Dennis Pouw Photo
The Great Britain Senior Women's National Fastpitch Softball Team won a silver medal for the third time in programme history, and at the second consecutive European Championship, defeating The Netherlands to qualify for the Championship final on 7 September 2024. While Great Britain was unable to overcome Italy in the final, the silver medal is the second medal in Europe for the programme this year, after winning bronze at the U22 European Championships in Poland in August.
Great Britain's run at the European Championships started on 1 September with a loss to Italy, before the team battled through the opening round to win their remaining games against Greece, Israel, Ukraine and Belgium, finishing second in Group Y. Advancing to the Super Round, Great Britain defeated budding rival Czechia and Spain to open the playoff group, before rain interrupted the penultimate game against the Netherlands on 6 September, forcing a winner-takes-all doubleheader on the competition's final day. Following the resumption of the game, a de-facto semifinal and a rematch of the 2022 European final, Great Britain stunned the host nation to advance to the final, securing their second consecutive silver in European play. The Championship Final was played later in the day, with the Italian side coming off a day's rest, and able to keep GB off the board to win their 13th European Championship. Italy's win ensures that no teams other than Italy (13) and The Netherlands (11) have won a European title in fastpitch softball. The silver medal at the European Championships is the third at the Senior level in programme history, joining 2022 and 2009.
Following the European Championships, the WBSC/KONAMI World Rankings were updated on Thursday, 12 September, with the Great Britain Women's programme moving up three spots to 11th in the World. This is the highest ranking for Great Britain in programme history and takes into account GBR's play at the U-15 European Championships, the U-18 Softball World Cup, and the Senior European Championships, with the U-22 European Championships to be added at a later date. Great Britain's previous watermark was 12th in the World Rankings, after the 2022 European Championship.
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Aneta Šimůnková Photo
Speaking on the new World Ranking, Head of Performance Gary Anderson commented, “This year's GBR Softball campaign has been hugely successful; we set ourselves real stretch targets and achieved them. [Olympic Head Coach] Tara [Henry] and I also maintained that we stick to the plan and select players who we have benchmarked for LA 2028 which meant we took to the field with very young rosters and these players stepped up. Whilst it’s great to achieve the highest world ranking for GBR in history, the ranking methodology needs to be fully understood and taken into account, I look more at who we have played and beaten at the senior level, performance on demand against the top nations is a far better indicator at this stage of our process."
"As well as the on field performances being celebrated, credit must go to the 'team behind the team'. Tara has put together and led a world class coaching set-up that has allowed us to develop this fast paced exciting style of softball we have seen in recent championships. Supporting that we have a medical and science department that is underpinning our mission of being the best prepared physically, mentally and athletically that we can be.”
Olympic Head Coach Tara Henry added, "While we took the field this year with many younger players, the programme's progress has been extraordinary. It's truly a testament to the dedication and commitment of the athletes, the strength of our coaching and support staff and the continued partnership with UK Sport. The 2024 squad balanced youthful energy and seasoned leadership, which allowed the team to flourish. The veterans have been crucial in setting the tone and bringing their experience to the table, ensuring the younger athletes can thrive under the pressure of high-level competition. The future is bright for us as we continue to build toward LA2028 with a group that is poised to put in the work to make history."
Great Britain Softball is preparing for a busy 2025, with European Championships for the U-18s and Seniors to take place in July and September respectively. Follow along with the Great Britain Softball programme on social media @GBWomenSoftball on X, Instagram, and TikTok, at facebook.com/GBWomenSoftball, and on the British Softball Federation website, britishsoftball.org.
