Cardiff Dragons (netball)

History

Netball Superleague

Celtic Dragons were formed in 2005 and were named as the Wales franchise in the new Netball Superleague. Together with Brunel Hurricanes, Galleria Mavericks, Leeds Carnegie, Loughborough Lightning, Northern Thunder, Team Bath and Team Northumbria, Dragons were founder members of the league. Their best performance in the Superleague came in 2013 when they finished as runners up to Team Bath.

Celtic Flames

Playing as Celtic Flames, Celtic Dragons played in the 2017 Netball New Zealand Super Club. The Celtic Flames squad featured past and present Dragons players, including Chelsea Lewis and Nia Jones, and two guest players, Anna Thompson and Temalisi Fakahokotau of Mainland Tactix. Both were also New Zealand internationals. Flames finished in fifth place, ahead of all other invited international teams outside Australia and New Zealand.

Wales

Cardiff Dragons work in partnership with both the Welsh Netball Association and the Wales national netball team. Melissa Hyndman, Trish Wilcox and Julie Hoornweg all served as joint head coach of both Dragons and Wales. At the 2018 Commonwealth Games eleven of the squad were Dragons players and the twelfth, Chelsea Lewis was a former player.

Senior finals

Netball Superleague Grand Finals

Home venue

Dragons' current home venue is the Cardiff City House of Sport, located adjacent to the Cardiff City Stadium, having moved to the 1100-seat venue in 2022. Until 2022 Dragons played the majority of their home Netball Superleague games at Sport Wales National Centre in Sophia Gardens. They also train and play some home games at Cardiff Metropolitan University. They have also occasionally played home games at Wrexham Glyndŵr University and at Cwmbran Stadium.

Notable players

2026 squad

Source:

Internationals

;

• Suzy Drane
• Bethan Dyke
• Sara Hale
• Nia Jones
• Chelsea Lewis
• Nicola Lewis
• Anna Mayes ;
• Rachel Dunn
• Lindsay Keable ;
• Adi Bolakoro
• Episake Kahatoka
• Afa Rusivakula ;
• Rebekah Robinson

Head coaches

Honours

• Netball Superleague
  • Runners Up: 2013: 1

References

References

1. (5 February 2024). "Cardiff Dragons announce ground-breaking partnership with LexisNexis Risk Solutions".
2. (31 August 2023). "Wales' Netball Super League side Celtic Dragons rebranded as Cardiff Dragons". BBC Sport.
3. (1 October 2025). "Renamed Dragons to play in Cardiff and Liverpool".
4. "Our History". www.welshnetball.com.
5. Dr. Louise Mansfield & Dr. Lara Killick. (1 January 2012). "The UK Netball Superleague: A Case Study of Franchising in Elite Women's Sport". Brunel University, School of Sport and Education, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UK; and University of the Pacific, Department of Health, Exercise and Sport Science, Stockton, CA.
6. (25 May 2013). "Team Bath are champions". www.itv.com.
7. (26 May 2013). "Pride for beaten Celtic Dragons". www.southwalesargus.co.uk.
8. (29 May 2013). "Super show by Celtic Dragons recognised by Team Bath conquerors". www.walesonline.co.uk.
9. (25 May 2013). "Superleague final: Celtic Dragons 56–62 Team Bath". www.bbc.co.uk.
10. (25 May 2013). "Team Bath are the 2013 Superleague Champions". www.teambath.com.
11. (20 June 2017). "Netball: Celtic Flames add Chelsea Lewis and Nia Jones". www.bbc.co.uk.
12. (26 June 2017). "Celtic Flames". www.netballnz.co.nz.
13. (30 June 2017). "Netball: Tactix players to turn out for Welsh side". www.nzherald.co.nz.
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18. (17 July 2014). "Sacked netball coach Melissa Hyndman reveals allegations". www.bbc.co.uk.
19. (24 January 2018). "Departure of Trish Wilcox, Celtic Dragons Head Coach". www.celticdragonsnetball.com.
20. (24 January 2018). "Trish Wilcox: Wales Netball part company with coach". www.bbc.co.uk.
21. (26 February 2018). "Julie Hoornweg Named as Celtic Dragons Interim Head Coach". www.celticdragonsnetball.com.
22. (1 August 2017). "Chelsea Lewis". www.teambath.com.
23. (12 April 2018). "Wales Record Record Goals Total in Final 2018 Commonwealth Games Match". www.welshnetball.com.
24. (28 April 2018). "VNSL 2018 Round 9 – Celtic Dragons 51 Team Northumbria 56". www.celticdragonsnetball.com.
25. (25 May 2013). "Worcester Arena gets thumbs up after first big event". www.worcesternews.co.uk.
26. (23 June 2022). "Dragons to Call House of Sport New Home Venue". www.celticdragonsnetball.com.
27. "About Us". www.celticdragonsnetball.com.
28. "Celtic Dragons". www.netballsl.com.
29. (14 September 2018). "Celtic Dragons Announce New Training Home at Cardiff Metropolitan University as Part of High-Performance Partnership". www.celticdragonsnetball.com.
30. (29 March 2019). "Celtic Clash at Cardiff Met Returns for 2019". www.celticdragonsnetball.com.
31. (3 December 2008). "Netball: Co-operative SL18 Celtic Dragons V Team Northumbria". www.sportsister.com.
32. (18 March 2009). "Netball: Celtic Dragons go to Wrexham". www.walesonline.co.uk.
33. (29 November 2016). "Cwmbran Stadium Confirmed". www.celticdragonsnetball.com.
34. "Players". www.celticdragonsnetball.com.
35. (9 January 2020). "Congratulations Chelsea Lewis". www.celticdragonsnetball.com.
36. (14 January 2019). "End of an era as Jess Thirlby announces Team Bath Netball departure after 20 successful years as player and coach". www.teambath.com.
37. (31 August 2007). "Garland joins new coaching line-up for Superleague defence". www.womensportreport.com.
38. (16 May 2008). "Team Bath names new coaching line-up". www.express.co.uk.
39. (11 December 2006). "Inspired Abbott Fires Up Dragons". www.sportfocus.com.
40. "Dr Anna Stembridge (nee Mayes)". www.cardiffmet.ac.uk.
41. (28 January 2008). "Dragons roar to silence Thunder". www.express.co.uk.
42. (3 March 2008). "Bath cool Dragons' fire". www.skysports.com.
43. (24 August 2018). "Celtic Dragons appoint Tania Hoffman as new head coach". www.celticdragonsnetball.com.