Commonwealth Games 2026: England netball team thrash Tonga to boost semi-final hopes

England broke their Commonwealth Games record goals tally with a convincing 94-32 victory over Tonga.

In a must-win Pool A game in their quest for a semi-final place, England raced into a 27-8 lead at the end of the first quarter and maintained their dominance throughout at the Hydro in Glasgow.

Knowing goal average and possibly goal difference could be crucial in the battle for a top-two spot, the 2018 champions were keen for a significant margin of victory.

They did just that by surpassing their previous record of 89 goals in one game in the competition, set against Sri Lanka in 2002.

Goal shooter Eleanor Cardwell – one of only two members of the 12-player squad with Commonwealth Games experience – made sure England kept their foot on the gas with 54 goals from her 60 attempts.

Meanwhile, goal attackers Sasha Glasgow (18) and Ella Clark (12) netted 30 times between them and Cardwell’s second-quarter replacement Olivia Tchine chipped in with 10 goals.

Victory for England leaves them third in their pool but level on six points with South Africa and defending champions Australia, who face each other at 21:00 BST.

The Roses boosted their goal average to 1.74 and goal difference to 127, while South Africa’s is 2.06 (GD 123) and Australia’s is 1.99 (GD 116).

England will take on South Africa in a vital final group game in the race for the semi-final at 21:00 BST on Thursday.

Tonga, who have enjoyed a remarkable journey over the past 12 years to climb to eighth in the world rankings, are out of their first Commonwealth Games.