Team England's Lottery funding boost

We're awarding Commonwealth Games England £4 million of National Lottery funding – an investment that could see Team England equal or beat their medal haul from Glasgow 2014.

Our funding – together with money raised from sponsorship – will see athletes, coaches and support staff benefit from a training camp in the Gold Coast. That's crucial so that athletes can acclimatise to temperatures of up to 30 degrees.

It will also fund the training equipment and support services that are critical to the athletes' training. 

“This is fantastic news for Team England and will allow them to take a fully prepared team so they can try and replicate their phenomenal success from Glasgow 2014," says Karen Bradley, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.

Biggest and most diverse team ever

The event – which takes place in April 2018 – enables Team England to send a full quota of around 400 athletes who will compete in 18 sports, including 38 para medal events in what will be the largest ever para-sport programme.

With support staff, this makes it the biggest sporting team ever to represent England overseas.

Team England is the nation’s most inclusive and diverse team, featuring athletes and para athletes from all over the country and an equal gender split across the team. After topping the medal table in 2014 with 174 medals, including 59 gold, Team England is also one of the nation’s most successful teams.

Many of the stars from Glasgow, including Laura Kenny (née Trott), Max Whitlock, Adam Peaty, Oliver Hynd and Sophie Thornhill have all recently enjoyed success for Team GB and ParalympicsGB in Rio.

Stepping stone for athletes

The Commonwealth Games is seen as a significant stepping stone for athletes, giving them the essential experience needed to compete on the wider international stage, including the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

400

Team England athletes will compete

For non-Olympic sports such as squash, lawn bowls and netball, it sits alongside the World Championships as the most important event. 

We are more commonly known for funding grassroots sport, but also create world-class training facilities and make direct funding awards to support talented athletes.

Alex Danson, vice-captain of the women’s hockey team that won Olympic gold in Rio, adds: “Having just got back from Rio, I understand how important sporting success is to the nation and we aim to continue this in 2018.

"Team England is fully focused on ensuring that we, the athletes, are given every opportunity to produce excellent performances at the Commonwealth Games and the contribution from Sport England is important in helping us achieve further success on the Gold Coast.”