Cardiff Dragons reveal 2026 squad despite financial concerns

Australian defender Jacqui Newton will return for a third season with Cardiff Dragons

LexisNexis Cardiff Dragons have named their squad for next season's Netball Super League (NSL) campaign, despite facing an uncertain future due to funding concerns.

The Welsh side finished bottom of the revamped NSL last season - winning only two of their 14 matches - and there are question marks about how robust the franchise's finances are.

BBC Sport Wales has been told that players were informed in the off-season that they may not have had a team to play for next season if Dragons did not secure the required funding.

That hurdle seems to have been overcome, in the short term at least, allowing Dragons to retain the bulk of the squad from last season - including key goal shooter Georgia Rowe, alongside international Welsh Feathers team-mates Bethan Dyke and Leah Middleton.

New additions include Scotland goal attack or goal shooter Niamh McCall and defender Ella Bowen, who was at Leeds Rhinos last season.

Australian goal defence or goalkeeper Jacqui Newton - who captained Dragons last campaign - returns for a third season in south Wales.

But goalkeeper Celena Appleby-Prince has re-joined Loughborough Lightning, last season's NSL runners-up.

It has been a turbulent period on and off the court, with Wales Netball saying during the summer it had launched an "urgent internal review and turnaround plan" following "a comprehensive review of historical finances and governance across both LexisNexis Cardiff Dragons and Wales Netball".

During that period, the majority of the Dragons' board resigned, while Sara Moore left as Dragons and Wales Netball head of performance.

While Dragons struggled last season, it was not all doom and gloom for Welsh netball on the court with the national Feathers side reaching their highest ever world ranking of sixth last March following an undefeated 2024-2025 campaign.

The Wales Netball and Cardiff Dragons chief executive, Sarah Boswell, said at the time that the success at international level should be used as a springboard to secure the future of netball in Wales.

"In 2025, I want to see a real acceleration in investment - financial, structural, and cultural - into the game," she said.

Previous to a Wales Netball Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) that was held on 30 July, the governing body's chair Cath Hares said: "The Wales Netball board remains hopeful, through collaboration and shared commitment with our partners and stakeholders, that a positive route forward can be secured, which strengthens our financial position and delivers on our strategic ambitions."

Boswell has also said work was under way to find a secure future for both organisations, saying: "This is a pivotal moment for netball in Wales.

"We are working tirelessly, in collaboration with key stakeholders, to future-proof our sport and ensure that it continues to thrive - from grassroots to elite level.

"Throughout this process, the wellbeing of athletes and staff remain our number one priority and we are committed to transparency and communication with them through these next steps.

"We are grateful to the Welsh Government and Sport Wales for their continued support."

Netball Super League's brave new world

When the 2026 season begins, it will be the second campaign since sweeping changes were made to the top level of the game in the UK.

Last season was the NSL's first since being reduced from 10 to eight teams, which involved controversially cutting sides from Guildford, Bath and Worcester, plus Scotland's lone representative, Glasgow-based Strathclyde Sirens, while new teams were created in Nottingham and Birmingham.

More than 50% of games were played in major arenas, with league officials saying there was a 42% rise in regular-season crowds.

London Pulse secured their first NSL title as they beat Loughborough Lightning in the Grand Final held at the O2 Arena in London.

The so-called NSL 2.0 era aimed to make the competition more professional, though not every player is full-time.

The NSL signing window opened on 7 July and ran until 29 August, with each club having until 5 September to make public announcements of their signings. Each NSL squad is made up of 10 players.

Celtic Dragons squad 2026

Attack: Georgia Rowe, Phillipa Yarranton, Niamh McCall

Mid-court: Khanyisa Chawane, Bethan Dyke, Vicky Booth

Defence: Leah Middleton, Jacqui Newton, Alex Johnson, Ella Bowen