The England and Manchester Thunder captain Natalie Metcalf has two objectives firmly in place for 2023: to retain the domestic Super League title and for her country to put on a show at the Netball World Cup in Cape Town, South Africa.
Metcalf believes the Super League starting in February will provide her and her England teammates with the ideal platform to get their games to peak level in time for the World Cup in July.
“Going into the domestic season as the defending champions obviously adds pressure but our intentions are very clear, which is to retain the Super League title,” Metcalf told The National during their pre-season tour to Abu Dhabi on Monday.
“We have some new faces in the squad and we want to put in our best performance week-in and week-out. We are aware the others will have the same intentions, but we are ready for the challenges.”
Metcalf rejoined the Thunder’s tour in Abu Dhabi after England’s 3-0 series defeat in Australia last week.
“It was a tough series against Australia,” she said. “They were close games. We went down 55-54 in the first game and the next two by eight and four points. We can take a lot of positives from the three games.
“We are looking forward to more competitions against other nations with the long-term objective of the 2023 Netball World Cup in South Africa.”
Metcalf is a Commonwealth Games gold medallist in 2018 and made her debut for the Roses against Trinidad and Tobago in 2015.
She has won medals at Netball Europe Championships, the Vitality Netball World Cup 2019 and has enjoyed domestic success in both England and Australia, playing for Leeds Carnegie, Yorkshire Jets, Manchester Thunder, Wasps and New South Wales Swifts.
And the 29-year-old is now part of the franchise’s ground-breaking project to set up the Manchester Thunder Academy in Abu Dhabi in association with UAE Netball and Abu Dhabi Sports Council.
“This is our first pre-season tour and we haven’t done anything like this before, as far as I know,” she said of the tour.
“I would love to come back every year for a pre-season in Abu Dhabi, and I think it really should be with our pathway to promote and develop the sport here.
“It’s amazing to see a Manchester Thunder Academy in Abu Dhabi and that’s something that I’m really passionate about.
“I love netball and everyone at Manchester Thunder loves netball, and we are very excited in building this pathway up here to provide the girls the opportunity to play the game out here.”
Metcalf will lead an “attack masterclass”, while Taylor McEvitt will conduct the defensive sessions for girls aged from seven to 16 at Active Al Maryah on Thursday.
There will also be a workshop followed by an exhibition training session by the Thunder’s squad on Friday at Zayed Sports City.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Porsche Macan T: The Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 265hp from 5,000-6,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm from 1,800-4,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Speed: 0-100kph in 6.2sec
Top speed: 232kph
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
On sale: May or June
Price: From Dh259,900
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The National selections
Al Ain
5pm: Bolereau
5.30pm: Rich And Famous
6pm: Duc De Faust
6.30pm: Al Thoura
7pm: AF Arrab
7.30pm: Al Jazi
8pm: Futoon
Jebel Ali
1.45pm: AF Kal Noor
2.15pm: Galaxy Road
2.45pm: Dark Thunder
3.15pm: Inverleigh
3.45pm: Bawaasil
4.15pm: Initial
4.45pm: Tafaakhor
EMILY%20IN%20PARIS%3A%20SEASON%203
%3Cp%3ECreated%20by%3A%20Darren%20Star%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Lily%20Collins%2C%20Philippine%20Leroy-Beaulieu%2C%20Ashley%20Park%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%202.75%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
THE BIO
Favourite author - Paulo Coelho
Favourite holiday destination - Cuba
New York Times or Jordan Times? NYT is a school and JT was my practice field
Role model - My Grandfather
Dream interviewee - Che Guevara
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
More on animal trafficking
Vaccine Progress in the Middle East
The Bio
Favourite place in UAE: Al Rams pearling village
What one book should everyone read: Any book written before electricity was invented. When a writer willingly worked under candlelight, you know he/she had a real passion for their craft
Your favourite type of pearl: All of them. No pearl looks the same and each carries its own unique characteristics, like humans
Best time to swim in the sea: When there is enough light to see beneath the surface
The Energy Research Centre
Founded 50 years ago as a nuclear research institute, scientists at the centre believed nuclear would be the “solution for everything”.
Although they still do, they discovered in 1955 that the Netherlands had a lot of natural gas. “We still had the idea that, by 2000, it would all be nuclear,” said Harm Jeeninga, director of business and programme development at the centre.
"In the 1990s, we found out about global warming so we focused on energy savings and tackling the greenhouse gas effect.”
The energy centre’s research focuses on biomass, energy efficiency, the environment, wind and solar, as well as energy engineering and socio-economic research.
