Fran Williams

Francesca Williams
Personal information
Full name Francesca Williams
Born (1997-12-23) 23 December 1997 (age 26)
Richmond, London, England
Height 184 cm (6 ft 1⁄2 in)
School Kendrick School
Reading Blue Coat School
University University of Birmingham
Relatives Jack Williams, Imogen Williams
Netball career
Playing position(s): GD, WD, GK
Years Club team(s) Apps
2016–2018 Surrey Storm
2018–2021 Wasps Netball
2022–2023 Loughborough Lightning
2024- West Coast Fever
Years National team(s) Caps
2018–  England 43
Medal record
Representing  England
Netball World Cup
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Liverpool Netball
Silver medal – second place 2023 Cape Town Netball

Francesca Williams (born 23 December 1997) is an English international netballer who currently plays for West Coast Fever in Suncorp Super Netball.

Domestic career

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Williams started her career as part of the Surrey Storm set up, moving to Wasps Netball in 2018, with the team winning the Superleague Grand Final in her first year.[1] She moved to Loughborough Lightning in 2022.[2] Williams had a standout year with Lightning in 2023, winning her second Superleague title and voted Fan's Player of the Season.[3]

After a strong domestic and international season, Williams signed for the West Coast Fever for the 2024 Suncorp Super Netball season.[4]

International career

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Williams came through the England Netball pathway and was captain of the England under-21 team.[5] She made her senior debut for the England Roses in November 2018 against Uganda.[6][7] Williams made an instant impression in the national side and was later selected in England's 12-woman squad for the January 2019 Quad Series and the 2019 Netball World Cup, where the team finished third.[8][9]

She was not selected for the 2022 Commonwealth Games but returned to the side in 2023 as part of the England Roses team who achieved their first ever World Cup Silver Medal in Cape Town.[10] In the semi-final against New Zealand, Williams secured the vital intercept that helped the Roses through to their first ever World Cup Final. Later that year she was appointed Captain for a test series against South Africa.[3]

Personal life

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Williams started playing netball in her last year of primary school, then joined Woodley Netball Club. Before moving to Australia she served as Player Chair for England's Netball Players Association (NPA) and is an advocate for NetballHer, an England netball campaign advocating for women's health issues. She has a degree in Economics.[5][11]

References

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  1. ^ "Defensive duo return for Wasps in 2019" (PDF). 21 August 2018. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  2. ^ jtulloch (2019-04-09). "Francesca Williams". Netball Super League. Retrieved 2024-07-20.
  3. ^ a b Waterhouse, Richard (2023-11-29). "Fran Williams to lead Vitality Roses in upcoming series against South Africa". England Netball. Retrieved 2024-07-20.
  4. ^ "Fran Williams". West Coast Fever. Retrieved 2024-07-20.
  5. ^ a b "Francesca Williams". England Netball. Retrieved 2024-07-20.
  6. ^ "Fran Williams and Josie Huckle renew Wasps Netball contracts". Sky Sports Netball. 21 August 2018. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  7. ^ "England 65-53 Uganda: Roses win series with a match to spare". BBC Sport. 30 November 2018. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  8. ^ "Vitality Roses squad announced for the Netball Quad Series". England Netball. 8 January 2019. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  9. ^ "England squad for the Vitality Netball World Cup revealed". 23 May 2019. Archived from the original on 25 May 2019.
  10. ^ "Netball World Cup final 2023: England 45-61 Australia - Roses miss out on historic title". BBC Sport. 2023-08-06. Retrieved 2024-07-20.
  11. ^ Sinclair, Jenny (2024-05-15). "NS EXCLUSIVE: Fran Williams – leaning in to the challenge". Netball Scoop. Retrieved 2024-07-20.
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