2026 Comm Games: Netball Finals Wrap

The netball at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games has come to a close, and what a tournament it was.

Nine days of competition produced some huge wins, unexpected results, an incredible fight from the host nation and, ultimately, a new Commonwealth Games champion.

With the final four decided after the pool stages, Day 8 brought two semi finals with everything on the line, before the final day delivered a bronze medal thriller and a gold medal match between two of the world's best.

Semi Final 1: New Zealand 61 def England 54

Silver Ferns hold off Roses to reach the final

New Zealand secured the first spot in the gold medal match with a 61-54 victory over England, ending the Roses' hopes of achieving another Commonwealth Games title.

The Silver Ferns entered the semi final as the second-ranked team in the world and had been unbeaten throughout the tournament. England, ranked third, had suffered just one defeat during the pool stage, to Australia, and had looked increasingly dangerous as the competition progressed.

The match was closely fought, but New Zealand gradually established control and did enough to keep England at arm's length. The seven-goal victory booked the Silver Ferns a place in their first Commonwealth Games final since 2014.

For England, it meant another bronze medal match after finishing fourth at Birmingham 2022.

Semi Final 2: Jamaica 46 def Australia 45

Sunshine Girls stun the Diamonds

If the first semi final was a battle, the second was an absolute classic.

Jamaica produced one of the biggest results of the entire tournament, edging world number one Australia 46-45 to knock the defending champions out of the gold medal match.

The Diamonds had arrived in Glasgow with a formidable record and looked to be heading towards another Commonwealth Games final after going unbeaten through the pool stage. Jamaica, however, had other ideas.

The Sunshine Girls led Australia for most of the tense contest before holding their nerve when it mattered most. A one-goal margin was all that separated the sides at the final whistle, sending Jamaica into their second consecutive Commonwealth Games final.

It was a particularly significant result given how familiar these teams are with each other. Five members of the Jamaican squad play in the Suncorp Super Netball competition, meaning there was plenty of club rivalry mixed into the international contest.

For Australia, the loss meant the defending champions would have to settle for a battle for bronze - the first time in the history of the Commonwealth Games netball they have not made the gold medal match.

Bronze Medal Match: Australia 68 def England 50

Diamonds bounce back to claim bronze

Australia responded exactly as you would expect from a team disappointed by a semi final exit.

The Diamonds defeated England 68-50 to claim the bronze medal and finish third at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

After the heartbreak of losing to Jamaica by just one goal, Australia came out with purpose and quickly established a lead. England fought hard, but the Diamonds steadily increased their advantage as the match progressed.

The result ensured Australia remained on the Commonwealth Games podium, although it marked their first ever finish outside the top 2.

For England, fourth place was a disappointing end to a tournament in which they had shown plenty of quality, particularly during the pool stage.

Gold Medal Match: New Zealand 56 def Jamaica 48

Silver Ferns claim Commonwealth Games gold

New Zealand are Commonwealth Games champions for the first time in 16 years.

The Silver Ferns defeated Jamaica 56-48 in the gold medal match to claim their first Commonwealth Games title since Delhi 2010 and their third gold medal in the history of the competition.

After going through the entire tournament unbeaten, New Zealand saved one of their most important performances for the final.

Jamaica arrived with enormous confidence after their stunning semi final victory over Australia, but New Zealand were able to absorb the pressure and gradually take control of the contest.

For Jamaica, it was another silver medal after they also finished runners-up to Australia at Birmingham 2022. Their run to the final in Glasgow was nevertheless an outstanding achievement, particularly after overcoming the world's number one team in the semi final.

For New Zealand, it was the perfect finish to an unbeaten campaign and a welcome success after a turbulent few years.

Final Standings

Here’s the final ladder:

Who outperformed their world ranking?

There were some very impressive performances from teams that finished higher than their pre-tournament ranking.

New Zealand went from world number 2 to Commonwealth Games champions, while Jamaica jumped from 4th in the world rankings to 2nd place at the Games.

Malawi were another big improver, coming from world number 9 to finish 7th. Their final placing was two positions higher than their ranking, although it wasn't a national Commonwealth Games best. Malawi had previously finished 5th in 2010 and 2014.

And then there were the hosts.

Scotland, ranked 10th in the world, finished 8th after producing some of the most spirited netball of the tournament. That is particularly significant because the Thistles had finished 9th at each of their previous three Commonwealth Games appearances. Their 8th-place finish in Glasgow is therefore their best Commonwealth Games result ever.

Northern Ireland also finished above their world ranking, climbing from 14th to an 11th place finish. However, it was still below their best Commonwealth Games result of 7th, achieved in Glasgow 2014.

Who finished below their ranking?

The biggest surprise at the top end was undoubtedly Australia.

The world number one went through the pool stage unbeaten, only to suffer a one-goal semi final loss to Jamaica. They recovered to take bronze, but ultimately finished third rather than winning the title.

England, ranked 3rd, also finished one position lower in fourth.

Further down the table, Tonga are ranked 8th in the world but finished 9th, while Wales performed below their ranking of 7th to a 10th place finish.

South Africa, Uganda and Trinidad & Tobago all finished exactly where their world rankings suggested they might, in 5th, 6th and 12th respectively.

So, across the 12 teams, the biggest movers in a positive direction were New Zealand, Jamaica, Malawi, Scotland and Northern Ireland, while Australia, England, Tonga and Wales all finished below their pre-tournament ranking.

Finals Highlight: Jamaica’s Giant-Killing Performance

There were plenty of memorable moments across nine days of netball in Glasgow, but Jamaica's semi final victory over Australia has to be right up there.

The Sunshine Girls came into the tournament ranked fourth in the world and left as Commonwealth Games silver medallists, with their 46-45 win over the world number one Diamonds the result that will probably be remembered most.

They showed enormous composure to push the Australia for the full 60 minutes, and then find the one goal they needed to reach the final.

It was also a fantastic reminder of just how much talent is playing in Suncorp Super Netball. The international rivalry may have been fierce, but so many of these players know each other extremely well from club netball.

The Biggest Winners of Glasgow 2026

While the medals naturally belong to New Zealand, Jamaica and Australia, the final standings tell a bigger story.

New Zealand were flawless, finishing the tournament with seven wins from seven games.

Jamaica showed they can beat the very best when the pressure is on.

Australia still walked away with a medal despite the disappointment of missing the final.

Malawi and Scotland both exceeded their world rankings, with Scotland recording their best-ever Commonwealth Games finish on home soil.

And for Northern Ireland, an 11th-place finish represented a significant improvement on their 14th world ranking, even if it didn't match their historic seventh-place finish from 2014.

There were also some tough campaigns. Wales finished 10th despite entering the Games ranked 7th, while Tonga finished their first ever Commonwealth Games in 9th after starting the tournament with a world ranking of 8.

That’s a Wrap!

And just like that, nine days of Commonwealth Games netball are done.

From Scotland's opening-day battle with New Zealand and their incredible fight against Jamaica, to Australia's shock semi final exit, Jamaica's run to the gold medal match and New Zealand finally reclaiming Commonwealth Games gold, Glasgow delivered plenty of moments to remember.

The Silver Ferns leave Scotland as champions.

The Sunshine Girls leave with silver.

The Diamonds take bronze.

And the next chapter of international netball is looking bright.