Wales Netball have announced that Emily Handyside, head coach of the Welsh Feathers, is set to step down from her role after this summer’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

In a statement, the sporting organisation praised Handyside, who took the role in 2022, for overseeing “one of the most significant periods in the history of netball in Wales.”

During her tenure, the Welsh Feathers rose up to sixth in the world rankings, the highest position ever achieved by a Welsh senior women’s sporting team, qualified for and competed at a Netball World Cup, and navigated a full Commonwealth Games cycle.

Despite Handyside’s departure, Wales Netball maintains that it’s Ymladd 2030 programme is “entering a new era.”

“As part of Ymladd 2030, Wales Netball’s bold strategic blueprint for the sport, the Head Coach position will be relaunched as a full-time national performance leadership role, reflecting the growing scale, ambition and investment within elite netball in Wales,” the organisation state.

“Recruitment for the position will open in August 2026, following the Commonwealth Games. The coaching team to guide the Welsh Feathers through the World Cup qualifier campaign will be announced in due course.”

“This has been the honour of my career,” the departing Handyside said.

“Leading the Welsh Feathers over the past four years has been an experience I will always treasure, and to see where this programme now stands, seventh in the world, a World Cup completed, a Commonwealth Games cycle completed, fills me with enormous pride.

“I made the decision to step away from a place of fulfilment rather than fatigue. The programme is in a brilliant place, we have a fantastic pipeline of talented world-class players, the foundations are strong and the ambition around Ymladd 2030 is genuinely exciting.

“I wanted to hand over at a high point, and I believe we are there. I cannot wait to see what comes next for this team and for netball in Wales.”

“Emily has been such a big part of the Feathers programme and has given so much to the squad over the last four years,” Feathers captain Bethan Dyke added.

“On behalf of everyone in the Feathers squad, we want to say a huge thank you for everything she has done for us, both on and off the court.

“We’re really looking forward to building on everything we’ve achieved together as Wales Netball heads into the next chapter. “

Wales Netball’s ambition, through Ymladd 2030, is to break into the world’s top five and establish a high-performing, sustainable elite ecosystem that stretches from grassroots through to the international stage.

“Emily has made an outstanding contribution to Wales Netball and the Welsh Feathers,” Sarah Boswell, Chief Executive Officer, Wales Netball said.

“She leaves the programme in a stronger position than she found it, and everything she has built is the platform from which our next chapter begins.

“Ymladd 2030 is about taking netball in Wales to the very top, and our next Head Coach will inherit something truly special. We are grateful for everything Emily has given to this programme and we wish her every success in whatever comes next.”

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