England blow as GK Brown ruled out of Glasgow 2026

England goal keeper Jaz Brown will miss the rest of the Netball Super League season and Commonwealth Games this summer because of a serious Achilles injury that requires surgery.

Brown, 24, who joined Leeds Rhinos from Birmingham Panthers in the close season, sustained the injury against Nottingham Forest on 15 March, slipping on the court.

It was just a third league match with her new team for Doncaster-born Brown, who began her sporting life as a promising tennis player before turning to netball in her late teens.

She made her England debut against New Zealand in November 2025, but will be denied a chance to appear for the Roses at Glasgow 2026 while she goes through what Rhinos expect to be "lengthy" rehabilitation for her injury.

Her signing by Rhinos was a coup after Brown was selected for the NSL team of the season in 2025, but they must cope without her until next year.

Brown said: "As tough as this moment is, I'm choosing to stay positive and more determined than ever to come back stronger to the sport I love.

"I love a challenge, and I'm looking forward to using this time to grow both mentally and physically, with my sights firmly set on the 2027 season.

"Being ruled out for the remainder of the season is difficult, especially with the timing of the Commonwealth Games coming up, but I know this is not the end of my story and I will be back for more."

Rhinos coach Lauren Palmer said: "We are all disappointed for her. She is an outstanding talent and team-mate, but she has a great attitude and is a determined player and we know will come back stronger after this setback."

The news of Brown's unavailability for England comes in a week when Roses head coach Jess Thirlby stood down unexpectedly four months before the Commonwealth Games.

Thirlby's assistant Anna Stembridge, who was England head coach from 2011 to 2015, will lead the side into this summer's Games in an interim capacity.

England won gold at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games but missed out on a medal at the 2022 edition in Birmingham.

Netball at Glasgow 2026 runs from 25 July to 2 August, with England in Pool A alongside the world's number one side Australia, plus South Africa, Malawi, Tonga and Northern Ireland.