Michelle Drayne (born 22 September 1988) is a Northern Ireland netball international and a former Antrim ladies' Gaelic footballer. She represented Northern Ireland at the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games and at the 2019 Netball World Cup. She was also a member of the Northern Ireland team that were silver medallists at the 2012 and 2017 European Netball Championships. Drayne has also played in the Netball Superleague for Team Northumbria, Saracens Mavericks and London Pulse.

Michelle Drayne
Personal information
Full name Michelle Drayne
Born (1988-09-22) 22 September 1988 (age 35)
Lisburn, Northern Ireland[1]
Height 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
School Rathmore Grammar School
University Loughborough University
Occupation Schoolteacher
Netball career
Playing position(s): WD, C, WA
Years Club team(s) Apps
199x– Larkfield (Lisburn)
201x– New Cambell (Dagenham)
2014Team Northumbria
2015–2019Hertfordshire Mavericks
2020London Pulse
Years National team(s) Caps
2008– Northern Ireland

Early life, family and education edit

Drayne is from Lisburn, County Antrim.[2][3] She is the daughter of Michael and Stella Drayne. She has four siblings Niamh, Maeve, Owen and Aideen.[4] Her mother, Stella Drayne, is a former netball coach/team manager with both Larkfield and Northern Ireland under-21 teams. She has coached teams that have included her daughter.[5][6][7] Michael Drayne is a dairy farmer and a partner in the family firm, Draynes Farm.[8][9] Michael and Stella Drayne have also fronted various sports sponsorships on behalf of Draynes Farm. These include Lisburn's Sports Personality of the Year Awards. Draynes Farm also helped sponsor the Northern Ireland team at the 2017 Netball World Youth Cup.[10][11] Drayne was educated at St. Joseph's Primary School in Lisburn [12] and at Rathmore Grammar School.[13][14][15] Between 2007 and 2010 she attended Loughborough University where she gained a BSc in Sports Science and Management and an M.Ed./PGCE in Physical Education.[16][17][18]

Netball edit

Clubs edit

Larkfield edit

Drayne played netball for the Lisburn–based Larkfield club in the Northern Ireland Premier League. Her teammates at Larkfield included fellow Northern Ireland internationals, Neamh Woods and Caroline O'Hanlon.[3][19][20][21][22]

New Cambell edit

Drayne has also played for Dagenham-based New Cambell in the London & South-East Region Senior League.[23][24][25][26]

Team Northumbria edit

As part of their preparations for the 2014 Commonwealth Games, the Northern Ireland national netball team formed a partnership with Team Northumbria. This saw Drayne and six other Northern Ireland internationals – Oonagh McCullough, Noleen Lennon, Caroline O'Hanlon, Gemma Gibney, Fionnuala Toner and Niamh Cooper – play for Team Northumbria during the 2014 Netball Superleague season.[27][28][29][30]

Hertfordshire Mavericks edit

Between 2015 and 2019, Drayne played for Hertfordshire Mavericks in the Netball Superleague. Her teammates at Mavericks have included Lindsay Keable.[31][32][33]

London Pulse edit

Drayne will play for London Pulse during the 2020 Netball Superleague season.[34]

Northern Ireland edit

Drayne represented Northern Ireland at under-17, under-19 and under-21 levels.[13][20][21] She made her senior debut for Northern Ireland in 2008.[26] She has subsequently represented Northern Ireland at the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games and at the 2019 Netball World Cup.[35][1][36] She was also a member of the Northern Ireland teams that won the 2015 Nations Cup[37] and silver medals at the 2012 and 2017 European Netball Championships.[20][38] Drayne is one of several Ladies' Gaelic footballers to play netball for Northern Ireland. Others include Caroline O'Hanlon (Armagh), Neamh Woods (Tyrone) and Emma and Michelle Magee (Antrim).[39]

Tournaments Place
2007 Nations Cup[22]  
2012 European Netball Championship[2][20][26]  
2012 World University Netball Championship[40][41] 4th
2014 Commonwealth Games[20][35][42] 7th
2015 Nations Cup[37]  
2017 European Netball Championship[38]  
2018 Commonwealth Games[1][43][44][45] 8th
2019 Netball World Cup[33][36][39][46] 10th
2019 European Netball Championship[47]  

Gaelic football edit

Michelle Drayne
Personal information
Sport Ladies' Gaelic football
Club(s)
Years Club
St. Gall's
Inter-county(ies)
Years County
201x–
Antrim

Clubs edit

Drayne has played ladies' Gaelic football at club level for St. Gall's.[39][48] In 2010 she helped St. Gall's win the Ulster Intermediate Club Ladies Football Championship and was named player of the match in the final [49]

Inter-county edit

Drayne also represented Antrim in the All-Ireland Junior Ladies' Football Championship.[39][50]

Schoolteacher edit

Between July 2011 and July 2015 Drayne worked as a PE teacher at St Martin's School, Brentwood. Since September 2015, she has served as Head of Netball at New Hall School.[16][43][51]

Honours edit

Northern Ireland

References edit

  1. ^ a b c "Michelle Drayne". gc2018.com. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  2. ^ a b "European call up for Michelle". www.lisburntoday.co.uk. 27 May 2012. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Larkfield girls helping NI to make Games history". www.lisburntoday.co.uk. 29 July 2014. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
  4. ^ "Student who thought she was stressed told she has aggressive brain tumour". www.liverpoolecho.co.uk. 3 August 2019. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  5. ^ "Netball girls aim for World finals". www.lisburntoday.co.uk. 15 June 2006. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  6. ^ "International honours for Bowman sisters". www.midulstermail.co.uk. 5 March 2009. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  7. ^ "Netball girls clinch silver". www.lisburntoday.co.uk. 12 March 2009. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  8. ^ "Lisburn man is elected as chair of the Dairy Council". www.lisburntoday.co.uk. 28 June 2011. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  9. ^ "YFCU members visit Draynes Farm". www.farminglife.com. 20 September 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  10. ^ "Celebrations at Sports Personality of the Year Awards". www.lisburntoday.co.uk. 4 October 2012. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  11. ^ "U21 Team Travel to World Youth Cup". netballni.org. 3 July 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  12. ^ "Being the best that we can be" (PDF). www.stjosephsschool.org. 12 January 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  13. ^ a b "Umpire Laura nets top Euro trip to Malta". www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk. 6 December 2006. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  14. ^ "Recent success for our Netball teams". www.rathmoregrammarschool.org. 28 March 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  15. ^ "Netball Success". www.rathmoregrammarschool.org. 10 April 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  16. ^ a b "Michelle Drayne". www.linkedin.com. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  17. ^ "Loughborough Netballers get set to compete on World Stage". www.lboro.ac.uk. 11 July 2019. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  18. ^ "Nine Loughborough netballers selected for Commonwealth Games". www.lboro.ac.uk. 2 March 2018. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  19. ^ "O'Hanlon named NI World Cup captain". www.ulstergazette.co.uk. 12 June 2019. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  20. ^ a b c d e "Michelle Drayne". netballni.org. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  21. ^ a b "Local teams dominate netball awards". www.lisburntoday.co.uk. 1 June 2007. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  22. ^ a b "NI netball accept invitation to go to Singapore for six nations tournament". www.newtownabbeytoday.co.uk. 19 June 2007. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  23. ^ "London & SE Region". www.newcambell.com. 29 October 2011. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  24. ^ "Lots to cheer for Cambell". www.barkinganddagenhampost.co.uk. 14 October 2015. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  25. ^ "Grangetown Vs New Cambell". www.richardkirby.org. 13 January 2019. Retrieved 2 February 2020.
  26. ^ a b c "Team Northern Ireland Handbook – Glasgow 2014" (PDF). www.nicgc.org. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  27. ^ "Northern Ireland reach for glory with Team Northumbria". www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk. 30 January 2014. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  28. ^ "Northumbria and Northern Ireland in Netball Superleague partnership". www.bbc.co.uk. 4 February 2014. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  29. ^ "Northern Irish eyes are smiling as North-East netball enters a new era". www.thenorthernecho.co.uk. 8 February 2014. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  30. ^ "Lennon's ladies slay Dragons in Superleague encounter". www.newsletter.co.uk. 9 February 2014. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
  31. ^ "Strengthening the Mid-Court – Michelle Drayne & Georgia Lees". www.mavericksnetball.co.uk. 27 September 2018. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  32. ^ "Lindsay Keable & Michelle Drayne leave Saracens Mavericks". www.mavericksnetball.co.uk. 26 September 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  33. ^ a b "Drayne all set for World Cup debut". www.saracens.com. 10 July 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  34. ^ "Netball Superleague squads for the 2020 season". www.bbc.co.uk. 13 September 2019. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  35. ^ a b "Michelle Drayne". thecgf.com. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  36. ^ a b "Warriors' confidence remains despite close defeats – Drayne". www.nwc2019.co.uk. 15 July 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  37. ^ a b "Real Gem of a success for netball girls". www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk. 21 December 2015. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  38. ^ a b "England end Euro dreams for Northern Ireland". www.newsletter.co.uk. 6 October 2017. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  39. ^ a b c d "Gaelic football fuelling Northern Ireland's Netball World Cup bid across the water". www.the42.ie. 12 July 2019. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  40. ^ "2012 World University Championships". www.studentsport.ie. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  41. ^ "Irish Netball Team record victory over USA at the World University Championships". www.irishcentral.com. 3 July 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  42. ^ "Glasgow 2014: NI netballers beat Wales to secure seventh spot". www.bbc.co.uk. 1 August 2014. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  43. ^ a b "Commonwealth Games for local coach". www.boarding.org.uk. 28 January 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  44. ^ "Malawi and Northern Ireland close out their Games". netballscoop.com. 12 April 2018. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  45. ^ "Women Netball Commonwealth Games Golden Goast, Australia 2018". www.todor66.com. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  46. ^ "In pictures: Northern Ireland edged out again in Netball World Cup as Ryan hails players". www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk. 15 July 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  47. ^ "NI suffer real blow in hunt for Euro delight". www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk. 28 September 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2020.
  48. ^ "St Gall's, Antrim v St Conleth's, Laois - Tesco All-Ireland Intermediate Ladies Football Club Championship Semi-Final". www.sportsfile.com. 6 November 2010. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  49. ^ "Excitement at Ladies Club Championship Finals". ulster.gaa.ie. 29 October 2010. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  50. ^ "Antrim v Derry - TG4 All-Ireland Ladies Junior Football Championship Semi-Final Photos". www.sportsfile.com. 31 August 2008. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  51. ^ "Commonwealth Games call-up for New Hall coach". www.dioceseofbrentwood.net. 10 April 2018. Retrieved 28 January 2020.