England Netball Finalise Commonwealth Preparations at St. George’s Park

England Netball's squad have been based at St. George's Park as they put the finishing touches to their preparations for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.

The team made use of a range of high-performance facilities during their stay, including strength and conditioning spaces and recovery provision.

The Steve Daley Sports Hall was also adapted into a netball court to support the team's preparations, while the on-site Hilton Hotel provided accommodation and hospitality throughout the camp.

“The key objective for us being at St. George’s Park is around connection,” explained Team England Head Coach, Anna Stembridge.

“The girls have been in their domestic season, so making sure we’re reconnecting with each other. We’ve been doing some work online, around tactical clarity particularly with Australia and South Africa, who are in our pool for the Commonwealth Games, so we’ve been able to pull through some of that work away from the court and apply it on the court.”

That preparation was also put to use in the form of a warm-up match against Wales during the team’s time at St. George’s Park, allowing both teams to assess their readiness ahead of their respective Commonwealth campaigns.

“While they’re [Wales] in Pool B, there’s some really great match-ups that we’re excited about which help simulate some of the styles and opponents that we know we’re going to face in Pool A,” explained Anna. 

“We’re familiar with the way in which they might play, and Wales were definitely targeted as a team that was critical in our preparation.”

England’s opening Commonwealth Games match will take place on Saturday 25 July against Northern Ireland – and Anna believes that the environment of St. George’s Park has provided an ideal setting ahead of a busy week of games.

“This has definitely been an ideal environment for us, both in terms of the recovery options and the strategies we can apply, as well as the proximity of everything,” the former Wales player said. 

“Whether it’s from the briefing room going on to court; you literally walk down one corridor and you’re from one place to the court. The fact that everything is so accessible is great, but then you also have the lovely grounds so that we can get some fresh air and walk around. I mentioned recovery before, but in addition to the recovery suite, we’ve been able to use the pool and the saunas to ensure that the girls are ready for their next training session. 

“St. George’s Park has such a great feel,” Anna added. 

“You’re walking around and there’s pictures and shirts of absolute legends, as well as the trophy cabinet. There’s a real high-performance feel; ultimately, this is the home of the Three Lions and the Lionesses. We’ve been buzzing to be here. We’d love to come back. This is our second visit now, and again just the accessibility – whether it’s the training court, the recovery suite, the briefing rooms; it’s been brilliant for us to be able to move smoothly between those. We’re definitely looking forward to an opportunity to come back. It’s a great environment, where you’re rubbing shoulders with some absolute legends. Even in the coffee shop, I bumped into a friend that works in football – and the ability to cross-over in an informal way through the meetings that come about by chance is brilliant.”

All at St. George’s Park wish Anna, the coaches and Team England players the best of luck in the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.