Laura Malcolm has announced her retirement from playing netball at both an elite domestic and international level. 
A popular player in the game, the 33-year-old won 61 caps and a historic Netball World Cup silver medal with the Vitality Roses as well as an impressive four Netball Super League (NSL) titles with Manchester Thunder.
Laura will now focus on the role of Technical Support Coach at Thunder where her technical expertise has already helped the team top the NSL table and reach the semi-finals, which will be held at Belle Vue on 22 June.
“And this way, I get to still be a part of netball, and still be a part of the team without all of the fitness tests, the court sprints, the training and the sore knees. So yeah, it’s goodbye for the playing, I’m hanging the playing trainers up and getting the coach’s hat on. Thank you so much for everything you’ve done for me over these years. Over and out.” 
After a number of international appearances at youth level, Laura made her debut for the Vitality Roses against Barbados in 2012.
A strong leader on and beyond the court, she co-captained the side across several series in 2019 and 2020, and then achieved something she’d ‘been dreaming about for pretty much [her] whole life’: a Commonwealth Games debut at Birmingham 2022.
Renowned for her positional flexibility, her final appearance wearing the famous red dress came in the historic 2023 Netball World Cup final as England won silver.
Speaking after that historic moment, Laura shared: “The experience has been a whirlwind. I think we knew it was going to be hard, but I didn’t realise how physically demanding a World Cup is.
“It’s just been really nice to keep getting directed to enjoy the journey and enjoy what we’ve been doing together and I’m so glad we kept that mentality up because we’ve come out of it with a lovely medal and a lot of really happy memories.
“As a Vitality Rose, we always feel the support from everybody at home and it’s always a privilege to know that so many people are backing us and supporting us. It means a lot.”
Paying tribute to Laura on her retirement, Vitality Roses Head Coach Jess Thirlby commented: “Laura Malcolm is the epitome of the dedicated athlete.
Announcing her news, Laura said: “It’s been a bit of a wild season, but one thing I know for sure is that the opportunity I’ve had at Manchester Thunder on the coaching bench has been something that I’ve really loved. So I guess it’s quite an easy decision to step away from the playing and get going under the coaching.
“I just want to say a massive thanks to all the coaches that have helped me on my journey. So many people have gone into getting me to where I want to go in order to achieve my dreams. That includes all the coaches and the fans for the support that you’ve given me.
It’s been one heck of a ride, but I’m certainly excited to get going on the next one.
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