As the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games approach, Paul Bush OBE, Chair of Commonwealth Games Scotland, looks ahead to the excitement and challenge of an overseas Games:
The Commonwealth Games is the only multi-sport Games in which Scots get to compete under the Scotland flag, making it extremely special.
Incredibly, it is nearly four years since our home Games in Glasgow and not only was it publicly declared as ‘the best Games ever’, Team Scotland delivered its best performance ever, winning 53 medals and creating numerous memorable moments that will live on in Commonwealth Games history.
So as we make our final preparations for Gold Coast 2018, our mission is clear and we head ‘down under’ aiming to win more than the 29 medals we won at Melbourne 2006, which would represent our best overseas Games ever.
Given a number of changes to the sport programme from Glasgow and the fact that for many sports they are competing out of season in the southern hemisphere, this will be no mean feat. However I am confident we have selected a fabulous team of 224 athletes that will rise to the challenge and perform with distinction.
Our research continues to show how important the success of Team Scotland is to the Scottish public and how they strongly associate with our Team values: Proud, United, Ambitious, Inspirational and Inclusive. I am sure Team Scotland’s performance in Gold Coast will continue to excite and inspire the nation.
Good luck to all the athletes and staff and I look forward to watching you in action and meeting the many family and friends who are going out to support you.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all our partners especially the Scottish Government, sportscotland, CGI and Emirates for their magnificent support, helping to ensure we can provide our athletes with the best possible environment to excel at the Games.
Here’s to a great Games on the Gold Coast!
Having the support of everyone back home is hugely important to our athletes, as they strive to have their most successful ever overseas Games.
So get geared up for the Games by downloading our comprehensive media guide from the homepage which includes detailed biographical information on all of our athletes, event schedules, as well as a guide to the 18 sports on the Games programme.
As well as finding lots of useful information and the latest news on our website, you can also post your photo messages of support.
Our communications team will be working round the clock to take you behind the scenes and give you an insight into what it means to be part of Team Scotland. So follow the action via @Team_Scotland on Twitter and Instagram and @TeamScotlandCGS on Facebook. Share your own Games experience with the team using the hashtags: #TeamScot2018 and #ImaTeamScot
You can even go one step further and feel part of the team, with team merchandise now available from official team kit supplier PSL. Shop now at: https://www.pslteamsports.com/CWGTeamScotland
Come on Scotland get behind your team!
At just 19, Jo Pettitt was one of the youngest members of the Netball team that took 9th place for Team Scotland at Glasgow 2014. Since then the Scottish Thistles have recorded an impressive string of results, taking them to ninth in the most recent World rankings. As part of our Sport Focus series, we caught up with Jo as she prepares to head to Gold Coast for her second Commonwealth Games:
How did you first get into Netball?
I first started playing at primary school, at West Linton Primary, and then went on to high school and played for Peebles High School and joined Peebles Netball Club. From there I progressed on to districts, playing for Borders District and then joined the Scotland South pathway system and progressed through all the age groups at nationals.
Do you remember the first time you played? Were you a natural from the first time you picked up a ball?
Probably not, I was really uncoordinated. I was tall, limbs a bit everywhere, so it took a lot of hard work to get that coordination when I was little.
What is it you love about Netball?
I love being in a team sport, I used to do quite a lot of swimming and I particularly enjoyed the relays and it occurred to me one day that, actually, that was because I was being part of a team. So that’s when I focused on Netball and realised that I love team sport and being part of a bigger group all trying to do one thing. It’s more social I think, as a team.
You’ve come all the way through to the national side and are going to your second Commonwealth Games, what does it mean to be part of Team Scotland?
I think it’s just amazing being part of something even bigger. There’s so many sports but we are all one team, trying to achieve the same thing. I think that makes it even more inspiring for us and for other people in Scotland.
What’s the highlight of your career so far?
Definitely the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. I was lucky enough to compete at the last Games, so I’m going into it a bit more experienced this time. Last time was just a total whirlwind because I was quite new in to the team, so I’m hoping to absorb it all a little bit more this time.
The Thistles have had some fantastic results over the past few years, what’s made the difference in that success?
I think our intensity at training has just lifted and we’ve got higher standards for ourselves, so we don’t accept what we would have accepted maybe five or six years ago in the national team. Our coaches have been really great in helping us achieve what we want to achieve and everyone has got the same drive in the team.
What are your hopes for Gold Coast 2018?
We’ve got a tough draw so we’re going to do our best and hopefully get a top eight finish.
Commonwealth Games Scotland announced today the final 13 athletes from the sport of Rugby Sevens to be selected for next month’s 2018 Commonwealth Games, bringing the final Team Scotland line-up to 224.
Head coach John Dalziel named an experienced 13-man Rugby Sevens squad to compete at Gold Coast 2018 as part of Team Scotland.
The squad will depart for Hong Kong next week to compete in the seventh leg of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series (6-8 April) before travelling to the Gold Coast to compete in the 21st instalment of the quadrennial multi-sport event.
The Scots will face Papua New Guinea, Malaysia and South Africa in Pool A, from which the top-ranked team will advance to the semi-finals for a chance to take home a medal.
Scotland 7s Head coach, John Dalziel, said: “Selection has been very tough, given the talent and depth of players we have in Scotland.
“The challenge for this group will be how well we can come together over the next few days and weeks, to give ourselves the best opportunity to be competitive for Team Scotland at the Gold Coast Games.”
He added: “To represent Team Scotland in a Commonwealth Games is a huge honour for everyone involved and I’d like to thank Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh Rugby for their continued support, insuring we have assembled our country’s leading sevens exponents.
“It is great to welcome back some of Scotland’s leading talent, who have previously represented Scotland 7s and have developed into top 15-a-side players and combine them with our elite, core-sevens players, who have been competing on the World Series.”
The 13-man squad is made up of seven core Scotland 7s squad players (captain Scott Riddell, Jamie Farndale, James Fleming, Nyle Godsmark, Gavin Lowe, Max McFarland and Joe Nayacavou) supplemented by two from Edinburgh Rugby players (Glenn Bryce and Darcy Graham) and four representatives from Glasgow Warriors (Matt Fagerson, George Horne, Ruaridh Jackson and Lee Jones).
The squad features six players who have tasted World Rugby Sevens Series success, winning the London Cup in recent years, with five featuring in both 2016 and 2017 (Bryce, Riddell, Farndale and Fleming), while Horne and Nayacavou featured in the most recent triumph last year.
Captain Riddell – Scotland’s most capped sevens player in history – and Lee Jones are among the most experienced sevens exponents in the group and approach their third Commonwealth Games, having featured in both Delhi 2010 and Glasgow 2014.
Farndale has also enjoyed Commonwealth Games experience, captaining the side at the 2011 Commonwealth Youth Games in the Isle of Man.
Experience permeates further down the squad with Fleming, Nayacavou and Farndale ranked fifth, seventh and ninth on Scotland 7s’ all-time appearance chart, Fleming – the team’s second-top try-scorer of all time – contributing 112 World Series tries to date.
Jackson and Jones also both bring experience of the 15-a-side set-up, with 32 and seven senior Test caps for their country respectively.
Like Riddell and Farndale, Gavin Lowe – this season’s Scotland 7s top point scorer – was part of the wider Team GB squad preparing for the Rio Games.
He is joined promising prospects Matt Fagerson and Darcy Graham, the latter making an instant impact on the opening tournaments of the season, scoring eight tries to be named in the Dubai 7s team of the tournament.
Both Fagerson and Graham were part of the Scotland U20 side that reached a record-equaling fifth place in last year’s World Rugby U20 championship.
Graham and fellow flier Max McFarland are currently Scotland 7s’ join top try-scorers this season, with 15 a-piece.
The squad is completed by Nyle Godsmark whose selection for the Games sees him return to the site of his Scotland 7s debut on the Sevens World Series in 2014.
He went on to captain of the Scottish Thistles on the 2014 GB7s circuit, before becoming part of the Scotland 7s core squad and featuring in 60 on the World Series matches to date.
Congratulating the squad, Jon Doig, Team Scotland Chef de Mission said: “Congratulations to all those players selected, both new and returning. The Rugby Sevens team has contributed so much to support the wider ‘One Team Scotland’ ethos since first competing in 2002. They have had some great results in the World Series since the last Games in 2014 and with their competition on the last two days of the Games, we look forward to the whole team cheering them on, to help Team Scotland finish the Games on a real high.”
Scotland Rugby Sevens squad for the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Gold Coast
Athlete Hometown Lives
Glenn Bryce (Edinburgh Rugby) Alloa Edinburgh
Matt Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors) Dundee Glasgow
Jamie Farndale (Scotland 7s) Edinburgh Edinburgh
James Fleming (Scotland 7s) Perth Edinburgh
Nyle Godsmark (Scotland 7s) Lilliesleaf Edinburgh
Darcy Graham (Edinburgh Rugby) Hawick Edinburgh
George Horne (Glasgow Warriors) Cupar Glasgow
Ruaridh Jackson (Glasgow Warriors) Aberdeen Glasgow
Lee Jones (Glasgow Warriors) Selkirk Glasgow
Gavin Lowe (Scotland 7s) Mauchline Glasgow
Max McFarland (Scotland 7s) Clontarf Glasgow
Joe Nayacavou (Scotland 7s) Nausori, Fiji Edinburgh
Scott Riddell (Scotland 7s) Edinburgh Edinburgh
Meet the team in their Athlete Profiles
Scotland Rugby Sevens fixtures, Robina Stadium: Pool (A)
Saturday 14 April (am): Scotland v Papua New Guinea
Saturday 14 April (pm): Scotland v Malaysia
Saturday 14 April (pm): South Africa v Scotland
Classification, semi–finals and finals: Sunday 15 April
The teams ranked third and fourth in each pool are eliminated from the competition. The second ranked teams from each pool advance to classification rounds to determine placings for fifth-eighth in the competition. The top ranked team from each pool advance to the semi-finals.
Gold Coast 2018 sees Scotland’s Netball team make their second Commonwealth Games appearance, after their debut at Glasgow 2014. Our final Sport Focus spotlight will be on Netball all week, culminating in a Commonwealth Games themed celebration on Friday 16 March as the Sirens take on Severn Stars in the Vitality Netball Superleague at Glasgow’s Emirates Arena and live on Sky Sports.
Look out for all things Netball on Team Scotland’s website and social channels this week as the sport takes the spotlight in our Sport Focus Series, which features each of the 18 sports on the Gold Coast 2018 programme through athlete interviews, facts & figures, competition news and more.
Netball at the Commonwealth Games
Netball is a Commonwealth Games core sport for women only and has been included since the Kuala Lumpur 1998 Games. Scotland fielded a team for the first time at Glasgow 2014, taking 9th place, and return for Gold Coast 2018 looking to improve on that finish.
Australia and New Zealand have dominated the sport, contesting all five finals to date, with Australia taking gold in 1998, 2002 and 2014 and New Zealand the victors in 2006 and 2010. England and Jamaica are the only other nations to win a Netball medal – England bronze medallists on three occasions and Jamaica twice.
Find out more about Netball in the Commonwealth Games, including the competition format, rules and equipment on our dedicated Netball page.
Team Scotland 2018
Netball have selected an exciting squad of 12 players, with an even split of youth and experience. Six return from the Glasgow 2014 team, including Claire Brownie who will captain the team in Gold Coast, vice-captain Lynsey Gallagher and stalwart Hayley Mulheron, who has over 100 caps for the National side. Of the six athletes making their Games debut, three are age 20 or younger; Bethany Sutherland who captained the 2017 World Youth Cup team to eighth place, Beth Goodwin, named Player of the Tournament on her senior debut at 2017 Netball Europe and Niamh McCall, the first player born in the 2000s to receive a senior cap.
The squad received a boost with the news that, after a string of outstanding results, they have moved to 9th place on the most recent World rankings. The team are drawn in Pool B in Gold Coast with New Zealand, England, Malawi, Wales and Uganda.
Click here to meet the full Netball team for Gold Coast 2018.
A total of 211 athletes have been named to Team Scotland for Gold Coast 2018 to date, with athletes announced in all sports except Rugby 7s where players will be confirmed later this month.
Show Your Support!
You can show your support by uploading photos and messages on our supporters page and give Team Scotland’s athletes a boost as they prepare to do the country proud on one of sport’s biggest stages!
Look out for other ways to get behind the team in the countdown to Gold Coast on Team Scotland’s social media channels.
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.
Find out more about the Commonwealth Games and Team Scotland’s past success in our Past Games section.
As we round up our Sport Focus on Triathlon, here are 12 things you might not know about the sport at the Commonwealth Games:
1. A demonstration sport at the 1990 Auckland Games, Triathlon made its Commonwealth Games debut in 2002 at the Manchester Games and returned to the sport programme at Glasgow 2014, having not featured at the Delhi 2010 Games. It has since been elevated to a core sport and is included for 2018.
2. Para-Triathlon is now an optional discipline which will make its debut in Gold Coast and features a combined category for H1 and H2 athletes (run with a staggered start) for both men and women.
3. The Mixed Team Relay, featuring two men and two women, was introduced at Glasgow 2014 and sees athletes compete in a super-sprint triathlon. Each athlete is required to complete a course of 250m open water swim, 7km cycle and 1.5km run, before tagging their team mate.
4. Scotland have yet to win a medal in Triathlon at the Commonwealth Games. Seventh place for both David McNamee in the Men’s Individual and for the Mixed Team Relay at Glasgow 2014 are Scotland’s best results to date.
5. All Commonwealth Games triathlon gold medals to date have been won by England, Australia or Canada.
6. For the first time in Commonwealth Games history, in 2018 the Triathlon will take place over the Sprint distance; 750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run. Previous Games have been run over the full Olympic distance – double the Sprint distance.
7. The individual Triathlon events take place on the first day of the Games at Gold Coast 2018, with the Mixed Team Relay two days later.
8. Showcasing the splendour of the Gold Coast, the Triathlon will start and finish at the beautiful Southport Broadwater Parklands.
9. Paralympic gold medallist Karen Darke will become the first Scottish athlete to compete in Para-Triathlon at the Commonwealth Games. Since being paralysed from the chest down in a climbing accident age 21, the Inverness based athlete has pushed herself in an incredible series of challenges, alongside her sporting endeavours, all using just the power of her arms. These include crossing Greenland’s ice cap, hand-cycling from Canada to Mexico and climbing Mont Blanc, Matterhorn and El Capitan.
10. Beth Potter, competitor in track Athletics at Glasgow 2014, the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and 2017 World Athletics Championships, will make history in Gold Coast by becoming the first Scottish athlete ever to compete in two sports at a single Games. She will compete in both the women’s individual event and Mixed Team Relay before returning to the track for the 10,000m.
11. There is a strong track & field pedigree in the Gold Coast 2018 women’s team, with Erin Wallace making her Commonwealth Games debut in Triathlon having won gold at the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games in the 1500m.
12. On the men’s side both Marc Austin and Grant Sheldon return from Glasgow 2014, with Marc a double silver medallist at the 2015 European U23 Championships and Grant a double gold medallist at the 2016 World University Championships.
Meet all five triathletes competing for Team Scotland at Gold Coast 2018 in their Athlete Profiles.
As our Gold Coast 2018 Sport Focus on Table Tennis comes to an end, here are 12 things you might not know about the sport:
1. Table Tennis first appeared on the Commonwealth Games programme in Manchester 2002 and has appeared at each Games since. Originally optional, it has now been made a core sport.
2. Para-Sport Table Tennis is an optional discipline and is included in Gold Coast 2018.
3. Singapore has been the top nation in Table Tennis at every Games where the sport has been contested, winning 44 medals including 18 gold.
4. Scotland took bronze in the Men’s Team event at the 2013 Commonwealth Championships but have yet to win a Table Tennis medal at the Commonwealth Games.
5. Commonwealth Games Table Tennis competition consists of a total of nine medal events. There are Singles, Doubles and Team events for both men and women, including two Para-Sport events in men’s and women’s singles.
6. The Gold Coast 2018 Table Tennis competition will take place at Oxenford Studios – filming venue for Hollywood blockbusters such as San Andreas, Scooby Doo and Unbroken – the first time the venue will have been used for a sports event.
7. Table Tennis originated in Victorian England and has been known as whiff-whaff, flim-flam, punch ball, pim-pam and gossima.
8. The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) was formed in 1926 and now has 226 member associations. It has been an Olympic sport since 1988.
9. The size of the ball was changed from 38mm to 40mm after the 2000 Olympic Games so that spectators could see the ball clearly on TV, effectively slowing the game down.
10. Table tennis is the most popular indoor sport in the world with over 10 million players competing in sanctioned tournaments each year.
11. Ping Pong, played with sandpaper bats, has its own World Championships. Scotland’s Gavin Rumgay has reached the quarter-finals and has a career high World ranking of 7.
12. Team Scotland will be represented by three players at Gold Coast 2018. Gavin Rumgay competes at his fourth Games, Craig Howieson his third and Colin Dalgleish makes his Games debut. Meet them in their Athlete Profiles.
Commonwealth Games Scotland has confirmed a change to the line-up for the Men’s Hockey team preparing to head out to the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Goalkeeper David Forrester, who was part of Scotland’s European Championship II winning team last year, has withdrawn on medical advice, following a shoulder injury sustained in a match.
He is replaced by Steven McIlravey, National Indoor League Champion with Grove Menzieshill in 2017. Steven made his Scotland senior debut in 2016 against Czech Republic in Prague, having come up through the age-group teams, playing for Scotland U18 and U21. He was also part of the Scottish team that took 4th place at the 2016 EuroHockey Trophy.
Announcing the change, Jon Doig, Team Scotland Chef de Mission said: “It is always bitterly disappointing for the athlete and their family when forced to withdraw this close to the Games. I send my commiserations to David, and wish him well with his recovery. I also look forward to welcoming Steven to Team Scotland and I am sure he will make the most of this exciting opportunity and be a great addition to the team.”
Scottish Hockey’s Head of Performance, Andy Tennant, said:
“Everyone at Scottish Hockey is bitterly disappointed for David, our focus will be to support his rehab in order to get him fit and ready for upcoming international events.
“Clearly this is also a great opportunity for Steven, who is one of our brightest up-and-coming goalkeepers, and we are sure he’ll relish the opportunity to represent his country at the Commonwealth Games.”
Table Tennis player Colin Dalgleish will make his debut for Team Scotland at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, having had a taste of a big multi-sport event when representing Great Britain at the 2017 World University Games in Taipai.
He joins a highly experienced men’s team for the Games with Gavin Rumgay making his fourth Games appearance and Craig Howieson his third. As part of our Sport Focus series we caught up with Colin on the excitement and pride of competing at his first Games:
This is your first Games – how’s it been since you qualified and how are you feeling just a few weeks out?
“At first the buzz was unbelievable. You train so hard and make the team, but everything can still feel so far off. I had a photoshoot a few weeks ago and then the team camp last month; alongside quite a few interviews, which just reminds you of the achievement of being selected to represent Team Scotland.
“I’m really excited to get going now. It’s been away in the distance and now you can almost touch it. It feels a bit surreal to have so much attention and to get people talking about Table Tennis is fantastic.”
What’s the current interest and support for Table Tennis like?
“People don’t really understand the size and scale of the sport. They’ll ask us ‘how often do you train?’ and then seem surprised when we say it’s every day on the table and in the gym. I mean people know that rugby and football players train every day and we openly talk about it, but it’s the exactly the same for us.
“It’s getting better in the UK; things like the British Premier League and the Team World Cup that was on in London a couple of weeks are getting more coverage in the media. Getting the interest and reputation of the sport up in Scotland is really important and it’s hopefully something that will come out of the Games again. It’d be great to bring some new faces and some new talent into the sport.”
Do you think there’s a misconception about how physical your sport is?
“I hadn’t actually done any strength and conditioning work until I came up to Aberdeen and it was through Robert Gordon University and the scholarship programme that I started. Before it, I wasn’t sure how it was going to benefit me, but since I started I haven’t looked back and now it’s like a religion for me to get my two S&C sessions in a week.
“It’s incredible the fine margins that you get; like the additional power and speed. It’s things like getting your arms up quicker or having more power in your legs. When you put it in those terms I think you can understand the impact. Explosiveness is so important in Table Tennis. You obviously need table time to refine your technique, but gym work is definitely understated. Going back now, it’s definitely taken me to the next level.”
How much have the guys in the team told you about the Games environment?
“The other guys in the team (Gavin and Craig) have told me loads about what to expect in the Games environment. I actually went to watch quite a lot of the competition in Glasgow 2014, and although I wasn’t playing I picked up lots from just being in and around the venue. The passion of the crowd in Glasgow was clearly special for us and while we’re in Australia I’m sure we’ll still have a great support.
“I was at the last World University Games, which has given me a taste of a multi-sport environment as ideal preparation for Gold Coast. I now know a bit more about what to expect from the village, the dining hall, transport and the Games venues etc. I’m sure there will still be different aspects that I’m not expecting but with the combined knowledge of the team and my own experiences I know we’ll be fine.”
Is there any one moment that you’re looking forward to outside of your competition?
“I think it’s just the full experience. The opening ceremony is always so exciting, though as Table Tennis starts on the first day we don’t always look to march. I’ve never been to Australia before either, and although we’ll mostly just see the inside of the venue, it’ll be great to go and experience another country.
“Being part of Team Scotland is really exciting and I’ve already seen what it means to everyone at the team camp. I can’t wait to get out there now and compete.”
With Team Scotland triathletes in World Cup action and our Table Tennis players honing their skills at a pre-Games training camp in Germany, both sports step into the Sport Focus spotlight as they continue their countdown to the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Look out for all things Triathlon and Table Tennis on Team Scotland’s website and social channels this week as both sports share the spotlight in our Sport Focus Series, which features each of the 18 sports on the Gold Coast 2018 programme through athlete interviews, facts & figures, competition news and more.
Triathlon at the Commonwealth Games
Triathlon made its Commonwealth Games debut in 2002 at the Manchester Games and returned to the sport programme at Glasgow 2014, having not featured at the Delhi 2010 Games. It has since been elevated to a core sport and is included for 2018 along with Para-Triathlon, now an optional discipline, which will make its debut in Gold Coast.
The Mixed Team Relay, which made its debut at Glasgow 2014, is back by popular demand, meaning that there will be five gold medals on offer in the sport in Gold Coast.
Showcasing the splendour of the Gold Coast, the Triathlon will start and finish at the beautiful Southport Broadwater Parklands.
Find out more about Triathlon in the Commonwealth Games, including the competition format, rules and equipment on our dedicated Triathlon page.
Table Tennis at the Commonwealth Games
Table Tennis first appeared on the Commonwealth Games programme in Manchester 2002 and has appeared at each Games since. Originally optional, it has now been made a core sport.
There is also a Para-Sport Table Tennis discipline which is an optional discipline and is included in Gold Coast 2018.
Singapore has dominated the sport at the Commonwealth Games, winning 18 gold medals and topping the Table Tennis medal standings at every Games that the sport has been contested.
Find out more about Table Tennis in the Commonwealth Games, including the competition format, rules and equipment on our dedicated Table Tennis page.
Team Scotland 2018
Paralympic Games gold medallist Karen Darke will take to the start line in Gold Coast where Para-Triathlon makes its debut. Since being paralysed from the chest down in a climbing accident age 21, the Inverness based athletes has pushed herself in an incredible series of challenges, alongside her sporting endeavours, including crossing Greenland’s ice cap and climbing Mont Blanc, Matterhorn and El Capitan.
Beth Potter makes her Commonwealth Games debut as a triathlete, having competed in Athletics at Glasgow 2014, Rio 2016 Olympic Games and 2017 World Athletics Championships. She is joined by Erin Wallace, star of the track at the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games, where she won gold over 1500m. On the men’s side, there is a return to Team Scotland for Marc Austin, who thrilled the home crowd in Strathclyde Park during Glasgow 2014 as part of a three-man breakaway with the Brownlee brothers, while Grant Sheldon, World University Championships gold medallist last year, is also selected for his second Games.
Click here to meet the Triathlon team for Gold Coast 2018.
In Table Tennis, Perth’s Gavin Rumgay returns to Team Scotland for a fourth Commonwealth Games, having taken a record-equalling 12th Scottish Championship Singles title in 2017.
He is joined by nine times Scottish Men’s Doubles champion Craig Howieson, who first represented Team Scotland at the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games and will make his third senior Games appearance in Gold Coast. Making his Commonwealth Games debut will be 23 year old Colin Dalgleish, who represented Great Britain at the 2017 World University Games. All three will play in the Singles and Team event, with Gavin and Craig pairing up in the Men’s Doubles.
Click here to meet the Table Tennis team for Gold Coast 2018
A total of 211 athletes have been named to Team Scotland for Gold Coast 2018 to date, with athletes announced in all sports except Rugby 7s. These final athletes will be named in March.
Show Your Support!
You can show your support by uploading photos and messages on our supporters page and give Team Scotland’s athletes a boost as they prepare to do the country proud on one of sport’s biggest stages!
Look out for other ways to get behind the team in the countdown to Gold Coast on Team Scotland’s social media channels.
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.
Find out more about the Commonwealth Games and Team Scotland’s past success in our Past Games section.