'It just makes me feel so warm and proud inside that we were able to do it'

Northern Ireland head coach Sheonah Forbes celebrated securing a spot in next year’s netball World Cup as “our destiny” following a dramatic final Sunday step to Australia.

With two spots open for Sydney across the four-team tournament involving Northern Ireland, Wales, Republic of Ireland and hosts Scotland, Forbes’ players booked a path to the 2027 showpiece thanks to two wins and a tense closing few hours.

placeholder image — Northern Ireland players had plenty to celebrate in Scotland last weekend thanks to securing a first netball World Cup qualification since 2019. (Photo by Craig Watson)

Victory over Wales provided the perfect start in East Kilbride and a closing defeat of Republic of Ireland put full focus on the following fixture aware a Scotland win would confirm World Cup qualification.

Northern Ireland players watched from the stands immediately after playing as Scotland defeated Wales in a result celebrated on and off the court.

"Playing Wales on the first day really just set us up for the weekend...that's how we felt in the beginning,” said Forbes. "I'm not sure our fingernails and our nerves and everything felt that when Scotland had to play Wales for them to win and us to qualify...very nerve-racking but obviously we're all really delighted.

"We felt it's been coming this past year...we actually had played Wales in a friendly before the Commonwealth Games and took a lot of confidence, that actually we're in a place with our development that we could go and win.

"So we were very focused on eyes on the prize...our main target was to beat them to then win two in the weekend and, hopefully, set us up to qualify.

"We may rely on Scotland playing Wales and getting that win but we just had so much confidence that that was what was going to happen and that was our destiny...all the belief and the positive manifesting just seem to have come out on our favour."

Now Northern Ireland can look towards next August and a return to the main stage for the first time since 2019.

"Eight years since we last qualified....there's a couple of the girls in our squad who had that pain and that anxiety from past heartbreak,” said Forbes. "For them, in particular, I could see it in their faces, their anxiety but just the elation that they felt...it just makes me feel so warm and proud inside that we were able to do it for them, as well as everybody else."