NPA and England Netball Backs Groundbreaking Menstrual Health Research Led by former International Netballer Nia Evans

The Netball Players Association (NPA) and England Netball, through its NETBALLHer initiative, are proud to share its collaboration with former Wales international Nia Evans, who is leading an ambitious new research project exploring menstrual health literacy in elite netball. 

Nia is a PhD researcher at Cardiff Metropolitan University working with World Netball to lead a global research project focused on menstrual health in netball. Her research aims to understand how the menstrual cycle and hormonal contraceptives affect netballers’ performance, training, and wellbeing—and how athletes and coaches can better manage these effects. 

With support from World Netball, Wales Netball, England Netball and the NPA, Nia’s project involves working with netballers and coaches from around the world to: 

* Understand how players and coaches perceive and manage the menstrual cycle and contraceptive use in relation to training and performance 

* Explore how cultural and demographic factors shape access to education and support around menstrual health 

* Track how players’ performance and wellbeing might change across their cycle 

* Co-design a practical, inclusive intervention to help netballers and coaches navigate menstrual health with confidence 

This is one of the first studies of its kind in netball and will result in meaningful, evidence-based tools that promote both athlete performance and long-term health. It also aims to tackle stigma and close the gender gap in sport science research—where women remain underrepresented. 

As a sport played by over 20 million people globally, and predominantly women, netball has a unique opportunity to lead the way in prioritising athlete wellbeing. Yet menstrual health remains under-researched and often misunderstood in high-performance sport. This project will explore how factors such as age, ethnicity, income, and religion shape menstrual health literacy and lived experiences across the UK netball pathway. 

Lead researcher Nia Evans commented: “As a former elite player and now a researcher, I’m passionate about improving how we understand and support menstrual health in netball. This study will allow players’ voices to shape future education and wellbeing resources across the sport.” 

Be Part of the Change 

The NPA and England Netball are encouraging all netball players over the age of 18 to take part in the survey, whether you play netball for your school, regional clubs or within a high performance set up: 

📝 It takes just 15–20 minutes and will make a lasting impact.  Your insight will directly influence how netball tackles menstrual wellbeing in training, performance, and beyond. 

📍 https://lnkd.in/e7WRVqCZ 

This is the first time a netball-specific project of this kind has been undertaken, and the findings will be vital in shaping future support for athletes, coaches, and teams.