Netball World Cup 2023: Welsh Feathers 'physically and mentally' ready
- Published
Wales include ten World Cup debutants in their 12-strong squad for South Africa
Welsh Feathers captain Nia Jones believes her team are "physically and mentally" ready to take on the Netball World Cup.
Wales have qualified for the tournament for the first time since 2015.
The team departed on Sunday from their Cardiff training base for South Africa ahead of the event's opening game against the hosts in Cape Town.
"We're all buzzing and can't wait to get out there," said Jones following the team's dress presentation ceremony.
She added: "Most of the teams are already out there so we've been suffering from a bit of Fomo [fear of missing out].
"We play South Africa straight after the opening ceremony, which is fantastic. It's a total sell-out and the crowd are going to be right behind the home team so the atmosphere is going to an electric."
Wales booked their place at the World Cup - 28 July to 6 August - after topping the European qualifiers unbeaten in five games and are joined in Pool C by Jamaica and Sri Lanka.
Veteran Jones, unavailable in 2015, is among ten World Cup debutants for Wales with Bethan Dyke and Georgia Rowe the only survivors from the tournament eight years ago.
"We've had five weeks of really intense training because we've had to fast-track things," said Jones.
"We've had people playing all over in the domestic competition but everyone set up a second home in Cardiff.
"So we've been training five or six times a week and the weekends have been 10 and 11-hour days.
"The coach has done a great job of pushing us psychologically and physically but that exactly what we need because we play seven games in ten days against really tough opposition.
"But we've learned a lot about each other and we feel we're ready, which is great for our confidence."
Wales squad: Nia Jones (captain), Bethan Dyke (vice-captain), Lucy Howells, Clare Jones, Nansi Kuti, Zoe Matthewman, Shona O'Dwyer, Ella Powell-Davies, Georgia Rowe, Christina Shaw, Sarie Watkins, Phillipa Yarranton.
Reserves: Millie Carter, Megan Pilkington, Abigail Caple.
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- Published10 July 2019
