Basketball Northern Ireland will be represented by both men’s and women’s teams at the Commonwealth Games 3×3 Basketball Qualifying Tournament taking place in Manchester, England from 21–24 May 2026.
The tournament will feature Northern Ireland, England, Wales and the Isle of Man, with only the winning men’s and women’s teams securing qualification for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow this July.
The Team NI squads will be led by experienced coaches Ryan McCormick (Men) and Darren McGovern (Women).
Coach McCormick has been involved with the Team NI men’s programme since 2022 and is currently Head Coach of Cavan Eagles Men. He previously served as Head Coach of the Ulster University Tigers in both the National League and Super League. McCormick was assistant coach during the previous Commonwealth Games qualification campaign in Glasgow ahead of Birmingham 2022, gaining valuable experience before taking over as Head Coach of Team NI Men’s 3×3 programme.
Coach McGovern, originally from Dublin, is the current Ireland Senior Men’s 3×3 Head Coach and former Head Coach of Éanna in the Irish Super League. He replaces former Team NI Women’s 3×3 Head Coach Patrick O’Neill.
This highly competitive competition will see our Senior Men and Women’s athletes face off against current Commonwealth Champions (Men) and Silver Medalists (Women) of England, Wales and Isle of Man in Manchesters, National Basketball Performance Centre, Friday May 22nd and Saturday May 23rd, 2026.
Men’s Team NI 3×3
Lucien Christofis
Lucien has been a member of the Team NI 3×3 programme since 2024 and is currently Northern Ireland’s highest-ranked player on the FIBA 3×3 rankings. He recently completed a season with Akranes in Iceland’s top division, averaging 10.3 points in 26 minutes per game. Lucien brings extensive experience in both 3×3 and 5×5 basketball.
Callum Keys
A product of Phoenix Basketball Club, Callum is currently studying at Loughborough University and competed for the Loughborough Riders in the British Championship during the 2025–26 season. He averaged 5 points per game in 15 minutes of action while making 10 starts across the season.
Callum has been involved in Team NI training camps over the past number of years and previously represented Team NI at the Ball Out and 3×3 Unites tournaments in England, gaining valuable experience within the 3×3 format.
Max Richardson
Now entering his fifth season with Belfast Star in the Irish Men’s Super League, Max brings valuable Great Britain 3×3 experience to the squad. A versatile forward, he averaged 10.1 points and 5 rebounds per game last season while shooting 36% from the three-point line. Max also brings strong leadership qualities both on and off the court and has become an important addition to Team NI’s 3×3 performance pathway.
Conor Quinn
Conor has been a stalwart of Belfast Star for many years and is another product of St Malachy’s College, Belfast. He previously represented Team NI during the 2022 Commonwealth Games qualifying tournament in Glasgow ahead of Birmingham 2022, where Team NI narrowly missed out on qualification in the final game against Scotland.
Conor has represented Ireland Senior Men internationally over recent years and brings significant leadership and experience to the squad. During the 2025–26 season he averaged 9.9 points per game while shooting 32% from beyond the arc.
Women’s Team NI 3×3
Abigail Rafferty
Abi, 6ft forward known for her physical presence, rebounding, work rate and ability to compete across both 5×5 and 3×3 formats is a product of Ulster University basketball, who has represented Ireland internationally since 2018 across U16, U18 and U20 European Championships and is now a regular member of the Senior National Team programme.
She previously played for Ulster University, where she was part of their Division One title winning squad, before moving into the professional game with Oaklands Wolves in the British Super League Basketball Women’s competition and GDESSA-Barreiro in Portugal’s Liga Feminina.
Abigail has also represented Ireland at senior level and in 3×3, including being part of the Ireland U23 women’s 3×3 group that made history with a first European 3×3 event win, alongside fellow Team NI player Erin Maguire and Ella McDonnell. She previously represented Team NI in Largs for qualification in Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth games.
Erin Maguire
Erin recently completed her season with the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in NCAA Division I basketball, averaging 8.2 points in 33 minutes per game. Having represented Ireland at U16, U18, U20 and Senior level in 5×5 basketball, she was also part of the Ireland U23 3×3 team that narrowly missed qualification for the 2025 FIBA 3×3 World Cup.
Enya Maguire
An 11-year veteran of international basketball, Enya has represented Ireland at every level in both 5×5 and 3×3 formats. A 2025 graduate of the New Jersey Institute of Technology, she enjoyed a five-year NCAA Division I career before moving into the professional ranks in Spain.
After beginning the season with Barakaldo in LF2, she transferred to Azul Marino in LF Challenge, helping the club secure promotion to Spain’s top division.
Enya was also a part of the Team NI 3×3 Women’s team in Largs who aimed to Qualify for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Ella O’Donnell
Ella recently completed a four-year basketball scholarship at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut and is a new addition to the Team NI squad. First selected for Ireland U16s in 2019 by current Performance Pathway Coordinator Andy Gill, Ella has represented Ireland at U16, U18, U20 and Senior level.
Alongside Erin Maguire and Abigail Rafferty, she was part of the Ireland U23 3×3 team that impressed in European competition during 2025.
Support Team
Andy Gill – Performance Pathway Coordinator
Dervla Murphy – Team Physiotherapist
Marc Mulholland – BNI Vice Chair & Team NI 3×3 Technical Delegate
Performance Pathway Coordinator Andy Gill said:
“This is a fantastic opportunity for our players and coaches to compete for a place at the Commonwealth Games and represent Northern Ireland on a major international stage. Opportunities like this only come around once every four years and everyone involved is hugely motivated to give their very best in Manchester.”
Commonwealth Games Northern Ireland, CEO Conal Heatley added:
“‘It’s been great to work with the team at Basketball NI over the last year in preparation for the Commonwealth Games qualifiers. While it will obviously be a challenge against some formidable opposition, there is a lot of talent across both our teams, and we back them to deliver on the day. This sort of quality international competition is undoubtedly beneficial for the sport in both the short and longer term. Our best wishes go to the squads as they compete in Manchester.”
Basketball Northern Ireland Vice Chair Marc Mulholland added:
“We are extremely proud of the commitment and dedication shown by all our athletes and staff in preparing for this qualification campaign. We had a very strong panel competing for places across both squads and we thank every member of the wider basketball community for their commitment throughout this process.
The continued growth of 3×3 basketball across Northern Ireland is creating exciting opportunities for players to compete internationally and showcase the talent within our pathway. A special note of thanks must also go to Rolandas Bartkus for his continued efforts in supporting Team NI preparations and helping develop the 3×3 game here in Northern Ireland.
We would also like to thank Sport Northern Ireland and National Lottery funding for their continued support of our Performance Pathway. Additionally, without the support of Commonwealth Games Northern Ireland, Conal Heatly, Des Jennings and Sascha Rea, it would be extremely difficult for a small nation like ours to resource campaigns of this scale.
Basketball Northern Ireland would like to sincerely thank them for their continued support in helping provide opportunities for our athletes to compete at the highest level possible.”
The Commonwealth Games 3×3 Qualifying Tournament takes place in Manchester from 21–24 May and will be live streamed on Basketball England Youtube Channel for qualification to Glasgow 2026 at stake for both Team NI squads.
GAMES SCHEDULE:
Friday 22 May
10:00-14:00 – Team Practices
15:10: Men’s – Wales vs Northern Ireland
15:50: Women’s – Wales vs Northern Ireland
16:30: Men’s – England vs Isle of Man
19:10: Women’s – England vs Isle of Man
19:50: Men’s – Northern Ireland vs Isle of Man
20:30: Women’s – Northern Ireland vs Isle of Man
Saturday 23 May
10:10: Men’s – England vs Wales
10:50: Women’s – England vs Wales
11:30: Men’s – Wales vs Isle of Man
14:10: Women’s – Wales vs Isle of Man
14:50: Men’s – England vs Northern Ireland
15:30: Women’s – England vs Northern Ireland
18:10: Men’s Final
18:50: Women’s Final
TICKETS CAN BE PURCHASED HERE.
