{{Short description|English international netball player (born 1994)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}} {{Infobox netball biography | name = Eleanor Cardwell | image =Thunderbirds shooter Eleanor Cardwell.jpg | image_size = | alt = | caption = Cardwell warming up for the Adelaide Thunderbirds in 2023 | fullname = | maidenname = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1994|11|11|df=yes}} | birth_place = Blackpool, England | death_date = <!-- {{death date and age|death year|death month|death day|birth year|birth month|birth day}} --> | death_place = | height = {{convert|186|cm|ftin|frac=2|abbr=on}} | school = | university =Liverpool John Moores University | occupation = | spouse = | marrieddate = | children = | relatives = <!-- Netball career --> | positions = GS | clubyears1 = 2012–2016 | clubteam1 = Manchester Thunder | clubapps1 = | clubyears2 = 2017–2018 | clubteam2 = Severn Stars | clubapps2 = | clubyears3 = 2019–2022 | clubteam3 = Manchester Thunder | clubyears4 = 2023 | clubteam4 = Adelaide Thunderbirds | clubyears5 = 2024 - 2025 | clubteam5 = Melbourne Mavericks | club-update = | nationalyears1 = 2016–present | nationalteam1 = {{nb|England}} | nationalcaps1 = 71 | nationalyears2 = | nationalteam2 = | nationalcaps2 = | national-update = | coachyears1 = | coachteam1 = | coachyears2 = | coachteam2 = | coach-update =
| medaltemplates ={{MedalCountry|{{ENG}}}} {{MedalCompetition|Netball World Cup}} {{MedalSilver|2023 Cape Town|Netball}} |clubapps4=16|clubapps5=11|updated=May 2025|clubteam6=Manchester Thunder|clubyears6=2026}}
'''Eleanor Cardwell''' (born 11 November 1994) is an English international netball player. She plays for Manchester Thunder in the Netball Super League and is a member of the English national netball team.
== Early life and education == Cardwell was born in Blackpool and began playing netball at primary school before joining [https://www.instagram.com/blackpoolnc/?hl=en Blackpool Netball Club] at the age of 10.<ref name="Fast5 Eleanor Cardwell">{{cite web |title=Eleanor Cardwell |url=http://fast5worldseries.com.au/people/eleanor-cardwell/ |accessdate=11 October 2018 |website=fast5worldseries.com.au}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> She has a BSc in Sports and Exercise from Liverpool John Moores University where she graduated in 2016.
== Club career ==
=== Manchester Thunder === Cardwell started her career at Manchester Thunder initially as a defender, before Tracey Neville encouraged her to become a shooter in the 2015 Super League season.<ref name="Manchester thunder 10 December 2014">{{cite web |date=10 December 2014 |title=Manchester Thunder announce their squad for the 2015 season |url=https://www.manchesterthunder.co.uk/manchester-thunder-announce-their-squad-for-the-2015-season/ |accessdate=11 October 2018 |website=manchesterthunder.co.uk}}</ref><ref name="BBC sport">{{cite news |date=22 August 2018 |title=Manchester Thunder re-sign Eleanor Cardwell & Laura Malcolm from Severn Stars |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/netball/45270345 |accessdate=11 October 2018 |website=BBC Sport}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=client |date=2019-11-26 |title=Where It All Began: Eleanor Cardwell |url=https://www.englandnetball.co.uk/where-it-all-began-eleanor-cardwell/ |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=England Netball |language=en-US}}</ref> She made three grand finals with thunder in 2012, 2014 and 2016, winning the title in 2012 and 2014.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2012-05-21 |title=Northern Thunder win first Superleague title |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/netball/18145984 |access-date=2025-05-18 |work=BBC Sport |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2014-04-26 |title=Netball Superleague: Manchester Thunder 49-48 Surrey Storm |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/netball/27176086 |access-date=2025-05-18 |work=BBC Sport |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Surrey Storm beat Manchester Thunder to win Netball Superleague |url=https://www.skysports.com/netball/news/12415/10273474/surrey-storm-beat-manchester-thunder-win-netball-superleague |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=Sky Sports |language=en}}</ref>
=== Severn Stars === Cardwell moved to new Super League franchise Severn Stars for the 2017 season where she played for two seasons.<ref>{{Cite web |last=jmcconnell |date=2016-09-07 |title=Severn Stars sign England trio |url=https://www.englandnetball.co.uk/severn-stars-sign-england-trio/ |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=England Netball |language=en-US}}</ref>
=== Manchester Thunder === She returned to Manchester Thunder ahead of the 2019 Super League season.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2018-08-22 |title=Manchester Thunder re-sign Eleanor Cardwell & Laura Malcolm from Severn Stars |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/netball/45270345 |access-date=2025-05-18 |work=BBC Sport |language=en-GB}}</ref> There she won a further two Super League grand finals in 2019 and 2022.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Ratcliffe |first=Katherine |date=2022-07-07 |title=Eleanor Cardwell joins Adelaide Thunderbirds for 2023 season |url=https://www.englandnetball.co.uk/eleanor-cardwell-joins-adelaide-thunderbirds/ |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=England Netball |language=en-US}}</ref> At the 2022 Super League Awards, she took home the Sky Sports Fans’ Player of the Season and was named Players’ Player of the Season.<ref name=":2" />
=== Adelaide Thunderbirds === In 2023, Cardwell made the move to Australia and joined the Adelaide Thunderbirds for the 2023 Suncorp Super Netball season.<ref name=":2" /> The Thunderbirds won the championship in extra time by a single goal and Cardwell was named the Grand Final MVP.<ref>{{cite web |title=Thunderbirds welcome versatile English Rose for 2023 season |url=https://adelaidethunderbirds.com.au/news/thunderbirds-welcome-versatile-english-rose-2023-season |website=Adelaide Thunderbirds |access-date=15 April 2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Tbirds crowned Suncorp Super Netball champions |url=https://supernetball.com.au/news/tbirds-crowned-suncorp-super-netball-champions |access-date=2024-07-19 |website=Suncorp Super Netball |language=en}}</ref>
=== Melbourne Mavericks === For the 2024 Suncorp Super Netball Season, Cardwell joined former Manchester Thunder and England head coach Tracey Neville at new franchise Melbourne Mavericks for the teams inaugural season helping them place fifth.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Eleanor Cardwell says Tracey Neville has been 'huge' in making her the netball player she has become |url=https://www.skysports.com/netball/news/12415/13087894/eleanor-cardwell-says-tracey-neville-has-been-huge-in-making-her-the-netball-player-she-has-become |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=Sky Sports |language=en}}</ref> Cardwell was diagnosed with a meniscus tear leading to a six-month recovery but suffered a full root detachment of her lateral meniscus during a three-match series against Australia in October 2024.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=2025-11-15 |title=England v New Zealand netball: Eleanor Cardwell returns from career-threatening injury |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/netball/articles/cn40d0929x3o |access-date=2025-11-16 |website=BBC Sport |language=en-GB}}</ref>
=== Manchester Thunder === Following recovering from her injury Cardwell decided to return to Netball Super League side Manchester Thunder for the 2026 season.<ref name=":3" />
== International career == Cardwell represented England U17s in Netball Europe and U19s for a tour of Jamaica.<ref name=":1" /> On 13 May 2016, she made her senior debut for England against Northern Ireland in the 2016 Netball Europe Open Championships.<ref name="en160516">{{Cite web |url=https://www.englandnetball.co.uk/roses-take-netball-europe-title/|title=Roses take Netball Europe title!|publisher=www.englandnetball.co.uk |accessdate=20 March 2020 |date=16 May 2016}}</ref><ref name="en1022">{{cite web|url=https://www.englandnetball.co.uk/news/scotland-next-roses-netball-europe/|title=Eleanor Cardwell celebrates 50th cap for the Vitality Roses|publisher=www.englandnetball.co.uk|date=October 2022|accessdate=21 September 2025}}</ref>
Her first call-up to a senior major international competition was the 2022 Commonwealth Games,<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Eleanor Cardwell |url=https://www.englandnetball.co.uk/player/eleanor-cardwell/ |access-date=2024-07-19 |website=England Netball |language=en-US}}</ref> where England failed to medal.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Harkin |first=Ian |date=2022-08-12 |title=2022 COMMONWEALTH GAMES - Stats Summary |url=https://netballscoop.com/2022-commonwealth-games-stats-summary/ |access-date=2024-07-19 |website=Netball Scoop |language=en-US}}</ref> She achieved her 50th England Roses cap in October 2022 against Australia.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="en1022" /> In 2023, Cardwell was part of the England Roses team who achieved their first ever Netball World Cup Silver Medal in Cape Town.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-08-06 |title=Netball World Cup final 2023: England 45-61 Australia - Roses miss out on historic title |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/netball/66423459 |access-date=2024-07-19 |work=BBC Sport |language=en-GB}}</ref> Cardwell won silver at the 2024 Netball Nations Cup. Cardwell suffered a full root detachment of her lateral meniscus during a three-match series against Australia in October 2024.<ref name=":3" /> She made her return to the international stage in November 2025 during a three-match series against New Zealand.
== Personal life == Cardwell previously trained in Taekwondo three nights a week alongside her netball.<ref name=":0" /> She is also known for her advocacy work supporting women and girls with correct-fitting sports bras.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sinclair |first=Jenny |date=2022-10-27 |title=NS EXCLUSIVE: The superpowers of Eleanor Cardwell |url=https://netballscoop.com/ns-exclusive-the-superpowers-of-eleanor-cardwell/ |access-date=2024-07-19 |website=Netball Scoop |language=en-US}}</ref>
== Honours ==
=== England ===
* Netball World Cup: Silver: 2023 * Netball Nations Cup: Silver: 2024
=== Manchester Thunder ===
* Netball Super League: 2012, 2014, 2019, 2022 Runner up: 2016
=== Adelaide Thunderbirds ===
== Individual awards ==
=== Netball Super League ===
* Players Player of the Season: 2022 * Fans Player of the Season: 2022 * All Star VII: 2021, 2022
==References== {{reflist}}
== External links ==
* [https://www.englandnetball.co.uk/players/eleanor-cardwell/ England Netball]
{{England squad at the 2023 Netball World Cup}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cardwell, Eleanor}} Category:1994 births Category:Living people Category:English netball players Category:Netball Superleague players Category:Manchester Thunder players Category:Severn Stars players Category:Netball players at the 2022 Commonwealth Games Category:Commonwealth Games netball players for England Category:Adelaide Thunderbirds players Category:English expatriate netball people in Australia Category:Sportspeople from Blackpool Category:2023 Netball World Cup players Category:21st-century English sportswomen Category:England international netball players Category:Alumni of Liverpool John Moores University Category:Melbourne Mavericks players