The 32-year-old is retiring from all forms of national international and elite netball; she will not participate in the July Commonwealth Games in Birmingham; Serena Guthrie: ‘Being a mom is an amazing new chapter in my life and I’m really excited about what it’s going to bring me’
Last update: 03/22/09 10:30 a.m.
Serena Guthrie is expecting her first child with partner Bob and has decided to retire from netball
Serena Guthrie has announced she is pregnant and has made the decision to retire from international and elite level netball, which means she will miss the Commonwealth Games this summer.
The England captain and Bath Netball team athlete is widely regarded as one of the best midfield players in the game. She won the first of her 110 England senior caps in 2008 when she was only 18 years old.
Guthrie has represented his country at three Vitality Netball World Cups (2011, 2015 and 2019) and two Commonwealth Games competitions (2014 and 2018).
She was instrumental in the England squad that won a historic gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast and was selected to lead her country as captain at the World Cup netball 2019.
The 32-year-old played her national netball in England, New Zealand and Australia during her illustrious career and won the Superleague title with Team Bath Netball.
Guthrie received an MBE in the New Year’s Honors List for 2020 for his services to netball.
She shared the news of her pregnancy and her decision to retire from the sport with the England and Bath squads earlier this week.
“Bob and I are thrilled to be expecting our first child together,” Guthrie said. “Being a mom is an amazing new chapter in my life and I’m so excited for what it’s going to bring me.
“I look forward to being part of the netball family ready to compete in the Vitality Roses at the Commonwealth Games this summer in Birmingham and to be Team Bath’s biggest ever cheerleader for the rest of the Vitality season. Netball Superleague.
It has been an absolute pleasure and honor to have been able to play netball nationally and internationally for so long, working and playing alongside the most amazing group of athletes and staff along the way. It has been a real privilege to captain Vitality Roses for as long as I have and I want to thank everyone for their support which has helped me make my netball journey so special.
Serena Guthrie
Guthrie’s England head coach shared his joy for his captain and said the midfielder’s footprints will be left on the national team as England aim to defend the title they won on the Gold Coast.
“I am thrilled for Serena, Bob and their families at the announcement of Serena’s pregnancy,” Jess Thirlby said.
“There is nothing more important in life than life itself and having the chance to begin the journey of parenthood is always such a special moment. Serena has long been part of her own Vitality Roses family and the led as a captain in her own motherly way, invested in each person and wanting the best for her and from her.
“As Serena embarks on the next chapter of her life, she leaves her DNA behind in this exciting Vitality Roses team and, in her very special way, has helped prepare the team for the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Birmingham this summer.
Serena is the ultimate team player, always putting the needs of the team above herself. Although she will be sorely missed, this is a time to celebrate all that Serena has contributed not only to the Vitality Roses but to the sport in general. Her legacy will live on in generations of players to come, such is the impact she has had on and off the pitch.
Jess Thirby
“Not only is Serena one of the most respected netball players across the global landscape, but she is well-loved by fans and teammates alike.
“It was always his character, his charisma and his outlook on life that translated to the pitch through his performance, and that drew so many people into the game.”
England’s Vitality Roses will now prepare for a Commonwealth Games on home soil without their captain, while the Bath Netball team will be vying for a Vitality Netball Superleague title without her.
England’s Commonwealth Games campaign begins on July 29 at the NEC Arena in Birmingham and the team will be first on the pitch at the NEC Arena.
The Roses’ opener will be against Trinidad and Tobago. Next, they face Malawi Queens on July 30, before taking part in back-to-back contests on August 1 and 2 against Northern Ireland and Uganda.
The team’s final group game will be a showdown against reigning world champions New Zealand on August 4.
