bronze before going on to take individual gold on Pommel and Parallel Bars respectively. Alex Marshall and Paul Foster lead an impressive four medal haul in Lawn Bowls with gold in both Pairs and Fours. In recognition of his achievements Alex was named Athlete of the Games and selected as closing ceremony flagbearer, bringing an incredible Games to a close.

Five years on the momentum continues, with athletes inspired by those Games as competitors or spectators now making their mark. Within that Glasgow team was a 17 year old Duncan Scott, who would put the experience of a silver medal in the relay to good use in returning four years later at Gold Coast 2018 to win six medals, becoming Team Scotland’s most decorated athlete at a single Games. James Heatly and Grace Reid likewise would call on their experience of Glasgow when winning Scotland’s first Diving medals for 60 years in Gold Coast. Triathlete Marc Austin, having made a courageous break with the Brownlee brothers in 2014, only for the wheels to fall off in the final stages, was back fitter and stronger in 2018, this time leaving the Brownlees in his wake to take bronze. Seonaid McIntosh, in sister Jen’s shadow in Glasgow, took two bronze medals in Gold Coast, also becoming the first British woman ever to win an individual World Championship shooting gold later that year.

In the stands at Hampden a 17 year old Kelsey Stewart stopped Lynsey Sharp on her lap of honour for a fan picture – four years later in Gold Coast they were team mates. John Archibald watched sister Katie win bronze at the Sir Chris Hoy velodrome – four years later they won gold and silver on the same night in Brisbane. Lisa Tobias watched the Weightlifting and decided she had found her sport – four years later she achieved her Team Scotland dream, setting a Scottish record in the 48kg final.

Fourteen athletes and officials given a ‘behind the scenes’ experience as part of the Glasgow 2014 Achieve programme went on to represent Team Scotland at Gold Coast 2018 including boxing medallist John Docherty, gymnastics medallist David Weir, mountain biker Isla Short, netballers Nicola McCleery and Bethany Sutherland, para-swimmer Beth Johnston, hockey player Lee Morton and badminton players Adam Hall and Julie MacPherson.

Scotland proved that it can host fantastic major sporting events and continues to do so, attracting the 2018 European Championships, 2019 European Indoor Athletics Championships and 2019 Solheim Cup to name just a few. An army of Clydesiders continue to volunteer at sporting events across Scotland and, with equipment from Glasgow 2014 still benefiting athletes and clubs across the country and record membership numbers in many sports, the legacy of the ‘best Games ever’ lives on.

With the 2019 Netball World Cup in full swing in Liverpool, check out these fast facts about the tournament and Scotland’s participation over its 56 year history:

1. The first Netball World Cup (then known as the Netball World Championships) was held in Eastbourne, England in 1963.

2. Held every four years, there have been 15 editions of the Netball World Cup. Scotland have played in 14 of them.

3. Australia have won the World Cup 11 times, New Zealand four times and Trinidad & Tobago once.

4. Yes our maths is correct! There was a three way tie in 1979 between Australia, New Zealand and Trinidad & Tobago as the competition format was a round-robin with no way to decide an outright winner.

5. Scotland’s best finish is 6^th place, which they have achieved on three occasions. At the last World Cup in 2015 they finished 12^th.

6. Scotland hosted the Netball World Cup in 1987 as 17 teams came to Glasgow. New Zealand lifted the trophy on that occasion while Scotland were 9^th.

7. The highest number of teams to contest a World Cup was 27 in Birmingham in 1995. Following fields also in the mid-twenties at both the 1999 and 2003 events, the competition format was revised to its current 16 team roster.

8. The 16 teams contesting the 2019 World Cup are: Australia, England, New Zealand, Jamaica, South Africa, Malawi, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Fiji, Samoa, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Trinidad & Tobago, Barbados, Sri Lanka and Singapore. It is the first time Zimbabwe have ever qualified for the tournament.

9. The next World Cup will be held in Cape Town in 2023, the first time the competition will ever have been hosted in South Africa.

With just three weeks to go until nominations close for Volunteer of the Year, Hub, Club or School of the Year and Governing Body of the Year, now is the time to nominate your Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards 2019 winners and make sure your choice gets the recognition they deserve.

Nominate Here

The Scottish public has come out in force and there has been a flood of nominations for outstanding performances by Scottish athletes, clubs and teams in what has already been a truly great year for Scottish sport.

But sport is not just about the medal moments and top stars. There are thousands of groups and volunteers across the country putting in countless hours to give people their first experience of sport, nurture future stars and provide vital services in the community. We want to recognise these behind the scenes heroes and time is running out with less than a month to go until these categories close.

Make sure you let us know your choice by 23:59 on Wednesday 31 July and help us find the volunteers and organisations that are making a real difference in their community!

This is your chance to ensure the people who work tirelessly behind the scenes are recognised and have their moment in the limelight. Are you inspired by a dedicated volunteer or proud of a sports group in your community? Does your local school go above and beyond for its pupils? Nominate someone today and tell us why they should be rewarded for their success, dedication or impact on Scottish sport.

Once nominations close, those in the running will be passed to our expert judging panel and up to three finalists in each category will be short-listed and invited as guests of Team Scotland to the Awards – a star-studded celebration of Scottish sport on Thursday 3 October 2019.

The Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards welcome some of the biggest names in Scottish Sport and business for a special evening of sporting celebrations. Guests are in for a treat this year as we celebrate sporting greats of the past alongside our current stars, whilst enjoying a drinks reception, dinner and entertainment. The event also gives back to the next generation with a major aim of the evening raising funds for the Scottish Commonwealth Games Youth Trust who support Scotland’s starts of the future.

Nominations for Male Athlete, Female Athlete, Para-Sport Athlete, Young Athlete, Coach and Team of the Year will close on 1 September.

Join us at the Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards – book online on our Awards Tickets page or contact us on Tel: 01786 466 480 or Email: info@teamscotland.scot

With the Netball World Cup just around the corner and Scotland celebrating their recent rise to 7th place in the World rankings, it’s time for Netball to step into the Team Scotland Sport Focus spotlight. All eyes will be on Liverpool from 12-21 July as 16 of the world’s top teams battle it out for the World Cup and Scotland will be full of confidence on the back of their highest ever world ranking as they join England, Uganda and Samoa in Group D for the preliminary stages.

The Scottish Thistles will begin their campaign against Samoa on the opening day of competition before facing a tough match against Commonwealth champions and hosts England the following afternoon. Scotland’s final group game will be against Uganda on Sunday 14 July, after which the top three teams from each group will progress to a second group stage to decide the semi-finalists.

A strong squad of 12 players has been named with eight of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games team included within their number. Claire Maxwell will captain the side and is set to receive her 100th international cap during the tournament. At the other end of the experience scale, 17 year old Emma Barrie will make her senior international debut.

See the full team line-up here.

Follow the Thistles’ progress at the World Cup on Team Scotland and Netball Scotland social media channels. We’ll also be delving into the archives for tales of past success and looking ahead to the rising stars of the sport in Scotland as part of our ‘Celebrating Our Past, Building Our Future’ theme featuring all 25 sports in which Scotland has competed in the Commonwealth Games.

Netball at the Commonwealth Games

Netball is a Commonwealth Games core sport for women only and one of three team sports introduced in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 1998. New Zealand and Australia had won every gold medal between them until England took gold by a single goal at Gold Coast 2018. Outside of these three nations the only other country to have won a Netball medal is Jamaica who won bronze in 2002, 2014 and 2018.

At Glasgow 2014, Scotland fielded a netball team for the first time ever, having climbed steadily up the rankings over the previous four years. Leading the charge for the Scottish Thistles was 34 year-old captain Lesley MacDonald who had earned a staggering 118 caps for her country and competed in three World Championships.

Making their Commonwealth Games debut, Scotland got their campaign underway with a strong 58-30 win over St Lucia at the SECC. However, match two saw them face world ranked number two, New Zealand. The girls played well and put in a good defensive effort, but were overcome 71-14 by the Silver Ferns. Further losses in the remaining three group games consigned them to a play-off for 9th/10th place against Trinidad and Tobago. In their final match of the Games, they gave a strong and composed performance to finish on a high with a convincing 46-28 win.

At Gold Coast 2018 a talented squad of 12 players were selected with an even split of youth and experience. Six players returned from the Glasgow 2014 team, including Captain Claire Brownie, Vice-captain Lynsey Gallagher and stalwart Hayley Mulheron, who had over 100 caps for the national side.

Scotland suffered defeat 28-74 in their opening match as they battled hard in a fierce contest with England, the eventual winners of the gold medal match. They then enjoyed a win over Wales in their second home nations clash. After a cagey opening half Scotland were trailing 23-24, but some good passages of play and sharp shooting from 18 year old Beth Goodwin helped drive the team on to prevail 51-47. However Scotland lost their final three Pool matches against New Zealand, Malawi and Uganda, with the loss by one point to Malawi 50-51 in a thrilling match ultimately proving costly.

Placed fifth in Pool A, Scotland faced Barbados in the classification games. In a topsy-turvy match, Lynsey Gallagher continued to keep the Scots within touching distance and as time expired Gallagher scored to tie the game at 39-39, forcing overtime. Scotland ran out the winners 50-48 to conclude their Commonwealth Games in ninth place, matching their result at Glasgow 2014.

Find out more about Netball in the Commonwealth Games on our dedicated Netball page.

Scotland at the Commonwealth Games

The Commonwealth Games is the only occasion where Scotland gets to compete in a multi-sport event as a nation in its own right and is one of only six countries to have competed in every Commonwealth Games since their inception in Hamilton in 1930. Represented by 15 athletes participating in six sports at those first Games, winning a very creditable 10 medals, Scotland have gone on to win medals at every Games since.

Edinburgh became the first city to hold the Games twice in 1970 and 1986 and also became the first city to host the Commonwealth Youth Games.

Scotland hosted the Games for a third time when Glasgow welcomed athletes and officials to the XXth Commonwealth Games which was held from 23rd July – 3rd August 2014. Team Scotland celebrated their most successful Games in history, winning a total of 53 medals and went on to record their highest overseas medal tally ever at Gold Coast 2018.

Find out more about the Commonwealth Games and Team Scotland’s past success in our Past Games section.

Appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2019 New Year Honours List, Louise Martin, Commonwealth Games Federation President and Honorary Vice President of Commonwealth Games Scotland, received her Damehood on 2 July from Her Majesty The Queen at Holyrood. The honour is conferred in recognition of services to sport in Scotland and across the Commonwealth.

Dame Louise Martin said: “Sport underpins the unique connections and friendships which bring together a third of the world’s population as citizens of the nations and territories of the Commonwealth. I am truly overwhelmed and humbled to be recognised in this way – and can’t imagine what my 16 year old self would have thought about this announcement when I first experienced the Commonwealth Games as a swimmer at the 1962 Games in Perth, Australia.

The successes and impacts of the Games are only made possible by the passion and commitment of our athletes, supporters, volunteers and host city partners. I would like to pay tribute to them – and in particular our partners and participants in Glasgow and Gold Coast – as I graciously thank Her Majesty for this honour”.

Elected President of the Commonwealth Games Federation at the General Assembly in Auckland, New Zealand in September 2015, Louise is the first female to hold this office in the history of the Commonwealth Sports Movement. She has a long and distinguished association with the Games as an Athlete – swimming for Team Scotland at the Perth 1962 Commonwealth Games – and thereafter as Team Manager, Administrator and Honorary Secretary and was the first female elected to the CGF Executive Board.

Louise played a lead role in bringing the Commonwealth Games to Glasgow during the Bid, served as Vice Chair of the Glasgow 2014 Organising Committee, and was formerly Chair of sportscotland from 2008 to 2015 and Commonwealth Games Scotland from 1999 until 2007. In 2008, she joined the Commonwealth Advisory Body on Sport, which she chaired from 2014-2018. In 2003 Louise was awarded the CBE in the New Year’s Honours List for services to the Commonwealth Games.

Scotland’s fourth most successful Commonwealth Games sport, with 51 medals won, Shooting can also boast the nation’s most decorated male and female athlete in Games history as well as the most successful male and female athlete at a single Games. With all this achieved since Colin McEachran and Alister Allan won Scotland’s first medals in the sport in 1974, none of the 12 Games since would look out of place on a top five list. From the highest number of medals won to record performances and historic firsts, here are just some of the highlights from 45 years of Team Scotland medal success.

Delhi 2010 – Gold Rush and Highest Medal Tally

Shooting was Scotland’s top sport at Delhi 2010, winning nine medals: four gold, three silver and two bronze. The four gold came in a clean sweep of the 50m Rifle Prone events as Jon Hammond and Jen McIntosh took individual victories before teaming up with Neil Stirton and Kay Copland respectively to add gold in the Pairs events. Both pairs also took bronze in the 3 Positions, with Jon adding silver in the individual event. With two gold, one silver and one bronze Jon became Scotland’s most successful athlete at a single Games, while Jen’s tally of two gold and one bronze was the best female performance at a single Games.

Shona Marshall came up trumps with a silver in the Individual Trap event and it was also silver for Angus McLeod and Ian Shaw in the Fullbore Pairs.

Brisbane 1982 – Golden Double for Alister Allan

Seven of the 11 shooters in Brisbane won medals, led by a golden double for Alister Allan. He took victory in the Individual 3 Position event, ahead of England’s future double Olympic champion Malcolm Cooper, and added a second gold in the Air Rifle Pairs alongside Bill MacNeil. The pair were on the podium once again with bronze in the 3 Position Pairs, taking Alister’s overall medal tally to five, just one behind Scotland’s top performing Games athlete at that time, sprinter Allan Wells. Alister would go on to eclipse Allan’s record as he added another five medals over a further three Games appearances.

Scotland’s other gold medallist at these Games was Arthur Clarke, who put in a brilliant performance to win the Fullbore Rifle Queen’s Prize. While Fullbore remains a successful discipline for Scotland, with medals in the Pairs event at the last three Games, Arthur’s win is Scotland’s only Fullbore gold to date. Scotland won their first ever pistol medals as James Cairns won silver in the Centre Fire Pistol event and took a second silver in the Rapid Fire Pistol Pairs alongside Hugh Hunter. There was also a first as Martin Girvan and James Young won bronze in the Trap Pairs, Scotland’s first medal in a Clay Target event.

Melbourne 2006 – Sharp and Jackson Turn Silver to Gold

Shooting was in the spotlight before competition began as Ian Marsden, competing at his sixth Games, was named as Team Scotland flag bearer for the Opening Ceremony. Gold medallist in 1990 and bronze in 1994, both in the Men’s Skeet Pairs, Ian finished 6th in the Pairs with Mike Thomson and 9th in the individual event in Melbourne.

Neil Stirton and Martin Sinclair got the ball rolling with Scotland’s first Shooting medal of the Games with silver in the Men’s Prone Pairs, setting a Scottish record of 1179 in the process. Having taken silver in the Women’s Prone Pairs four years previously in Manchester, Sheena Sharp and Susan Jackson made it gold Down Under, Sheena showing tremendous form with the top score of the competition on 588. Sheena added a second gold in the individual event. One shot ahead going into the final round, all three of the top ranked competitors shot scores of 98 out of 100, giving Sheena the gold.

Elsewhere Emma Cole-Hamilton set two Scottish records – with Susan Jackson as they finished sixth in the Women’s 3 Position Pairs and with Heather Rudd in the Women’s Air Rifle Pairs, finishing in 8th place. Ian Shaw and Lindsay Peden were just outside the medals in the Fullbore Pairs in 4th.

Victoria 1994 – First Female Medallists

Shooting events were split by gender for the first time in 1994 and Shirley McIntosh & Patricia Littlechild were straight off the mark with Scotland’s first Women’s Shooting medals, winning gold, silver and bronze between them. They combined forces on day one for silver in the Prone Pairs before an outstanding performance in the Individual event saw Shirley take gold with 586 and Patricia finish just a single point behind for bronze.

Alister Allan added two medals, a silver in the Men’s 3 Position Pairs with Bill Murray and bronze in the individual event, to bring his overall Commonwealth Games tally to 10. He remains Scotland’s most decorated Games athlete in history. Further bronze medals came from David Rattray and Robin Law in the Men’s Air Rifle Pairs and Ian Marsden and Mike Thomson in the Men’s Skeet Pairs.

Gold Coast 2018 – Sensational Six

Competing at his sixth Commonwealth Games and chasing his third back-to-back Commonwealth Games medal, Ian Shaw took bronze in the Fullbore Open Queen’s Prize Pairs alongside Games debutant, Sandy Walker. David McMath, competing at his first Games, took Scotland’s first ever individual gold in the Men’s Double Trap, setting a Games record in a thrilling final, while Linda Pearson, competing in her second Games after missing out in 2014, also showed Scotland’s prowess at Double Trap with a bronze, to win her first Games medal.

With a gold, silver and bronze to his name from previous Games, Neil Stirton was selected for his fourth Games and took his fourth medal – his first in an individual event – with silver in the Men’s 50m Rifle Prone. Seonaid McIntosh added to her family’s Commonwealth Games legacy, with two bronze medals in the Women’s 50m Rifle events rounding out a successful Games on the range up in Brisbane.