Being picked to go to the Commonwealth Games is a dream come true for Orkney netball favourite Sarah MacPhail.
She was named in the 12-strong squad for Birmingham on Wednesday, alongside team captain Claire Maxwell who hails from Turriff.
MacPhail, who plays in the Netball Superleague for Strathclyde Sirens, grew up playing the sport in Orkney before moving on to the player pathway programme in Aberdeen.
She captained youth squads and played at the 2019 Netball World Cup, putting her on the right track for Games selection.
“It’s so exciting,” said MacPhail. “It really is a dream come true. Finally being able to share the information with family, friends and the community is just overwhelming. Being able to show your joy is incredible.
“It’s one of the pinnacles, along with the World Cup, of Netball so to get to that milestone is what everyone dreams of. To be part of the greater Team Scotland too is incredible and I can’t wait to get the journey started.
“The next few weeks will be busy but exciting. It’ll be continuing the full-time netball programme and making sure everything is in place, so when that first whistle goes we know we can handle any situation.
“Having the trust and backing from every single player on court is so important. The games are in quick succession so everyone has a role to play, whether they come on for five or 15 minutes.
“We’ve got so much trust in each other and that’s the most important thing in a team sport.”
MacPhail is part of a strong Team Scotland contingent who play their club netball for the Sirens. They finished eighth in this year’s Superleague and that familiarity with one another is sure to help them heading into the Games.
“This is my first Commonwealth Games and I think it’s seven out of the 12 of us haven’t been before,” added MacPhail. “This is all quite a new experience for us.
The news we’ve ALL been waiting for…ladies & gents your Scotland squad…🏴🫶🏻@Team_Scotland @tamsingreenway pic.twitter.com/bTUUWjZ8hu
— Scottish Thistles (@ScotThistles) June 8, 2022
“But there’s 10 of us that play for the national side in the Vitality Superleague, so we’ve been part of big leagues before, just not following a four-year cycle for the Commonwealth Games.
“Anyone who’s not been involved (with the Sirens) at club level filters in so easily. It’s just 12 girls with similar dedication and similar mindsets – we’re there to compete and do the best we can. It all falls into place so seamlessly.
“Although we’re a new squad to this, we’ve got incredible passion and big ambitions for the Games.”