A long-awaited return to the court in a Scottish Thistles dress was all it took for Emily Nicholl to reaffirm her commitment to netball.
A tumultuous year for the sport in Scotland – the highs of making the cut for the 2026 Commonwealth Games rota offsetting the disappointment at the Strathclyde Sirens’ demise – coincided with a lengthy break from competitive fixtures for the international side.
It is only natural for every player in that situation to reassess and reflect on their own situation and consider the best path ahead.
The arrival, though, of Kath Tetley as Thistles’ new head coach and then her own involvement in the recent Celtic Cup were enough for Nicholl to realise that she is not done with netball quite yet, even after eight years operating at the top.
“It was great to be back out there again as we hadn’t had internationals for more than a year,” says Nicholl, who also combines her sporting commitments with her day job as a solicitor.
“It was so nice having the Celtic Cup from a personal point of view as it allowed me to reflect and check in with myself to make sure I was still enjoying it. And I felt that tournament was the happiest I’ve ever been on court as a Thistle. I’m still in love with the game and have that same passion for it. So I just want to keep going and getting better.
"It had been so long since I’d had the chance to wear the Thistles dress and it’s always so special. Playing for your country isn’t something that many people get to do and you have to remind yourself at times how fortunate you are to have that opportunity.”
The Celtic Cup ushered in a new era for Scottish netball. It was a tournament that Tetley, with typical Australian candour, had wanted her team to win, only for Wales to instead come out on top.
If that was a disappointment, especially with home court advantage, then it was tempered by the lessons learned by a new-look line-up and the experienced Nicholl over the four matches played.
“It was our first series with Kath as head coach and a brand-new squad so we were really pleased with what we got out of it,” adds the 30-year-old. “We wanted to reach the final and we did that by beating Zimbabwe and Northern Ireland with some strong performances. Obviously we would have wanted to come away with the win in the final against Wales but we’ve shown Scotland what our new brand of netball is all about.
“That was just the starting point for us, not the end product. We’re at that exploring stage with the squad, given the amount of changes there have been. But it’s an exciting time with a new brand of netball under Kath, who is based here which is brilliant as it means we get a lot of contact time with her. She’s been great with us.
“She wants to win – like any Aussie you’ll meet – but she’s very personable and has taken the time to get to know everyone in the squad. So, she’s definitely got the buy-in from all of the players. We’re 100 percent behind her and what she wants to achieve for the team.”
The 2027 World Cup remains the long-term focus but having the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow the year before will also shape the journey of this team.
Given the number of high-profile sports that didn’t make the cut, it was a significant moment for netball to get the nod.
“It was absolutely monumental that netball has been included,” confirms Nicholl with typical enthusiasm. “I think we’re one of only two non-Olympic sports so as our only multi-sports event it was critical that we were involved. The fact that it’s a home Games is an added bonus."
It hasn’t all been positive news of late. Netball Super League 2.0 will begin early in the new year without any Scottish involvement after the Sirens were priced out of the market. It leaves many players in limbo – Nicholl is remaining coy about her own future plans – but does provide an opportunity for the national team to train more often together.
“Obviously it’s a huge change in the land of Scottish netball,” she adds. “But one good thing to come out of it is that the focus is now 100 percent on Thistles. Change is always inevitable but it’s how you deal with it and it’s opened up a lot of different opportunities for some of the players. It’s forced us out of our comfort zones to look at different ways of continuing to progress and improve as individuals and as a collective."
