Team NI’s Senior Men’s and Women’s 3×3 teams delivered a series of impressive performances at the Commonwealth Games 3×3 Qualifying Tournament in Manchester, competing against England, Wales and the Isle of Man for a place at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Men’s Team Secured Second Place Finish in Commonwealth Qualifiers in Manchester!
The Team NI Men’s squad of Conor Quinn, Max Richardson, Lucien Christofis and Callum Keys, produced an outstanding tournament performance, reaching the final and securing a second place finish. Unfortunately this wasn’t enough to qualify for the Glasgow Games 2026!
Team NI opened their campaign with an impressive 22-14 victory over Wales before recording a dominant 22-4 win against the Isle of Man to secure their place in the championship game.
On day two, the men faced eventual champions England in their final group game, battling hard before falling 21-16. The two sides met again in the final, where England proved too strong on the day, claiming a 21-9 victory.
Despite the defeat, the silver medal performance represents a significant achievement for the programme and highlights the continued growth of 3×3 basketball in Northern Ireland.
Women’s 3×3 Team Claim 3rd Place in their group!
The Team NI Women’s squad of Enya Maguire, Erin Maguire, Abigail Rafferty and Ella O’Donnell showed tremendous resilience and determination throughout the tournament to secure a third-place finish.
The women faced a strong Wales side in their opening game, falling 21-12 before responding impressively with a commanding 22-4 victory over the Isle of Man.
In their final group fixture, Northern Ireland battled against eventual finalists England. Despite a spirited performance, England secured a 21-12 victory, leaving Team NI with a well-deserved bronze medal finish.
The tournament provided valuable international experience for a talented group of athletes and demonstrated the continued progress being made within the women’s programme.
Results
Men
- Northern Ireland 22–14 Wales
- Northern Ireland 22–4 Isle of Man
- England 21–16 Northern Ireland
- England 21–9 Northern Ireland (Final)
Women
- Wales 21–12 Northern Ireland
- Northern Ireland 22–4 Isle of Man
- England 21–12 Northern Ireland
England’s Men’s and Women’s teams both finished first to secure qualification for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
Pride in the Performances
Basketball Northern Ireland Head of Operations and Team NI 3×3 Technical Delegate Marc Mulholland praised the performances of both squads and the wider support team following the tournament.
“This tournament represented another important step forward for our 3×3 performance programme. Both teams competed with tremendous pride, energy and professionalism throughout the weekend and represented Team NI exceptionally well on and off the court.
To see our men reach the final and secure a second place, while our women claimed third place in their group against strong international opposition, all of which have all been supported with healthy resourcing from their governments Sport England and Sport Wales. It is a testament to the commitment of our athletes, coaches and support staff that we have managed so well with limited resources.
The experience gained from competing in this environment will be invaluable as we continue to develop our pathway and create opportunities for future generations of Team NI players. We are incredibly proud of everyone involved in the programme.
Basketball Northern Ireland would like to thank all players, coaches, support staff, officials and volunteers for their dedication and commitment throughout the qualification campaign. In particiular TEAM NI Commonwealth Games Office and Sport NI National Lottery Funding.”
With valuable international experience gained and strong foundations established across both programmes, attention now turns to future 3×3 opportunities as Basketball Northern Ireland continues to grow the game and develop the next generation of athletes.
Re-watch the live games via the link below.