Scotland and Northern Ireland have confirmed their spots at the 2027 Netball World Cup following a four-team qualifying event held over three days in East Kilbride. The top two finishers from the competition earned passage to the finals, which are scheduled to take place in Sydney, Australia, between 25 August and 5 September 2027. Wales and the Republic of Ireland were unable to reach the required standard and will not be participating.
The pathway to qualification became clearer on Sunday after Northern Ireland produced a dominant performance, defeating the Republic of Ireland 73-50. This emphatic victory ensured that Northern Ireland would advance regardless of the outcome between Scotland and Wales.
The final decisive match saw hosts Scotland edge past Wales with a 55-48 win. Heading into the game, Scotland needed only a win or a draw to guarantee their place, as Wales were required to beat Scotland by a significant margin in points to overtake them. Despite their hopes, Wales fell short, leaving Scotland and Northern Ireland as the qualified teams.
Full results from the tournament are as follows:
Friday, 25 September: Wales 49-50 Northern Ireland; Scotland 84-29 Republic of Ireland
Saturday, 26 September: Republic of Ireland 33-76 Wales; Scotland 67-43 Northern Ireland
Sunday, 27 September: Northern Ireland 73-50 Republic of Ireland; Scotland 55-48 Wales
Sad to see Wales and the Republic of Ireland miss out again. They really need to close the gap before the Sydney finals next year.
Finally! Northern Ireland’s dominance was undeniable. The 73-50 thrashing sealed it early, which took the pressure off for the final day.