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to see that you are inspiring them.<br />
You get them asking what they can<br />
do to become an England netball<br />
player and it inspires them to play.<br />
I went to my old primary school,<br />
Five Ways (in Cannock) just before<br />
Christmas but I am sure I will be<br />
going back there again with my<br />
medal!<br />
“Anything that we can do to<br />
get more people playing netball<br />
and even just playing a sport,<br />
it’s so important. I think people<br />
underestimate how important it is.”<br />
To put the win into context, imagine England’s men<br />
beating Germany and Brazil to win the football<br />
World Cup, or our cricketers seeing off Australia and<br />
South Africa to win their version.<br />
Beth says: “We always had the belief that we could<br />
do it and we knew that we had a good squad. But<br />
we had not beaten Australia in recent years so to<br />
actually go out there and do it in the final in their<br />
backyard, it was just brilliant – we couldn’t have<br />
asked for anything better. They have dominated for<br />
so long now but we have been creeping up there<br />
slowly.<br />
“This was my first time at the Commonwealths but<br />
the last time the girls were there, we just missed out,<br />
BETH COBDEN. PHOTO CREDIT MARK<br />
METCALFE_GETTY SPORT<br />
BETH COBEN, LEFT, AT THE BAFTAS<br />
WITH TEAMMATES AND BBC<br />
PRESENTER CLARE BALDING<br />
we lost to Australia and New Zealand by one goal<br />
each time. But that gave the team belief that we were<br />
up there with those two countries, we just needed to<br />
pull out the win.<br />
“I think having that experience and having had more<br />
time together, it just allowed us to beat them this<br />
time. But we can’t just be content with that one win,<br />
we need to back it up and do well at the World Cup<br />
next year.”<br />
Not only was the win historic, it was thrilling too<br />
– England came from behind to beat Jamaica by a<br />
point with a last-second score in the semi-final and<br />
did the same to the hosts in the final.<br />
It might not have been good for the ultra-fit hearts of<br />
those on court but it made an exciting spectacle for<br />
those watching at home on TV.<br />
Beth, who plays wing defence, one of the less<br />
glamorous, unsung, positions admitted: “It was<br />
crazy!<br />
“It’s really rare that you win a game by one<br />
goal in the dying seconds – so to do it two days<br />
in a row was really, really bizarre but, of course,<br />
brilliant at the same time!<br />
“It was good because the people back at home<br />
watching got really into it and I think having<br />
those closer games has just shown people what<br />
netball is about and how good it can be.<br />
“I think a lot of people underestimate it. I’ve<br />
had so many people commenting about how<br />
they were impressed with it and about how<br />
they haven’t watched netball since they were at<br />
school.<br />
“I think they have the wrong image in their<br />
head – I don’t think they realise how different<br />
the game is to when you are playing at school<br />
level. The difference to international level is<br />
massive.”<br />
Beth should know. She started young – ‘in Year<br />
3 or 4 I think’ – playing for Sutton Coldfield<br />
sides Fairfax and Parkside. The latter was a<br />
renowned club and Beth soon progressed to<br />
county level. National recognition followed with<br />
England at junior age groups before blossoming<br />
36
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