The countdown to September continues as World Netball announces Pardo-Zammitt as NWYC2025 umpire
Gibraltar Netball continues its countdown towards this summer’s World Youth Netball Championships, which will be hosted in Gibraltar.
Last week saw a major boost for the sport as Nadine Pardo-Zammit, already recognized as an international umpire, secured a well-earned place in the team of umpires officiating at the World Championships.
The event has placed Gibraltar in the spotlight, with World Netball ensuring it remains at the forefront of its marketing campaigns.
World Netball (WN) announced the International Technical Officials (ITO) and the National Technical Officials (NTO) selected for the Netball World Youth Cup 2025 (NWYC2025), taking place in Gibraltar from September 19-28, 2025.
Twenty-eight ITOs have been selected through WN’s defined processes, including seven for the Umpire Appointments Panel (UAP) and 21 umpires. A special invitation has been extended to a host nation-based International Talent Identified (ITID) umpire, who will be appointed to join the selected ITOs.
“This is to ensure that WN is supporting the host nation in delivering one of its local legacy objectives, a critical element in demonstrating success and impact in Gibraltar.
“WN is delighted that this will now be integrated into its future hosting strategy and become a key component of its strategic pillar, ‘Inspire’.
“Twenty-nine NTOs have also been selected through a host nation-defined process to fulfill the roles of Technical Officials, Technical Officials Manager, Bench Coordinator, and Bench Manager. One more NTO will be announced in due course.”
The full list of ITOs and NTOs can be found below. Non-traveling reserves have also been selected but are not named.
The team of officials detailed below will join the already appointed NWYC2025 Technical Delegate, Megan Fey.
Umpire Appointments Panel (UAP)
Marielouw Van der Merwe (Chair)
Cheryl Danson
Margaret Deighan
Anne Marie Dickson-Lewis
Annette Smith
David Pala’amo
Kirsten Lloyd
Umpires
Justin Barnes
Nathan Begley
Tamara Buriani-Gennai
Louise Cole
Rhian Edwards
Myron Elkington
Tania Fink
Moeth Gaymes
Leonard Masao
Sasha McLeod
Cory Nicholls
Lizzie Saywell
Georgina Sulley-Beales
Makeba Clarke
Tayla Favell
Gillian Leslie
Zak Middleton
Theophilus Moletsane
Tharina Opperman
Jessica Teng
Sophia Wilson
Nadine Pardo-Zammit (Gibraltar ITID)
Technical Officials Manager
Pat Percy
Bench Coordinator
Karen Cartwright
Bench Managers
Jackie Gregory
Wendy Broad
Lauren Lewis
Technical Officials
Brenda Ratcliffe
Carol Alexander
Dawn Jackson
Donna Fensom
Fenella Davidson
Jan Johnson
Jayne Bell
Lynsey Ganderton
Mary Stanley
Nicola Grant
Robyn Rogers
Sam Rudd
Sara Bostock
Sarah Jackson
Zoe Ballantine
Zoe McMahon
Emily Bright
Ivana Schembri
Yasmin Cosqueri
Kathy Ballantine
Kirsty Neale
Soraya Schembri
Naomi Duo
Megan Ruiz
Speaking on the announcement, World Netball International Officiating Manager, Christina Barrow, said: “The Netball World Youth Cup is the most prestigious U21 netball event in the World Netball calendar, and it is always a privilege to announce the officials who have been selected. Their selection is a testament to their hard work, dedication, and talent.
“All our World Netball officials are volunteers, and we truly appreciate the time they sacrifice to ensure every international netball event is a success.
“I would like to take this opportunity to wish all those selected the very best of luck at the Netball World Youth Cup 2025 in Gibraltar.”
Sixteen nations will participate in the tournament. Gibraltar, drawn into Group A, will face the formidable New Zealand and will also compete against Malaysia, the Cook Islands, and Zambia, all of whom have qualified from their respective regions.
Other major teams participating include Australia, England, Scotland, and South Africa in what is expected to be Gibraltar’s biggest sporting event of 2025.
Just twenty-four hours after the announcement of the umpire team, the Gibraltar Under-21 squad received a boost with Gibraltar Netball announcing its long squad. This now places the spotlight on the young team, which has seven months to prepare for its debut in the World Youth Cup—arguably the biggest tournament Gibraltar Netball has ever participated in.
Gibraltar Netball hopes that hosting the event will also create a lasting legacy for the sport, reinforcing its successful player development pathway, which has seen Gibraltar knocking on the doors of the top elite groups in European netball.
The World Youth Netball Championship 2025 is the first to be held since 2017 with the global pandemic and other factors after having seen the previous editions postponed.
This being the first major tournament for the under 21s which will bring together some of the top talents globally now starting to enter into the senior game.