Whitley Bay coach set to lead Team England into Commonwealth Games

Jonny Riall is relishing the “honour of a lifetime” as Team England Chef de Mission at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

Riall, from Whitley Bay, boasts a strong career in sports coaching and leadership, and is now the senior official managing the English cohort at the Games in Scotland.

After an eye-catching opening ceremony at Glasgow’s iconic OVO Hydro on Thursday night, the action got underway on Friday as England’s swimmers, gymnasts, and athletes across many more sports took to the stage.

Team England have strong medal chances across all 10 sports over the next nine days, and Riall - who honed his coaching career in triathlon - can’t wait to watch it all unfold.

“It’s an absolute honour of a lifetime,” he said, speaking from Glasgow as the Games got underway. “What it means to compete for England, your home nation, at the Commonwealth Games is just so special and unique, so I’m really, really proud to be in the role that I’m in.

“There’s a real buzz and we’re really excited for it to get underway and let the sport do the talking. The opening ceremony was amazing - you really start to get that one-team feel which we want to take through until the end of the Games. Preparations have gone fantastically for a UK-based Games – and we’ve got medal opportunities in all sports. I’m really excited to see us take that opportunity and our athletes to do their very best.

“The Commonwealth Games offers such diversity that you don’t get anywhere else – we’ve got a 14-year-old swimmer and a 73-year-old bowls player, so what that showcases to the nation is how accessible bowls is. These are elite athletes doing their very best, but there is a sport for everybody and that’s as important to everybody as the performances and the medals. I’m just looking forward to people being able to watch, enjoy, and be inspired by it.”

Riall led the British triathlon teams at both the Rio and Tokyo Paralympic Games, before finishing his career in the sport at the 2022 Commonwealths in Birmingham. And as a member of the Team England board, he was then appointed to the prestigious role of Chef de Mission for Glasgow.

All 251 of Riall’s Team England athletes at the Games are supported by National Lottery funding, with Sport England investment for Glasgow totalling an approximate £9.5 million - and the North East-based boss insists that support is critical in enabling his stars get to the start line.

“We honestly wouldn’t be here without The National Lottery,” he added. “Team England and Commonwealth sport within England is funded almost completely by it. People who buy tickets are literally helping make athletes’ and staffs’ dreams here.

“Yes, we have athletes who are on National Lottery funding here which supports their preparation, but we also have younger and newer athletes coming up through the pathway who may not be at that level yet. But their experience in Glasgow and everything that Team England support them with is all National Lottery-funded, so it’s a huge thank you to players and a plea to play The National Lottery.”

Thanks to National Lottery players, more than £33 million is raised every week for good causes. It’s because of you sport, arts, heritage and community projects, as well as our athletes competing at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, are supported across the UK.