With the Commonwealth Games gold medal around their necks, the Australian Diamonds will turn their attention to defending the Netball World Cup crown in Sydney in 2015.
Australia ended a 12-year Commonwealth Games gold medal drought with a commanding 58-40 win over arch rivals New Zealand in the Final in Glasgow on Sunday night (AEST).
Coach Lisa Alexander said the team’s sights are now firmly set on next year’s Netball World Cup in Sydney, which is a little over a year away, and create a legacy.
“I’m so proud of them,” Alexander said. “They really did buy into the story, which was to write their own history.”
Australia’s 18-goal victory over the Silver Ferns is the greatest winning margin in the gold medal play-off since netball was introduced to the Commonwealth Games in 1998. It also stretched Australia’s winning streak over New Zealand to five matches.
Netball Australia CEO Kate Palmer said the team is thankful for the support they received in Glasgow and back home from the entire Australian netball community during their campaign.
“We say thank you to everyone in Australia who has contributed to the development of these 12 wonderful athletes that have achieved this success,” Palmer said.
“All of our Member Organisations, State Institutes and State Academies of Sports, the families, friends and fans of our athletes; you have all played a key role in their gold medal journeys.”
Australian netball fans will have the opportunity to congratulate the Commonwealth Games champions in October this year when the Diamonds take on New Zealand and England in the 2014 International Test Series.
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