Bermuda are ranked 28th in the world in netball after their recent overseas exploits.

Bermuda team competed in Scotland at the Netball Europe Invitational in May and then played a three-match series against the United States in Brooklyn, New York, losing out on goal difference after one win apiece was followed by a 36-36 tie.

“The Bermuda Netball Association is excited to announce it has successfully completed its bid to becoming a world-ranked team once again,” Kimale Evans, the BNAA president, said.

The International Netball Federation released its latest rankings with Bermuda in 28th. Australia top the rankings with 211 points, followed by New Zealand (186), England (159), Jamaica (149) and South Africa (137) in the top five out of 38 countries. Bermuda trail Sri Lanka, US and Canada and are ahead of Gibraltar, Swaziland and Thailand.

Uganda move up four places to No 9 as a result of defeating Malawi and winning the Africa Netball Cup. Northern Ireland move up to tenth after winning the Summer Quad series between Barbados, Singapore, Ireland and Northern Ireland and the Test series against Ireland.

Meanwhile, Barbados move up to eleventh after beating Trinidad and Tobago, and drawing a Test series against fourth-ranked side Jamaica.

Following the Netball Europe Open between Ireland, Gibraltar, Bermuda and Israel, Ireland have climbed up two places to 22nd and Gibraltar three places to 29th.

It was in 2013 that Bermuda exited the international scene, as countries were required to play a minimum of eight matches within a two-year period.

The updated rankings reflect matches played between March 20 and July 1. According to the BNA, matches played between July 2014 and June 2016 now have a 50 per cent weighting, while those played from July 2016 to June 2018 are weighted at 100 per cent.

Matches played before July 2014 are no longer included in determining the world rankings.

The BNA received a muchneeded financial boost when they were awarded a £30,000 grant through the Bermuda Olympic Association through an application made on behalf of netball under the Commonwealth Games Federation’s Developmental Programme 2015-2018, in an attempt to qualify for next year’s Games on the Gold Coast, Australia.

Twelve teams will be selected by INF to compete in the netball competition in 2018.

The host nation is entitled to enter one team and the top 11 Commonwealth Games Associations in the INF world rankings, getting consideration for regional representation.

Where at least four of the six Commonwealth Games Federation regions are not represented, the highest ranked CGF from a non-represented continent will be selected within these 11 teams, the rules state.

“The Bermuda team continues to train and look forward to more international exposure in hopes of breaking into the top 20 in the coming years,” Evans added.