Manchester Thunder, who won the title in 2019, will welcome Neville as Performance Operations Director.

As well as working alongside Director of Netball and Head Coach Karen Greig on matchdays, she will join the club’s Board and be responsible for developing and putting in place the franchise’s performance strategy.

Tracey Neville was Thunder’s head coach between 2011 and 2015 and won the Superleague title in 2012 and 2014. She was appointed to lead the England Netball national side in 2015 and took the team to Commonwealth Games glory in 2018 when the Roses won gold.

She stepped down following the Netball World Cup in 2019 and has taken a year out of the sport following the birth of her son, Nev.

Tracey Neville said: “Manchester Thunder has been a massive part of my life – as a netball player and a netball coach – so I am thrilled to be asked to play a role with the club once again. I can’t wait to be working alongside a coaching team that is already full of title-winning experience, world class players and long-standing friends.

“In the past 18 months the world has changed – for me and for us all. I’ve missed netball so much, as I know so many are at the moment, so I am excited by the prospect of being back on the bench and coaching world class players once more.”

In addition to joining Karen Greig’s team as a specialist coach, Tracey Neville will be joining the Manchester Thunder Board.

The newly created Performance Operations Director role will see her contributing to all aspects of the business as well as overseeing the development of the programme to find the next generation of talented netballers who will be the home-grown stars of the future.

Neville adds: “One of the challenges I really enjoyed with the Roses and England Netball was developing strategies and working with a team of people dedicated to being the best.

“The opportunity to be not just on the bench but on the board was one I couldn’t turn down. Manchester Thunder as a franchise has always had that determined mentality, and I relish the opportunity to bring my skills and experience to the board as we work to become the number one club in the world.”

Debbie Hallas, Manchester Thunder Managing Director, says signing Tracey Neville to return to Thunder is an exciting moment: “There is no better ambassador for the North West, netball or women’s sport than Tracey Neville which is why I am delighted to be welcoming her back to Manchester Thunder.

“Tracey is passionate about developing players – identifying those with potential to make it on court at the highest level and making them the best they can be. She also understands that to be the best you can be on court you need to be the best you can off court too.

“Manchester Thunder is developing as a business at a time when netball is becoming more and more professional as a sport. Her appointment to our Board will accelerate the work we are doing and shows our determination to being the number one club not just in this country but in the world.”

Courtesy of Manchester Thunder 

Neville, who has played and coached across all levels of the sport – from local club to representing her country, believes that the impact of the first lockdown had a disproportionate impact on women’s sport and that the second lockdown this week in England, and restrictions in the other nations, will cause even more damage to women’s health – both physical and mental.

Netball is the UK’s biggest female team sport with over a third of a million people regularly playing prior to the pandemic. But Sport England and the Youth Sport Trust found only a quarter of women were regularly remaining active in the first lockdown, with more anxiousness than men about going out to exercise.

Now, working alongside the reigning Superleague champions Manchester Thunder, who Neville played for and coached, she is trying to rally support to ensure the voice of netballers is heard by those making decisions about what is allowed and what isn’t – both during and after the current restrictions, which are having an impact on the sport across all the nations of the UK.

She is asking all netballers, and those who love the sport, to go to www.netballarmy.com and tell her about the impact the pandemic has had on them and their netball as they sign up to join the Netball Army.

Tracey Neville said: “As the UK’s most popular female team sport, netball has an important role to play in many women’s lives and the challenge of training and playing in the past eight months has had a serious impact.

“There is a real risk that netball is losing a generation of young people who might be the stars of the future, but even more importantly there’s a real risk that women of all ages are missing out on the fitness and friendship that netball brings. Those making the decisions that impact on us all simply don’t appreciate the importance of sport in general, and our sport in particular, and it’s time that changed.

“From elite level to the local leisure centre, it’s hard to escape the conclusion that men’s sport has been prioritised across the UK with sports predominantly played by women, like netball, being left out in the cold. Often, literally.

“That’s why I want to build a Netball Army – to save our sport and show what netball means to you, and to us all, so that our collective voice can’t be ignored.”

Debbie Hallas, Managing Director of Manchester Thunder and Senior Coach at Oldham Netball Club, said: “This week, even the tentative steps that netball has taken to safely return in England will come to an abrupt halt as leisure centres close, the gates of courts are locked and we’re unable to meet up with our friends and teammates.

“With similar restrictions across the other nations of the UK, there is a real need for action to show why netball matters and why it’s more than a sport to the women who play for fun or competitively week-in, week-out.

“No-one doubts the impact of coronavirus and the need to protect our amazing NHS, but we also need those making decisions to understand the impact of stopping the sport that keeps women physically and mentally active – both in the short and long-term.”

Under her leadership the Vitality Roses have made unprecedented progress in the world rankings and at major tournaments, including the gold medal success at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. She is now going to take some time away from the game to focus on her personal life.

Tracey said: “Being the Vitality Roses Head Coach is something I have relished and I am extremely proud to have had the opportunity to do.

“Over the last few months I have sat down with England Netball to look at how I could fulfil my role whilst taking into consideration my personal circumstances.

“My ambition to have a family is something I want to commit to after the Vitality Netball World Cup.

“The Vitality Roses’ future is paramount in my thoughts and plans and I will passionately and whole heartedly continue to support them and England Netball. I will hopefully get an opportunity to lead again in the future.

“To the staff/players, past and present you have challenged me in every way possible and I am eternally grateful for your commitment and support within the program and on our journey together.

“Now, to Liverpool!”

Jo Adams, CEO England Netball added: “I would like to thank Tracey on behalf of the whole netball family for the phenomenal work she has put in to creating a culture where athletes thrive and ultimately deliver magical and historical moments.

“The Roses Programme is in a fantastic place to drive more success and we hope that we can work with Tracey again in the future.

“We totally support Tracey’s decision with regards to her personal circumstances and we will continue to do so but for now our focus is entirely on giving her and the Vitality Roses squad every possible support as they strive to win a home World Cup.

“We hope Tracey will be able to sign off with some more wonderful memories in July and having made today’s announcement, hope she is given the space to continue her work with the squad which is her sole focus for now.”

Courtesy of England Netball