Connie Francis (netball)

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Bornc. 1968 (age 5758)(Note 1)
Height1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[1]
Years Club team(s)
Years Club team(s)
Connie Francis
Personal information
Bornc. 1968 (age 5758)(Note 1)
Height1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[1]
Netball career
Playing position(s): GA, GS
Years Club team(s) Apps
198x–20xx Waulgrovians
Years National team(s) Caps
1985–2003 Jamaica 120+
2022 Jamaica 0
Coaching career
Years Team(s)
2007–2011 Jamaica
2012–2015 Saint Lucia
2016 Jamaica Fast5
2016–2023 Mico University College
2017–2019 Manchester Spurs
2019–2023 Jamaica
Medal record
Representing  Jamaica
World Netball Championships
Bronze medal – third place1991 SydneyTeam
Bronze medal – third place2003 KingstonTeam
World Games
Bronze medal – third place1993 The HagueTeam

Connie Francis is a former Jamaica netball international and Jamaica national netball team head coach. As a player, she was a member of the Jamaica teams that were bronze medallists at the 1991 and 2003 World Netball Championships and 1993 World Games. Francis captained Jamaica at the 1995 and 1999 World Netball Championships. As head coach, Francis guided Jamaica to bronze medals at the 2007 World Netball Championships and 2023 Netball World Cup and to the silver medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. The Gleaner described her as "the most successful coach of the national senior team." In November 2024, ahead of the 2025 Netball Super League season, Birmingham Panthers appointed Francis as their Director of Netball.

Waulgrovians

During her playing career, Francis played club netball for Waulgrovians.[2][3]

Jamaica

Between 1987 and 2003, Francis played for Jamaica at five World Netball Championships.[4][5] She was a member of the Jamaica teams that were bronze medallists at the 1991[6] and 2003 World Netball Championships.[7] She also won a bronze medal with Jamaica at the 1993 World Games.[8] Francis captained Jamaica, including at the 1995 and 1999 World Netball Championships.[9][10][11] She also represented Jamaica at the 1998 Commonwealth Games.[1] Ahead of the 2022 Taini Jamison Trophy Series against New Zealand, complications with passports and visas resulted in Francis, then aged 54 and serving as head coach, been named in the squad. Five Jamaica players named in the original squad were unable to travel. Francis eventually had to include herself, new mother Romelda Aiken-George and the retired Carla Borrego in their squad to make up the mandatory ten players required for a recognised international match.[12][13]

Tournaments Place
1987 World Netball Championships5th
1991 World Netball Championships[6]3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
1993 World Games[8]3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
1995 World Netball Championships[9]5th
1998 Commonwealth Games[1]5th
1999 World Netball Championships[9][10]4th
2003 World Netball Championships[7]3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
2022 Taini Jamison Trophy Series[12][13]2nd

Coaching career

Jamaica

Between 2007 and 2011 and again from 2019 to 2023, Francis served as head coach of Jamaica. The Gleaner described her as "the most successful coach of the national senior team."[4][14] In between these two spells, she also coached Jamaica at the 2016 Fast5 Netball World Series.[15][16][17] The highlight of her first spell in charge was guiding Jamaica to the bronze medal at the 2007 World Netball Championships.[14][18] During her second spell in charge, she guided Jamaica to a silver medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games[19][20][21] and a bronze medal at the 2023 Netball World Cup.[22][23][24][25]

Tournaments Place Team
2007 World Netball Championships[9][18][14]3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Jamaica
2008 AFNA Championships[26]1st
2009 World Netball Series[18][27]2nd
2010 Taini Jamison Trophy Series[28]2nd
2010 Commonwealth Games[29]4th
2010 World Netball Series[30][31]3rd
2014 Commonwealth Games[32][15]12th Saint Lucia
2016 Fast5 Netball World Series[15][16][17]5th Jamaica
2020 Netball Nations Cup[33][34][35]2nd
2021 England Jamaica netball series[36][37]2nd
2022 Commonwealth Games[19][20][21]2nd place, silver medalist(s)
2022 Taini Jamison Trophy Series[12][13]2nd
2023 England Jamaica netball series[38]2nd
2023 Netball World Cup Regional Qualifier – Americas[39][40][41]1st
2023 Netball World Cup[22][23][24][25]3rd place, bronze medalist(s)

Saint Lucia

Between 2012 and 2015, Francis served as head coach of Saint Lucia, helping them qualify for the 2014 Commonwealth Games. This was their debut appearance in the tournament.[15][32][42]

Manchester Spurs

Between 2017 and 2019, Francis served as head coach of Manchester Spurs in the Berger Elite League. During this time, she guided Spurs to two finals and one league title. In 2018, they finished as runner-up to Kingston Hummingbirds. In 2019, Spurs finished as champions for the first time after beating defending champions, Kingston Hummingbirds, 71–65 in extra-time in the deciding game of the best of three series.[43][44][45][46][47]

Mico University College

Between 2016 and 2023, Francis served as head netball coach of Mico University College. During this time she guided Mico to several intercollegiate netball titles.[5][48][49][50]

Birmingham Panthers

In November 2024, ahead of the 2025 Netball Super League season, Birmingham Panthers appointed Francis as their Director of Netball.[51][52][53]

Honours

Notes

References

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