Positives in defeat for Northern Ireland Netball Warriors  in Celtic Cup opening games in Glasgow as captain Michelle Magee wins 50th cap

NORTHERN Ireland Netball Warriors began their Celtic Cup campaign with two spirited performances against world-class opposition, demonstrating resilience, improvement, and fight at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow.

Game one saw them go down fighting 57-40 to Zimbabwe followed by a 72-46 loss to Uganda.

The Warriors opened their tournament against Zimbabwe in a strongly contested match. 

Zimbabwe, coming off the back of a solid performance in a separate series against Wales at the weekend where they were narrowly defeated 50 – 44 settled quickly into the game.  

Despite strong defensive efforts and sharp attacking play by the Warriors, Zimbabwe pulled ahead after the half time break to secure a 57–40 victory.

Day 2 saw the Warriors face Uganda, ranked five places higher globally. A blistering start saw NI surge to a 5–1 lead in the opening minutes, setting the tone for a fiercely competitive match. 

While Uganda ultimately claimed the win, the Warriors reduced the deficit significantly compared to their previous meeting at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games (63–26).

The match also marked a proud milestone as new captain Michelle Magee earned her 50th international cap.

Head Coach Sheonah Forbes, praised the team’s performance and progress, saying: “I’m incredibly proud of how the squad approached these games.

“Against two world-class teams, we showed composure, creativity, and real fight. The improvement from our last meeting with Uganda is clear, and that’s a huge positive for us moving forward.”

She added: “Michelle reaching 50 caps  is a fantastic achievement and she is  fully embracing the leadership role. We’re excited to take these learnings into Friday’s clash with Wales.”

The Warriors now turn their focus to world No. 6 Wales on Friday, November 28 at 5.00pm, live on BBC Wales iPlayer. Fans can follow updates on the team’s official social channels.