Former Wales captain Suzy Drane believes playing some games in Liverpool and dropping 'Cardiff' from the name of the Dragons franchise can benefit Welsh netball in the build up to next year's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Former Wales captain Suzy Drane believes playing some games in Liverpool and dropping 'Cardiff' from the name of the Dragons franchise can benefit Welsh netball in the build up to the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Previously known as LexisNexis Cardiff Dragons, the city name has been removed for the 2026 Netball Super League (NSL) season, when home games will be played at Cardiff's House of Sport and Liverpool's M&S Bank Arena.
St Asaph-born Drane, Wales' most capped player with 125 international appearances, sees the "business decsion" as a positive one for the sport in Wales.
"We've got a fantastic following in netball in Wales, why just focus that on the following here in Cardiff?" said Drane who retired in 2022 after a 20-year career.
Although six other franchises will play at more than one venue in 2026, Dragons will be the only one playing in two countries.
"That's because we are the unique and only team that play outside England which I see very much as a strength," added the 38-year-old who is a lecturer in sport development at Cardiff Metropolitan University.
"We can bring in our fans and what better time... this is the lead-up season to Glasgow 2026.
"So hopefully all of this will benefit the following that is going to be supporting Wales and Team Wales netball team as they go up to Glasgow."
Known as the Celtic Dragons for 18 years after the formation of the Elite League in 2005, Wales' NSL franchise was rebranded to become Cardiff Dragons for the 2024 season, in which they finished eighth out of 10 teams.
With reduced numbers in 2025 the Wales-based side finished last of eight in the revamped professional NSL.
Despite question marks about the franchise's finances Drane believes the Dragons can prosper.
"I think that they will have been disappointed last year and I think they have a right to be disappointed," said Drane who played in the 2013 Grand Final during her 14 years with Celtic Dragons.
"They have tremendous amounts of potential and they will have been working their socks off last year and to not get some of those wins that you could feel when you were there, you could feel that they were coming.
"They will be working hard to convert all of the hard work that they're doing in training into those results this year and never write Dragons off.
"Let's not forget that Dragons have been top. They have been in a final in the previous Netball Super League and it just takes a team to come together and work through some of those challenges.
"That takes investment of time, effort, energy, investment of fans and investment of businesses and organisation into netball, that's what we need."
Category: General Sports
