England departed the Commonwealth Games without a medal in netball, succumbing to a dominant 68-50 loss against Australia in the bronze-medal match at the Hydro in Glasgow.
The Vitality Roses struggled to find their rhythm against opponents who had already inflicted a significant defeat during the pool stage, and Australia's pool-stage victory over England was 66–47, with the bronze-match result marking the second time the Diamonds defeated the Roses in Glasgow. A commanding 19-10 advantage for Australia at the end of the opening quarter proved insurmountable for Anna Stembridge's squad.
Australia bounced back from their semi-final heartbreak with the bronze-medal victory. England finished fourth in the tournament after the loss, while Australia secured the bronze medal, extending their remarkable record of winning a medal in netball at each of the seven Commonwealth Games since the sport was introduced in 1998.
Jamaica claimed silver, while New Zealand captured gold with a 56-48 victory in the final.
England captain Fran Williams reflected on the disappointment following the match.
It was just so tough. When you come off the back with such a short turnaround to play in a game where you would be rather playing later on is really hard.
I was really proud of the way we showed up at the start and we just showed we weren't able to hold onto that with how the score blew out. We are gutted with that. Really disappointed.
The Roses had managed an encouraging start, drawing level at 9-9 with Australia during the opening quarter, but their offensive momentum stalled dramatically. England managed just two additional goals while Australia added ten, allowing the Diamonds to establish a commanding position.
By half-time, England trailed 35-24, leaving them with a mathematical path back into the contest. However, Sophie Garbin's hat-trick for Australia during the third quarter extended the deficit to 13 points, a gap that proved too substantial to bridge. A listless final quarter saw Australia pull further clear, ultimately winning by 18 points.
The Roses had arguably exceeded expectations given a turbulent preparation for the tournament, which included the departure of head coach Jess Thirlby in March. The BBC reported that fatigue contributed to England's errors, and Stembridge indicated she would reassess her position following the Games.
Australia captain Liz Watson acknowledged the emotional toll of the semi-final loss but praised her team's response.
Yesterday was a really tough day for the whole group. The way we came out and responded and have a really good performance and make a statement.
We're disappointed about how we finished up with the bronze but we know how hard international netball is at the moment. We love to put on this dress, we have such a rich history of success with the Diamonds and we pride ourselves on doing that and wanting to be better.
Australia's path to bronze had been complicated by their semi-final defeat to Jamaica, 46-45. The Diamonds had dominated their pool matches, winning all five contests and finishing with an impressive goal difference of +187. Despite their dominance throughout the tournament, they fell short of defending their status as one of netball's elite forces at the Commonwealth Games.
England's fourth-place finish represents a disappointing conclusion to their campaign, though the team's journey to Glasgow came amid significant upheaval in the coaching structure. The Roses will now look ahead to future competitions, including the 2031 Netball World Cup, which England will host in Manchester at the Co-op Live arena.
