Netball legend Moira returns courtside at Glasgow 2026

For Moira Ord MBE, netball has never been simply a sport. It has shaped friendships, opened doors and created memories spanning more than six decades.

So when the Commonwealth Games returned to Glasgow, colleagues at Kelvinside Manor Care Home knew there was one event Moira could not miss.

Activities Coordinator Marie Gibson secured courtside tickets for Moira and fellow resident Irene to watch Malawi take on Tonga at The Hydro, giving the former Scotland captain and coach the chance to return to the sport she has given so much of her life to.

Back where she belongs

From the moment Moira arrived at the venue, the familiar sights and sounds of international netball brought memories flooding back.

It was great! It was amazing to be back watching and it felt like I had never left. It brought back many happy memories from playing and teaching. It just felt like being home.

Sharing the day with Irene made it more special still, the pair taking in the atmosphere and the excitement of world-class netball together.

The visit is a good example of what life at Meallmore is meant to be: getting to know each resident as an individual, and supporting them to carry on with the interests, relationships and experiences that matter most to them.

A remarkable life in netball

Moira's connection with the sport began in the 1950s and grew into an extraordinary career, on and off the court.

• Represented Scotland for a decade, earning 39 international caps.
• Captained her country on 16 occasions.
• Played in the first World Netball Tournament in 1963.
• Later coached the Scottish national team across 18 matches, and served as an international umpire.
• Held senior roles in the sport, including President of the Scottish Netball Association, and Chair and Director of the Board.

One of her most significant achievements was helping bring the World Netball Championships to Scotland in 1987, and playing a leading part in delivering the tournament.

Moira was awarded an MBE for services to netball in 1988. She later received a Lifetime Achievement Award for Service to Sport at the Glasgow Sportsperson of the Year Awards, and was one of the first three players inducted into the Netball Scotland Hall of Fame.

My proudest memory is watching my team grow and win, and it meant everything to me to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. I never thought someone like me would be there.

Play with your heart

After decades of competing, coaching and building up Scottish netball, Moira's advice for the next generation is refreshingly simple: play with your heart.

For Moira, passion was always at the centre of it. Her love for the game is as strong now as it was when she first pulled on a Scotland dress, and it was clear to everyone who shared the day with her.

She was over the moon when we told her she was going, and the beaming smile on her face in the photographs says it all. Moira has made a remarkable contribution to Scottish netball, and the sport has played such an important part in her life. When the Commonwealth Games came to our city, we knew we had to try to get her back courtside. She was completely in her element.

Meaningful moments at Kelvinside Manor

At Kelvinside Manor, in Glasgow's west end, activities are built around the individual rather than a one-size-fits-all programme. That might mean carrying on a lifelong hobby, revisiting a favourite place, going to a major sporting event, or simply spending time talking about memories with people who are genuinely interested in hearing them.

For Moira, going back courtside was more than a good day out. It was a chance to reconnect with a defining part of her life, to celebrate everything she achieved, and to share it with Irene and the Kelvinside Manor team.

It may have been Malawi and Tonga competing on court, but there was another Scottish netball legend in the building.

You can see more of Kelvinside Manor, read about life in our homes, or find a Meallmore care home near you across Scotland.