Helen Housby

English goal shooter who scored the last-second winning goal against Australia in the 2018 Commonwealth Games final, England's first-ever gold medal in the sport.

Helen Housby was born on 19 January 1995 in Carlisle and grew up in rural Cumbria. Spotted at a North West talent festival aged 15, she was brought into the Manchester Thunder pathway and made her senior club debut in 2013, helping Thunder win the 2014 Superleague Grand Final with a long-range shot in the dying seconds — a preview of what was to come. Housby made her England debut at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and won World Cup bronze in 2015, but her defining moment arrived at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast. With the final seconds ticking down against defending champions Australia, Housby calmly slotted the winning goal to secure a 52–51 victory and England's first-ever Commonwealth gold medal in netball, a result watched live by over two million people and credited with transforming the sport's profile in the UK. Since 2017, Housby has played her domestic netball for the NSW Swifts, winning the 2019 Suncorp Super Netball premiership. She was named Player of the Tournament and Best Shooter at the 2023 Netball World Cup, where England reached their first-ever World Cup final before finishing runners-up to Australia. She was awarded the MBE in 2024 and continues to be one of England's most recognisable netballers, with over 110 caps for the Vitality Roses.

Fearless, ice-cool shooter renowned for delivering in the biggest, most pressured moments

Regarded as one of England's most iconic clutch performers, whose 2018 goal is credited with a lasting surge in the sport's popularity in the UK

• Commonwealth Games Gold 2018 (winning goal)
• World Cup Player of the Tournament 2023
• Suncorp Super Netball Premiership 2019 (NSW Swifts)
• MBE (2024)