Nansi Kuti's Journey to Representing Wales in Netball

Welsh netball has never felt more exciting, more ambitious, or more united. Fresh from a standout World Cup campaign and building momentum season after season, the Welsh Feathers are heading into the Commonwealth Games with pride, purpose and a renewed belief in what this team can achieve.  With a squad built on homegrown talent, deep roots and a powerful sense of identity, Wales is ready to take its place on the world stage once again.

My name is Nansi Kuti and I’m a goal shooter and goal attack for the Welsh Feathers netball team.

I first picked up a netball in Year 6, just playing a bit of Fast5 at primary school.  As soon as I moved into secondary school, that’s when I joined my netball club.  From then, it kind of just took off.

My Welsh roots run deep.  My mum’s side of the family is Welsh and I spent so much of my childhood in Swansea with my grandparents.   Moving back to Wales for university was when I entered the Welsh pathway, the start of everything that’s brought me here.

Representing Wales is something I never take for granted.

My first major tournament was the 2023 Netball World Cup.  It was a blur, the noise, the pressure, the sheer emotion of stepping out in that red dress.  There’s a lot of pride, a lot of responsibility.

Every time I wear the Feathers kit, I feel that same surge of gratitude. It’s not just about me. It’s about my family, my teammates and the whole of Wales behind us.

One of the things that makes this squad so special is how close we are.  Both on and off the court, we all lean on each other and we all back each other.

That closeness becomes even more powerful when we join the wider Team Wales family.  We’re not just representing Welsh netball, we’re representing every athlete in red.  It comes with even more responsibility to know the whole nation is behind us.

Our identity is built on inclusivity, equality and pride. Everyone brings something different and everyone is valued.

I started out just watching the players who inspired me, people like Nia Jones. Now I want to be that person for someone else.  It’s really important we engage with our community.  There’s no single pathway.  I didn’t join the Wales setup until I was 21.  If anything, that’s proof that there’s room for every kind of journey to playing elite sport and representing Wales.

Our goal is simple: to make Wales proud.  We want to put out performances that represent the work we’ve put in and make everyone watching at home super, super proud of us.