26 November 2019

Netball's Beth Cobden talks about the moment she knew a third ACL injury had robbed her of her World Cup dream on home soil

England netballer Beth Cobden has spoken out about her devastation after being forced to withdraw before the World Cup when she ruptured her ACL for the second time.

26-year-old Cobden was playing for Australian side Adelaide Thunderbirds in her third game for them in May this year when she experienced the excruciating injury for the second time in a year.

Only two months prior to the tournament in Liverpool, it was a heartbreaking moment for the centre-court player who had fought back after the same blow in a game for Loughborough Lightning in the Superleague final nine months earlier.

"It took a bit longer to sink in this time," she told BBC Sport.

"Last time I got this feeling where your knee dislocates and I expected to look down and see my knee on the side. I looked at it and it looked normal but I think that was the shock talking."

She recalled the moment she knew her World Cup dream was over adding: "After a couple of seconds I was like: 'Oh no, I've done it again'."

Cobden was part of the England Roses side that won the 2018 Commonwealth Games in a dramatic 52-51 victory over old rivals Australia and has since been working for Netball South Australia helping to organise school holiday training camps

This was the third ACL injury she has had in her Netball career so she has now decided to withdraw from competitive netball in 2020 to give her body a rest after claiming it could have been fatigue that led to the injury.

"I won't be back until 2021 but I want to play for England again and I hope a club will take me if my body still works," she said.

"I want to take my time. I don't want to risk anything as I've done three ACLs now. If I'm still playing at 30, I'll be pleased."

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