Dragons coach Bloxham to also add Welsh Feathers role

LexisNexis Dragons head coach Reinga Bloxham will also guide the Welsh Feathers national side as director of netball at the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

The addition to Bloxham's responsibilities come as Wales Netball celebrates 80 years by launching its 'Ymladd 2030' strategy with the aim, they say, to build "a strong team behind the team".

Former England captain Pamela Cookey also joins Wales Netball as a performance advisor, while ex-Wales international and Wales Netball's elected board director for participation, Melanie Hellerman, takes on the additional part-time role of performance manager.

Emily Handyside remains as head coach of the Welsh Feathers.

Bloxham was appointed Dragons head coach for this year's revamped Netball Super League (NSL) last July.

A former New Zealand international and A team coach, she was an assistant coach for Welsh Feathers at the 2023 World Cup in South Africa.

"As we mark our 80th year, this is an exciting chapter for our sport," said Wales Netball's chief executive officer Sarah Boswell.

"Ymladd 2030 is about more than podium success – it's about building pathways, investing in people and creating a high-performing ecosystem that reflects the ambition and pride of Wales.

"With Pamela, Mel and Reinga joining forces with our leadership team, and new opportunities for skilled professionals to come on board, we are strengthening every link in the chain from grassroots to elite."

Wales Netball say they will continue to recruit for operational roles which are "critical to supporting the new pathway structure and the journey towards Ymladd 2030" as they build towards this year's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the Sydney 2027 Netball World Cup.