Following confirmation last month that Team Scotland will take part in the Netball competition at Gold Coast 2018, today the official pools and match schedule for the preliminary rounds have been confirmed, following a draw ceremony held at Surfers Paradise beach in Gold Coast.

Overseen and sanctioned by the International Netball Federation (INF), last night’s draw ceremony saw the bottom six ranked teams randomly drawn into two pools in order to determine the match schedule for the preliminary round-robin stage of the competition.

They join the top six ranked teams who were placed into the two pools in a snaking pattern, according to the INF World Ranking list as of 1 July 2017.

Each team will play every other team within their pool during the preliminary round matches which will be held at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre from 5-12 April, before culminating in the finals matches at the Coomera Indoor Sports Centre on 14-15 April, 2018.

Ranked 12^th Scotland have been draw in Pool B, arguably the toughest of the two pools and will face  England in their opening match on 5 April, followed by Wales (7 April), New Zealand (9 April), Malawi (10 April) and Uganda (11 April).

The two pools are as follows:

Competing in their second successive Games and having benefited from the experience of Glasgow 2014, where they finished ninth, three places above their ranking going in to the competition they are hoping to similarly perform above their ranking.

Reacting to the draw, Scotland National Coach, Gail Parata said: “We have been drawn in Pool B which is a particularly tough draw for us, but no matter which Pool we were placed in it was always going to be a challenge playing against the other top 11 teams in the world.  However I am pleased that the draw has been completed and we now know who we are up against and we will do our very best to deliver strong performances for Team Scotland against every team we play.

“The next 9 months is a very busy period for the Scottish Thistles, with the Netball Europe Open championships in October, the European World Cup Qualifiers in January 2018 and the first part of the Vitality Netball SuperLeague in February 2018 before breaking for the Commonwealth Games in April.

“We are aiming to deliver some good performances at these events and qualify for the 2019 Netball World Cup which should provide strong preparation for us on the road to Gold Coast 2018.”

Claire Nelson, Chief Executive at Netball Scotland added: “Pool B is definitely a tough draw for us, but we have never been afraid of a challenge and are looking forward to taking on the top netballing nations as part of Team Scotland at Gold Coast 2018.

“Netball is definitely on the rise in our great nation, and after the huge growth of our sport off the back of our last Commonwealth Games, Glasgow 2014, we will be utilising this powerful platform once again to showcase what we believe is the real beautiful game! With a highly skilled Performance Team, world class support from sportscotland and the Institute of Sport, and a packed training and competition calendar in the run up to the Games, we will be more than ready to face our opposition next April.”

The full match schedule can be seen here.

Each team will comprise a maximum of 12 athletes, with individual player selection to be made in early in 2018 to ensure form and fitness.

The Scottish public have come out in force to help finalise the shortlists for the Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards 2017 and, as voting enters the final day, now is the time to make sure your choice gets the recognition they deserve.

Thousands have already cast their vote in a poll on Facebook, run by Team Scotland in partnership with the Scottish Sun, to find the nation’s top performers as we look for our Male Athlete, Female Athlete, Para-Sport Athlete, Young Athlete and Team of the Year.

In addition to voting from a list of suggestions, there has also been a flood of nominations for other outstanding performances by Scottish athletes, clubs and teams in what has been a truly great year for Scottish sport.

If you haven’t already voted, time is running out! Make sure you nominate by 23:59 on Monday 14 August and help us find Scotland’s top sporting performers of the year!

Cast your vote in each category, or tell us about your own suggestion at:

Male Athlete of the Year: www.tinyurl.com/TeamScotAwardsMale

Female Athlete of the Year: www.tinyurl.com/TeamScotAwardsFemale

Para-Sport Athlete of the Year: www.tinyurl.com/TeamScotAwardsPara

Team of the Year: www.tinyurl.com/TeamScotAwardsTeam

Young Athlete of the Year: www.tinyurl.com/TeamScotAwardsYoung

We are also seeking nominations for Coach of the Year which can be submitted by downloading the form on our Awards Nominations page. Nominations for all categories can also be submitted in this way.

Once voting closes at 23:59 on Monday 14 August, the top nominations 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 21 September, 2017.

Join Us

Help us to fly the flag for Scotland as we celebrate our country’s greatest sporting achievements over the last 12 months, with funds being raised to help the Scottish Commonwealth Games Youth Trust support our athletes of the future.

The centrepiece of the evening will be an in-depth interview with Great Britain’s most decorated female Olympian, rower, Dame Katherine Grainger DBE, as we explore some of the challenges facing Scottish sport. BBC Sport, presenter Hazel Irvine will tease out the issues and highlight the important contribution sport makes to all our lives.

Last year’s event reached full capacity and tickets are selling fast for 2017. The impressive, world-class facilities at EICC will, once again, host this special evening of sporting celebrations, drinks reception, dinner and entertainment. Book now to ensure you are part of the celebrations.

Book online on our Awards Tickets page or contact us on Tel: 01786 466 480 or Email: info@teamscotland.scot

Following confirmation last month that Team Scotland will be participating in Men’s Basketball at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, this weekend brought news that they will face England, Cameroon and India in the pool stage of the competition.

The team seeding and pool allocation were revealed by GC2018 Ambassador and NBA Basketball star Patty Mills yesterday (6 August) and includes a diverse range of competing nations from Oceania, Asia, Europe, the Americas and Africa.

The eight competing nations have been split into two pools of four which will compete against each other during the preliminary rounds to be held in Townsville and Cairns between 5-10 April. The finals will be held at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre from 13-15 April 2018.

Scotland has been placed in Men’s Pool B along with England, Cameroon and India and will play all three pool Games in Townsville, with the match schedule to be announced in the coming weeks.

Australia, Nigeria, New Zealand and Canada will contest Men’s Pool A.

At the conclusion of the Pool stage, the top two teams from Pool A will proceed to the semi-finals, whilst the bottom two teams from Pool A will play the top two teams from Pool B in the qualifying finals which will be held in Cairns (men). The remaining two Pool B teams are eliminated.

The winner of the qualifying final will then advance to the semi-final and medal matches on the Gold Coast.

Gold Coast will be only the second time Basketball has been included in the Games programme when Scotland finished sixth in Melbourne in 2006 and they would love to go further next year.

Captain Kieron Achara said: “We really want to perform next April. We know that if we perform, it could change the whole dynamics of basketball in Scotland, something we definitely would like to achieve. Our focus is solely on fielding the best team possible and competing with everyone else.”

Aware that Team Scotland is yet to win a medal in a team sport, Achara added: “I think our goal should definitely be to fight for medals at the Games. For me, after my injury which put me out of the 2006 Games, the Gold Coast seems more and more important to be successful and potentially finish in the top three.

“The Commonwealth Games are unique as we get the chance to represent Team Scotland and it’s a great opportunity for us to make our home country proud. It will also be great to interact with so many different members of Team Scotland over in Australia, listening to different stories and just being a part of the Team Scotland family will be such a big honour.”

Individual player selection will be made early in 2018 to ensure player form and fitness.

Lynsey Gallagher, one of the stars of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, is excited that Netball will be part of Team Scotland for their second successive Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast next year. The sport has built steadily on their debut Games performances and Gallagher is confident that they are ready for the challenge of bettering their eighth place finish achieved last time.

Lynsey said: “Players taking part in the netball Superleague last year served as great preparation for the Gold Coast Games as the girls have been able to get some match experience and are able to train week in, week out with a club. At the 2018 Games, we are realistically aiming for an improved top-8 finish as the sport has gone from strength to strength over the last couple of years.”

“Since 2014, the sport has gone from strength to strength and we have certainly closed the gap between other nations. All we have to do is make sure we prepare well for the Gold Coast.”

The 25-year-old from East Kilbride is also impressed at the development of the youth players coming through and added: “The World Youth Netball Championships in Botswana were encouraging after an eight-place finish. It’s good to see the youngsters coming through and that there is a solid pathway for them to progress. There will certainly be competition amongst the players to push for spots to play in Australia next April.”

The Gold Coast 2018 netball competition commences with preliminary matches at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre from 5-12 April before moving to the Coomera Indoor Sports Centre for the finals on 14-15 April.

The official draw to see which teams Scotland will face in these matches are due to occur in the next couple of weeks.

Individual player selection will not be made until early in 2018 to ensure form and fitness.

Team Scotland has confirmed today that it will be competing in men’s Rugby Sevens at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia. Speaking at the announcement  captain of  the Scotland Sevens team, Scott Riddell, expressed how he and the rest of his team can’t wait for the experience.

After finishing sixth at Glasgow 2014, there are much higher expectations for the team to achieve success in the Gold Coast, especially after their great results in the 2016-17 Sevens World Series.

Riddell commented: “We certainly have high aspirations, we’ve been playing well and so something special could potentially happen, but we just need to make sure we prepare well for the Games. After the victory over New Zealand last year, there’s no team that we haven’t beaten, so it’s an exciting prospect to play at the Gold Coast and hopefully be successful.”

“Every experience I have had at the Games has been special, firstly in Delhi in 2010 and especially in 2014, where I was lucky enough to be selected to play in my home country. Therefore I aim to make my third appearance at the Games a successful one.

“Being part of a wider Team Scotland is great fun and there’s a great buzz about the place. Being with all sorts of people from different sports and backgrounds and being part of the whole experience is what makes the Commonwealth Games so special. The fact that Team Scotland has never achieved a Rugby Sevens medal at the Games gives us even more motivation to go on and potentially win a medal and make history.”

The rugby at the Gold Coast will be played at the 27,000-seater Robina Stadium and there are hopes that the crowd numbers will match those of the 2014 Glasgow Games at Ibrox, where world record numbers attendedd.

New head coach, John Dalziel, believes that crowd support can play a key role in the team’s success and added: “The memories of Glasgow 2014 and the way the Scottish crowd got behind the team are very special, the players and everyone involved in 2018 will be looking to inspire those supporters and we look forward to their passionate support in the Gold Coast.”

Individual player selection will not be made until early in 2018 to ensure form and fitness.

With less than eight months to go until the next Commonwealth Games, Team Scotland is delighted to confirm the first tranche of team sports set to compete in the Gold Coast next April following invitations from the Games Organising Committee.

Netball, Men’s Basketball and Men’s Rugby Sevens will all be represented, as Team Scotland aims for its most successful ever overseas Games.

Netball will compete in their second successive Games having enjoyed and benefited from the experience of Glasgow 2014, where they finished eighth, four places above their ranking going in to the competition.

Once again Scotland were placed 12^th in the latest International Netball Federation world ranking to book their spot alongside 11 other teams: Australia, New Zealand, England, Jamaica, South Africa, Malawi, Fiji, Wales, Uganda, Northern Ireland and Barbados.

However Netball Scotland Head Coach, Gail Parata, is confident that the recent rankings are not a true reflection of the strong progress the sport has made in Scotland over recent years and that they will be ready to punch above their weight at Gold Coast 2018 saying: “We are delighted to have qualified for the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Having sat comfortably in 10th place in the rankings for the past year and only dropped to 12th as a result of other test matches having taken place ahead of qualification, we know that where we sit on the world table is not indicative of where we can finish in world competition. Scotland is definitely on the rise.”

“With the launch of our UK Superleague franchise, stand out performances at Netball Europe and most recently the Netball World Youth Cup where we achieved our best ever results with a top eight finish, we know that we have a strong national team that can compete with higher ranked countries. We are aiming to be one of the teams to watch in the Gold Coast, where we will be fit, confident and ready to challenge for a top eight finish once again.”

The Gold Coast 2018 netball competition commences with preliminary matches at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre from 5-12 April before culminating in the finals matches at the Coomera Indoor Sports Centre on 14-15 April.

Netball fans won’t have to wait long to learn which teams Scotland will face in the preliminary group stage, with the official draw expected in the next few weeks.

Basketball makes its first return to the Commonwealth Games sport programme since 2006 where it made its Games debut. Scotland’s men will get their second taste of Team Scotland representation having finished sixth in Melbourne.

The other seven teams in the men’s competition are: Australia, Cameroon, Canada, England, India, New Zealand, Nigeria.

The competition will be split into two pools of four, with nations to face off against teams in their pool during the preliminary rounds to be held in Townsville and Cairns between 5-10 April before the finals at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre from 13-15 April.

The pools and match schedules for the Basketball preliminaries will be announced in the coming weeks.

Pleased to be in the Games in 2018, Kieron Achara, Men’s Basketball team captain said: “It is a great honour for basketball to be representing Team Scotland at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia. We have been working really hard as a squad in preparation and we are motivated to make our country proud on the Gold Coast next April.”

The preliminary rounds of the Basketball competition will take place in Townsville and Cairns before moving south to the Gold Coast Convention Centre for the semi finals and finals.

Men’s Rugby Sevens has also had their place confirmed and will compete for Team Scotland in their fifth Commonwealth Games. Following success in the 2016-17 HSBC Sevens World Series, with a notable win at the final event in London and with new coach John Dalziel at the helm, the team will be aiming to build on their seventh place finish in Glasgow 2014.

A total of 10 teams including hosts Australia have been confirmed so far based on world rankings, with the remaining six places to be determined at regional competitions over the next few months. It is expected that the full line-up and draw will be announced by Gold Coat 2018 towards the end of November.

The Rugby Sevens competition will be played in the Robina Stadium over the final weekend of the Games 13-15 April and Games organisers will be hoping to attract the same world record crowds which supported the event at Ibrox in Glasgow.

Scotland Sevens Head Coach John Dalziel said: “Everyone is very focused and excited at the start of a huge season for Rugby Sevens. The opportunity to be selected, to represent your country in a Commonwealth Games is very special and everyone is driving towards this.

“The memories of Glasgow 2014 and the way the Scottish crowd got behind the team are very special, the players and everyone involved will be looking to inspire those supporters and look forward to their passionate support in the Gold Coast.”

Scotland Sevens Captain Scott Riddell said: “I’ve been part of two previous Commonwealth Games, Delhi 2010 and Glasgow 2014 and each were amazing in their own right.

“The home crowd at Ibrox was incredible, the noise was unbelievable and the Gold Coast presents a massive opportunity to improve on our finish from the last Games.

“The Commonwealth Games are different to the World Series, being part of a larger Team Scotland and supporting other athletes at the Games is all part of the experience.”

Team Scotland Chef de Mission, Jon Doig OBE said: “I am delighted that we have received and accepted invitations from Gold Coast 2018 to compete in Netball, Basketball and Rugby Sevens. Congratulations to all the players, coaches and support staff in achieving the necessary results for selection which is testament to their dedication hard work.

“The team sports bring a special dimension to the makeup of Team Scotland and we hope they will be joined by other team sports in the near future.”

Individual athlete selection for all three sports will not be made until early in 2018 to ensure athlete form and fitness.

With the qualification still continuing for other team sports, Team Scotland is also hoping for invitations from Gold Coast 2018 to compete in Hockey (Men and Women) and Beach Volleyball.

Team Scotland returned home from the Commonwealth Youth Games in the Bahamas on Monday 24 July with a bumper haul of medals, and memories to last a lifetime, after a hugely successful Games for our young athletes.

Following an incredible final day of competition which saw Rhona Callander claim Cycling’s first ever Youth Games gold, tennis player Hamish Stewart triumph in the Boys’ Singles and boxing take five medals, including gold for Tyler Jolly, Team Scotland ended the Games in fourth place on the medal table with a final tally of 8 gold, 6 silver and 7 bronze.

The total of 21 medals equals Scotland’s performance at the last Youth Games, two years ago in Samoa, while eight gold medals ranks as Scotland’s best Youth Games performance since the 2004 Games in Bendigo, where many fewer nations competed. Six of the seven sports won medals (Athletics, Boxing, Cycling, Judo, Swimming and Tennis), with the seventh, Beach Volleyball, coming agonisingly close with a narrow loss in the bronze medal match.

Eighteen athletes enjoyed medal success and, with three gold, one silver and one bronze, Scott McLay ended the Games as Scotland’s most successful Youth Games athlete in history, following an incredible few days in the pool. He eclipsed the record medal tally, set at the 2011 Youth Games, by fellow swimmer Craig Benson, who has gone on to compete in both Commonwealth and Olympic Games following his three gold and one silver in the Isle of Man.

There were also a number of firsts as Emily Ritchie claimed Team Scotland’s first Youth Games Judo medal with gold on the opening day of the Games, Dylan Hughes took a first medal for Cycling with Time Trial silver and Megan Gordon became the first Scottish female boxer, both to compete at a Youth Games and to win a medal, with bronze in the 51kg category.

Luke Robins, who took bronze in the 4x100m Mixed Freestyle Relay said: “A highlight for me was the Opening Ceremony, I’ve never got to do that before and I thought the one the Bahamas put on was incredible. It’s been great to see people from all round the world, it’s not often you get to race people from New Zealand, Australia and lot of the smaller countries too. It’s been a great week for meeting people and making friends from all different nations.”

Fiona Todman, who won Judo silver on the opening day of competition, said: I found the experience really special. I went to watch the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and having the opportunity to experience something similar and having all of Team Scotland behind us was really nice. It’s always amazing being a Judo medallist, but to do it at the first Youth Games for Judo is extra special.”

Colin Gregor, General Team Manager was delighted with the team’s performance and said: “I would like to congratulate each and every one of our athletes on a fantastic Games. Our aim was to ensure they had a really positive experience and it was an added bonus to come home with 21 medals. Every single one of them performed to their best and all the athletes have developed and grown through their experience at Bahamas 2017.

“Learning to perform when it counts at a multi-sport event is a big part of what the Commonwealth Youth Games is all about and our athletes now have great experiences to draw on as they embark on the next stage of their careers. They have been a credit to Team Scotland, to their sports and to their families.

“I would also like to say a big thank you to our hosts The Bahamas for a wonderful Games. The welcome they extended to us has been so warm and genuine and I hope that our athletes’ Youth Games moment stays with them for the rest of their lives.”

Beach Volleyball: Team Scotland’s first ever Beach Volleyball pair’s hopes of a Bahamas 2017 Youth Games medal were dashed at the final hurdle as they fell just short in the bronze medal match against Rwanda.

Looking to cap an outstanding Games, Emma Waldie and Jennifer Lee started well, looking comfortable early in the first set. As the match intensified, so did the heat in the stadium but Scotland worked hard to move ahead and take the first set 21-15.

A similarly close second set left the strong Scottish fan-base on tenterhooks with the lead changing multiple times in the set. Scotland had the opportunity to serve for the match, and the medal, but were unable to seal the deal. Rwanda capitalised and were able to take the second set 24-26.

With the decider looming, Scotland continued to battle on in the soaring heat but it was Rwanda who coped better under pressure to take the final set 15-10.

Speaking after the heart-breaking loss, the duo commented: “Right now, it is hard to take that loss. We fought so hard and gave ourselves a really good chance of winning it. We have so much to be proud of though, we have exceeded our expectations we set at the start of the tournament and being part of the larger team has been an experience neither of us will forget. We will continue to work hard and develop our game, this is just the start for us.”

Tennis: Hamish Stewart continued his fantastic run in the Men’s Singles with a 7-6 7-5 win over India’s Siddhant Banthia to book his place in the final. The first set was a well matched affair with neither player faltering on their service game. The score stayed with serve all the way to 6-6, forcing a tie-break. While the play had been nip and tuck up to this point, Hamish came out fighting and quickly built a commanding lead, which he never relinquished.

Though the second set was just as closely matched, play went against serve for the first six games. Back on serve, the score reached five games all before Hamish again held his serve to go 6-5 and played a superb final game to clinch victory.  He plays James Story of Wales for the gold medal tomorrow morning,

Athletics: Up first on the track for Team Scotland were 200m runners Lauren Greig and Fraser Angus, aiming for a place in their respective finals, having progressed from heats to semi-finals yesterday. Fraser produced a storming run from lane one to book his place in tomorrow’s final, 4^th in his heat in a time of 22.09. Unfortunately Lauren was unable to join him, finishing 7^th in her semi-final.

The searing heat and humidity inside the stadium made conditions difficult as the athletes lined up for the 3000m finals. Going with the early pace but unable to hold on to the leaders in the final stages, Adam Scot took 5^th place with 9.04.61 while Naomi Lang, again competitive in the opening laps faded to 10^th in 10.11.34.

Rounding off the night was 1500m gold medallist Erin Wallace, this time lining up in the 800m final. Sitting at the back of the pack for the first lap, she surged down the back straight in a bid for a second medal. In a valiant effort after a hard three days of racing, she finished 6^th in 2.08.30.

Rhona Callander claimed Scotland’s first ever Youth Games Cycling gold medal as she powered away from the pack in the final sprint to win the Road Race on the final day of Bahamas 2017.

An early break by two riders was quickly covered by the main pack and from there Rhona rode a great tactical race, looking in control of proceedings at all times.

As the finish approached, several riders were still in contention and the medal positions came down to a last dash for the line. Rhona put in a stunning final surge, to win in a time of 1.57.15, punching the air as she crossed the line just clear of the chasing pack.

“It was just brilliant,” she said. “I was a bit nervous coming into the finish because I’ve never really done a sprint finish and I’ve definitely never won one before!  I didn’t know the other girls too well so I didn’t know what to expect, especially after the time trial because some of them were a lot faster than me. It was just amazing to win the race.

“I’d love to go to a senior Commonwealth Games one day, Gold Coast seems a bit close for me, but perhaps the next one.”

In the men’s race Dylan Hughes and Stephen Dent were looking to add to the medal tally, but found themselves adrift of the leaders in the oppressive late morning heat. Stephen stayed with the main pack to finish 11th but Dylan was forced to withdraw on the last lap of the race.

Before these Games began Scotland had never taken a Cycling medal at any Youth Games, Grant Ferguson coming closest in 2011 with a 5th place finish in the Criterium. With Dylan Hughes taking silver in Wednesday’s Time Trial, this has been a truly historic Youth Games for Scottish Cycling.

On the final day of Bahamas 2017 competition, Hamish Stewart secured a first ever Youth Games Tennis gold medal for Team Scotland with a thrilling victory in the final of the Boys’ Singles event.

After a fantastic run through the competition, Hamish faced James Story of Wales in the gold medal match, in front of a full house at the Bahamas National Tennis Centre. Showing no signs of fatigue from his tough semi-final match the day before, it was Hamish who took the first set 6-4, displaying determination and grit when it proved crucial.

With the first set in the bag, Hamish got off to a fantastic start in the second, instantly breaking his opponent’s serve in the opening game. The Scot showed incredible character to hold serve for the remainder of the second set. As temperatures soared on Centre Court, Hamish remained focused and ensured there was no mental lapse on his way to securing the game, set, match and gold medal with a 6-4 second set.

Speaking after his match, he said: “That was the greatest way to end such a good week. It has been a long week and the body is sore, but to be travelling home tonight with the gold medal feels great. I would like to thank my family for their support all week and also say a massive thank you to everyone in Team Scotland for the support, this has been a brilliant experience.”

Gold for Hamish at Bahamas 2017 is a second successive medal for Scotland in the Boys’ Singles event, following silver for Ewen Lumsden at the 2015 Youth Games in Samoa.