On the rise

We spoke to the British Army about how they’ve grown men’s and mixed participation in netball.

“I think there was maybe a little bit of apprehension about how it was going to work,” admits Retired Captain Anna Mulderrig, coach of men’s and mixed netball (as well as Masters!) in the British Army. “Are male soldiers going to want to be part of what’s considered a women’s sport in a very masculine job?”

The answer has been a resounding yes, with male participation growing steadily since 2021, when the Army first started gathering men who would be interested in playing netball. A men’s exhibition match during an inter-services competition followed later that year, and they haven’t looked back since.

“That’s when it really started to take off,” says Anna. “The men’s players then joined the Army’s women’s netball team on an overseas tour to America and Canada, and then competed at the Nationals tournament at Bury University in 2022.”

An ex-Army netball player herself, Anna says she’s enjoyed the different challenge of working with men.

“It was really exciting to play with the men because their brains work differently. When you do something every day, it becomes rehearsed and routine, and you don’t really think about what you’re doing when you’re on the netball court. The men come in and question that sometimes and you’re like, ‘Okay, actually yeah, why not add a bit of that?’ So it changes the dynamics of the game in a really exciting and exhilarating way. It’s how we shape and grow that potential and talent in our male players which has been a challenge, but it’s an exciting journey to be a part of.”

A men’s and mixed team now take part annually at the Nationals – taking place this year at Loughborough University on 22-24 August – and have competed in the EMMNA (England Men’s & Mixed Netball) league for the last three years, with results getting better each year. Meanwhile, interest in the game among men continues to grow

“We had a taster session at the end of April and around 30 new male players attended alongside the already established male and female players,” says Anna. “We had a mixture of soldiers, whether they’ve got previous backgrounds playing basketball, rugby or not really played Army-level sport, but they’ve got a natural element of really good fitness and robustness that is mouldable, and they’re all very, very coachable. That was a really positive day for us.”

Anna believes the general ethos of being in the Army is conducive to putting together a team of like-minded individuals who put the collective above all else. She says: “It’s in our nature to overcome

challenges and make it work, and no plan survives contact right!? Our ability to adapt, overcome and achieve is what makes us successful in our own right.

“Given the nature of the job as a soldier, they already have the level of commitment, teamwork, loyalty, and, most importantly, it was really evident in the training session that they have respect for each other and for the coaching and management team, which does then make them very coachable.

“There are times when they will challenge the coaching, but I think that’s really positive. They want to learn and continue to get better and then they can see the results, especially the players that have been with us for a few years and they can sense their own development and look back at where they were. The proof is there.”

Lieutenant-Colonel Emma Bowes-Crick, Army Netball Director, says male perceptions of netball within the Army are shifting.

“A lot of the time it was a case of, ‘Oh, it’s a girl’s sport’. I think that was a big bit of resistance for a lot of men. There was trepidation at the beginning. Whereas now more men are playing, and they’re seeing other men playing and realising that actually it’s a sport for everyone. And it’s a lot harder than they perhaps gave it credit for. And fitness-wise, it’s definitely harder than they realised.

“As with most people in the Army, they love fitness, team spirit and that competitive edge. So they’ve naturally got the attributes that we look for in a good team player.”

“Their eyes have been opened, and they are just as excited about their potential as I am. It’s infectious!” adds Anna.

Having laid the foundations, Emma believes the potential is there for more widespread growth in male netball within the Army.

“The female game is obviously very well established in the Army and the men were very lucky in that they were able to walk straight into a well-established sport. Whereas females playing rugby in the Army, for example, and I was one of those females 25 years ago, it wasn’t that easy to walk into the game. It took a quarter of a century for us to be on an equal footing with the men.

Major Samantha James concludes: “Army Netball has worked tirelessly to be recognised in the upper echelons of the netball world. It has gained recognition by England Netball for fronting games against international sides on big stages, opening England matches against Ireland or playing warm-up games against the Malawi Queens. There is now every hope and a very tangible goal that Army men’s netball can replicate this. There is much talent to be explored, grown and pushed. We are soldiers at the end of the day, thriving under pressure, relishing a challenge, and always aiming to be the best we can.”