Scottish Thistles captain eyes netball impact at Commonwealth Games

This summer's truncated Commonwealth Games represents "a really unique opportunity" to showcase netball, Scottish Thistles captain Emily Nicholl says.

It is one of just 10 sports that will be contested in Glasgow next month.

Scotland first fielded a netball team at the Games when it was last held in the city in 2014 - and Nicholl was in the crowd.

"I have first-hand experience of the impact a home games has and the fact that it really truly gave me belief and inspired me as to what is possible," the 32-year-old tells BBC Scotland.

"Because, before that, I didn't really know who the Thistles were to a great extent, so it did put them in the limelight and I think it was the start of a springboard for Scottish netball.

"The benefit of a reduced games is that the spotlight is really on the 10 sports and we are the only traditional team sport that is being played - and the only female dominant sport as well, so we have a really unique opportunity here to grab hold of."

Nicholl has been named in Team Scotland's 12-player squad in which Lexy Gillies, Cerys Cairns, Cerys Finn, Hannah Grant and Jazmine Moore will all make their Commonwealth Games debuts.

Bethan Goodwin, Niamh McCall and Nicholl will all compete at their third Commonwealth Games, having previously represented Team Scotland at Gold Coast 2018 and Birmingham 2022, while Iona Christian, Emma Barrie, Rachel Conway and Hannah Leighton were part of the team four years ago.

Being Scotland's captain and most-capped player in the squad with 61 international appearances is a responsibility Nicholl is happy to embrace.

"I love the thought of being that leader," she says. "The girls know that I will give absolutely everything, 100% of my body, everything for our performance.

"One of my superpowers I would say is my relentless ability on the court just to constantly hustle. I am quite animated and, with that, hope to then inspire the rest of the girls."

Despite admitting she is known for being "such a netball geek" because of her knowledge of the game's statistics - and not just of her own team - Nicholl was a late-comer to the elite level of the sport.

"I wasn't in the Scotland pathway and I never got a cap at any of the age group levels and it wasn't until my fourth year at university that Gail Parata, the head coach at the time saw me play and I went home to an email that night inviting me to be part of the Thistles squad," she recalls.

"Everyone was like 'who is this girl, where has she come from?' I think because I have had to fight and claw my way to the top that that is what has kept me hungry."

Indeed, as a teenager, Nicholl appeared to have the orienteering world at her feet.

"I have got multiple Scottish championships to my name - I ended up like 17th in the world championships," she reveals.

However, that was shelved in case of injuries as she concentrated on netball and Nicholl has hopes that Scotland, who are ranked 10th in the world, can improve on a trio of ninth-place finishes across the last three Commonwealth Games.

"In the last 12-18 months, particularly since Kath Tetley has become head coach, we have put in some really solid performances," she adds.

"When I first started playing, I would be star struck by my opposition, but now when I am on the court I am like 'they are just a human and they are going to remember who Emily Nicholl is at the end of this, they are going to realise how difficult it is to play me for 60 minutes'.

"So both individually and as a squad we have had a huge growth over the last four years since the last games."