Metcalf & Pechova in England’s Commonwealth squadImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Natalie Metcalf (left) won gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games with England, while Jayda Pechova (right) is set for a Games debutPublished22 minutes agoNat Metcalf has the chance to go for a second gold medal after being selected in England’s netball squad for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, with Fran Williams unveiled as captain.The 12-strong group includes four players from newly crowned Netball Super League champions AO Manchester Thunder.
London Pulse star shooter Liv Tchine will serve as a Roses vice-captain, along with Thunder’s Amy Carter, while the youngest member of the squad is 21-year-old defender Jayda Pechova.
Nottingham Forest’s Pechova won the league’s 2026 Player of the Year award, as well as Fans’ Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year as she helped her team achieve a top-four finish for the first time.
She was a nominee for the BBC’s Young Sports Personality of the Year award in 2022, when aged 18, and a first senior England cap followed in 2023 against New Zealand.
She later fell out of favour but has rebounded in dazzling style this year, with Forest coach Chelsea Pitman recently telling BBC Sport: “We looked at what she could do in her high performance behaviours and that consistency piece – what does England need to see from her?
“And she has just attacked it. She’s turning up to every session to put her best foot forward. She is extremely resilient. She wants to watch videos; she wants to be better.”
Wing attack Metcalf was part of England’s 2018 team that won gold at the Commonwealth Games in Australia, and she will be competing in her third Games just 14 months after giving birth to her first child.
The 33-year-old returned to action last December before winning the Super League with Thunder and is joined on international duty by club-mates Carter, Eleanor Cardwell and Lois Pearson – the latter featuring in her first major tournament with England.
Metcalf is the only player in the squad who featured in England’s 2018 triumph.
New South Wales Swifts star Helen Housby, who had been set to be a key figure in England’s shooting circle, was ruled out of Stembridge’s plans at the start of June because of a back injury.
Captain Williams is another who plays in Australia, in her case for West Coast Fever, with England team-mate Sasha Glasgow also in the Perth team’s ranks.
England head coach Anna Stembridge, who took charge following Jess Thirlby’s resignation in March, reported her squad has the necessary mix of experience and youth.
The Roses, who are ranked third in the world, are in Pool A with world number ones Australia, plus South Africa, Malawi, Tonga and Northern Ireland, against whom they begin their Games campaign on 25 July.
Stembridge reported: “The competitiveness within English netball is incredibly strong, and this squad reflects the quality and depth we have across the programme.
“Each athlete brings different qualities to this group, and the strength of this team will come from how we combine those qualities and perform together.”
England will be aiming to build on their World Cup silver success in 2023, but Test series defeats by New Zealand and South Africa in the past year have been setbacks in their preparation.
