Britain’s emotional farewell to Eboni Usoro-Brown and Stacey Francis-Bayman

England bid an emotional farewell to Eboni Usoro-Brown and Stacey Francis-Bayman after the experienced pair bowed to the international net with a disappointing 55-48 defeat to New Zealand in the medal play-off. bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games.

Usoro-Brown, 34, received a warm reception as she took to the field in the dying seconds of a frustrating encounter in which Silver Ferns, were beaten by England in their final game. last week, gradually building on their one-point lead. was established at the end of the first quarter.

Then, Usuro-Brown, who finished with 117 caps after making her debut against Malawi in 2008, expressed pride in the part she played in transforming the perception of the sport. sport in this country into a sport that now regularly attracts spectator crowds and inch columns.

“We started this journey around 2005 when we were both young girls dreaming of playing for England, and this has always been our hope and dream,” said Usuro-Brown, holding a bouquet of flowers given by his teammates right after the final whistle.

“Being part of the era that has transformed netball in the UK, especially as part of the golden era of 2018 but even those ahead of us who laid the groundwork and are present in Here today with stadiums filled with people and people cheering and cheering, we’ve been on a huge journey and it’s just been a privilege.

“We were able to raise the flag and be role models and ambassadors and tell the young girls in the crowd out there who want to be Roses that you can do it, you can believe it. , and we have systems in place to go beyond sports development. “

England coach Jess Thirlby paid tribute to the retired duo and said it was time for big changes after a tournament her aging side never completed. It is entirely possible to reach the level that surpassed Australia and won a historic Gold Coast win in 2018.

“It’s really sad and we’re going to feel really bruised for a while,” Thirlby said. “I cannot fault the team’s efforts and intentions. Their ability to keep working hard to keep going until the end for each other is admirable.

“I think we’ve got a great balance going into this league, and I haven’t been shy about introducing new players over the last few years. It’s the end of an era for some, but I’ve always thought it’s important that you get the succession plan right and they learn from rubbing off each other.”

Thirlby pays tribute to Usoro-Brown and Francis-Bayman and especially the way her sport has worked to support Usoro-Brown’s comeback following the birth of her one-year-old daughter Savannah, who is completely gone integrate during the training of the camping team for the Olympics.

“Eboni and Stacey are outstanding role models on and off the court and I am incredibly proud of how they have done business both on and off the court for the past 20 years,” Thirlby added.

“Eboni is a pioneer for women’s sport, but also for moms in sport and moms in netball. We are truly proud that we have accepted Eboni and her family in the support we have provided for her to find her way back not only to the court but also to the Commonwealth Games. commonwealth.

“Unfortunately we can’t bring them home with medals on their necks, but this tournament doesn’t define their careers.”