S03E40 Northern Ireland Warriors: World Cup Bound!

Carla and Leanne are joined by Northern Ireland Warriors stars Michelle Magee and Niamh Cooper to celebrate their dramatic qualification for the 2027 Netball World Cup in Sydney. Michelle talks us through the nail-biting qualifiers, the team’s belief and her return to Leeds Rhinos, while Niamh shares what reaching the World Cup means for Northern Ireland’s next generation, how team spirit has helped the Warriors thrive, and how she balances elite netball with life as an A&E doctor.

Back in the studio, Carla and Leanne debate England’s new Roses coaching team, the future of the Netball Super League and whether Scotland and Northern Ireland need their own NSL franchises. Big ambitions, brilliant insight and a little Welsh heartbreak - all in a week’s netball!

Thanks to our partner Akuma Sports - For top quality custom kit produced in the UK, visit: akumasports.com/sports/netball
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YOUR HOSTS

Carla
A self-confessed netball addict, I’ve been playing for nearly 14 years and basically live and breathe the sport (my husband insists on calling it “a hobby,” but we all know better 😆).
When I’m not on court, I’m running multiple businesses, wrangling my five kids, and squeezing 20 tasks into every day. I work at 100 miles an hour and get more done before lunch than most people manage all week, fuelled entirely by Diet Coke and donuts.

Leanne
A netballer since the age of nine, I’ve somehow managed to arrange my entire life around a netball court!
I still play regional netball, mostly at GD, coach at club and within the London Pulse pathway, run my own business helping netballers stay strong and somehow thought adding podcast host to the list was a sensible idea 😆.
I’m married, a mum of two, partial to a ridiculous physical challenge and have very strong opinions on pretty much all things netball, including why women absolutely do not need to stop competing just because they’re getting older.