Scotland’s national netball team will host Barbados in their return to Glasgow’s Emirates Arena for a two-match test in December.
The two-match clash will be the first netball fixtures played at the Emirates Arena since the Covid-19 pandemic struck.
The Scottish Thistles, ranked 8th in the world, will be under the stewardship of head coach Tamsin Greenway in an official World Netball ranking contest for the first time against the Bajan Gems.
Greenway is delighted to welcome Barbados to Glasgow for what should be a tough encounter for both nations.
She said: “It has been a huge focus of ours to get greater exposure to nations across the world as we build towards the bigger picture.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for our players to finally get some test match exposure, under pressure against tough opposition and we really look forward to the challenge.”
The Scottish Thistles captain said: “I’m incredibly excited to wear the Thistles dress in an official Test and in front of our Thistles Army.
“Playing for our country and in front of fans is something we will never take for granted.”
The test series against Barbados will be an important part of the Scottish Thistles’ preparation as they look ahead to the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Scottish Women and Girls in Sport week
The fixture announcement marks the beginning of Scottish Women and Girls in Sport Week which looks to encourage more women to take up sport while raising awareness of barriers that limits such participation.
The test series which will be played on 2 and 3 December is expected to attract a sell-out crowd.
Chair of Glasgow Life and Depute Leader of Glasgow City Council, David McDonald, is excited for the the city to be able to put a spotlight on women’s sport.
He said: “As we celebrate Scottish Women and Girls in Sport week, we cannot underestimate the impact which seeing elite female athletes perform in their own home city will have on young women, many of whom missed out on their regular sporting activities during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“With a full capacity crowd expected in the arena, we can’t wait to see the home team hit the court once again, and to wish a warm Glasgow welcome to the Bajan Gems.
Netball Scotland have announced their sustainability partnership with Carbon Jacked who will work with the organisation to track, calculate and offset all emissions from the travel of the Barbados team for the series. This ensures that Barbados’ travel will be carbon neutral
Tickets for the international series, priced from £12-18, go on sale Friday 29th October and will be available to buy on Netball Scotland’s website.