Wales Netball
August 14, 2026
Wales Netball has paid tribute to outgoing Welsh Feathers Head Coach Emily Handyside and Assistant Coach Natalie Roddy following the conclusion of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games campaign.
Emily announced earlier this year that she would step down following the Commonwealth Games, bringing to a close a transformational four-year period with the Welsh Feathers programme.
During her tenure, Wales reached its highest-ever world ranking, competed on the world stage and strengthened its elite performance pathway, helping to lay the foundations for the ambitious vision set out in Wales Netball’s Ymladd 2030 strategy.
Throughout the Glasgow 2026 cycle, Emily guided the Welsh Feathers through one of the most significant periods in the sport’s history in Wales, helping to professionalise the programme and build a performance environment capable of competing with the world’s leading nations.
Wales Netball would also like to recognise and thank Natalie Roddy, who concludes her role as Welsh Feathers Assistant Coach alongside Emily.
Natalie joined the Welsh Feathers coaching team in 2023, bringing extensive experience from a range of high-performance environments, including Team Bath’s Netball Super League and NPL squads and England Netball’s South West Regional Academies.
Throughout her time with the Welsh Feathers, Natalie has played an important role in supporting the development of the squad and contributing to the high-performance environment established across the current international cycle.
Wales Netball will shortly commence recruitment for a permanent Welsh Feathers Head Coach, who will lead the programme into its next long-term chapter as the organisation continues to deliver against the ambitions of its Ymladd 2030 strategy.
