Northern Ireland's Lisa Bowman with three-day goal to achieve 15-year World Cup dream

Bowman and her Netball NI team-mates travel to Scotland for a string of European qualifiers in East Kilbride towards the ultimate prize of a place as one of 12 nations competing next year on the showpiece stage.

To book a seat to Sydney and Australia’s World Cup adventure across 11 days next August and September, Northern Ireland must claim first or second in a four-team shoot-out against Republic of Ireland, Wales and hosts Scotland.

Bowan narrowly missed out on selection for the World Cup in 2011 and injury on the eve of the tournament during 2019 forced her to withdraw from the competition.

The 37-year-old’s celebrated return to the international tournament stage after an eight-year absence arrived this summer past across the Commonwealth Games.

After those Glasgow appearances it is back to Scotland for Bowman.

“This is always something, even when I kind of wasn't playing, it's always been something that I still wanted to achieve and still wanted to be at representing Northern Ireland,” said Bowman. “So, yeah, it would be obviously one of those life goals for me, if and when we qualify, then to obviously go and represent...2019 that was one of those hard times.

"With it being so close to actually travelling...within a few weeks, just sustained another ankle injury at a training session.

"And it's just both the joys of sports and one of them things, so that was one of those difficult moments but back at it still and, all being well, then we'll be fit to tick that box next year.”

Netball NI out-performed their ranking in Glasgow by finishing 11th overall, with a morale-boosting win in the last game against Trinidad and Tobago.

For Bowman, she was simply delighted to be back on the world stage.

“I was just, first of all, very grateful, I suppose, for being welcomed back into the fold, not just by the coaches, but also with the players, to still kind of be here competing at that level and just living my best life, as I keep telling people...it's just great.

“At the Commonwealth Games, upon reflection and those meetings that we've had as teams afterwards, performance-wise and goal-wise we did achieve.

"But, us as a group, we are overachievers and we always want more.

“So, there is obviously still some disappointment in games that maybe we could have won and should have won at the time.

"But, in the overall big picture, we did overachieve I suppose. When you look at the rankings and where we're at currently, we did overachieve.

“I don't think it mattered who was on the court, it was great that across all the games players got exposure…for me, coming back, the squad has changed.

“You still have a few of the older experienced girls, but there is a wealth of new blood...it's great to see that mix, obviously great just for the pathway that we have here.”

The tally of 78 goals netted against Trinidad and Tobago marked a record return in Commonwealth Games competition by Netball NI.

Bowman added: “Even just for spirits, for the squad just to finish on a high, to finish what was obviously a long programme, for me personally coming back into the fold...a fantastic experience over at the Commonwealth Games.”

Northern Ireland open on Friday against Wales (5pm), then Scotland (Saturday, 5pm) and Republic of Ireland (Sunday, noon).

“We got maybe a couple of weeks (off after the Commonwealth Games) and then it was a quick enough turnaround to get back in, have a look at our structures, reconnect with each other and then look forward to the bigger picture now...this weekend over at the World Cup qualifiers,” said Bowman. “All of us are going to be going with the goal of that top two.

"We want to be the country, we want to be the team that's qualifying...there will be no easy game, every game will be tough but it's a challenge that we're definitely up for.

“Us being one of those smaller nations, these are the events, competitions like this are few and far between.

"So being able to play on this, the higher stage, is something that we all work towards, that we commit to, it's one of those things in the programme that we make a lot of sacrifices.

“So, whenever it comes to the actual matches and the tournaments and the competitive opportunities, it's something that we all relish and we step on to court with pride.

“We actually never met either Scotland or Wales (at the Commonwealth Games) just due to the pools and who we met through the classification rounds...but they're Home Nations teams, we've played against them umpteen times in the past.

“Every game...Scotland, Wales, ourselves and the Republic of Ireland, it definitely will be a battle this weekend.”

NORTHERN IRELAND: Michelle Magee (captain), Caroline O’Hanlon (vice-captain), Niamh Cooper, Lisa Bowman, Frances Keenan, Emma Magee, Evelyn McCagherty, Maria McCann, Georgie McGrath, Orlaith Rogers, Fionnuala Toner, Lauren Walshe.