Uganda will feature in the Commonwealth Games netball tournament for the first time after qualifiers for Gold Coast 2018 were confirmed ©Getty Images

Qualifiers for the Gold Coast 2018 netball competition have been confirmed - with Uganda set to appear in the event for the first time.

The Ugandan team triumphed at the Africa Championship earlier this month, which saw them rise to ninth in the International Netball Federation world ranking list.

All of the top 12 ranked teams on the list, as of July 1, have earned places at the Games.

Australia currently head the rankings followed by New Zealand, England, Jamaica and South Africa.

Malawi, Fiji, Wales and Uganda have all qualified, along with Northern Ireland, Barbados and Scotland.

Uganda’s captain Peace Proscovia has expressed her delight at the team having secured their debut appearance at the multi-sport event.

“We are so happy that our team will be competing in our first ever Commonwealth Games,” Proscovia said.

“This is one of the greatest achievements in the history of Ugandan netball and we can’t wait to represent our country at such a prestigious event.”

Netball competition at the 2018 Commonwealth Games is scheduled to take place at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre from April 5 to 15.

The official draw for competition is set to be held in the coming weeks, which will decide the preliminary line-up.

Each team will feature a maximum of 12 players, with a total of 144 athletes set to participate.

“Today’s official confirmation of the competing nations further strengthens our belief that spectators will witness an outstanding level of competition during the Gold Coast 2018 netball competition,” said Peter Beattie, Gold Coast 2018 chairman.

“It will have the classic rivalries such as Australia and New Zealand as well as rising nations such as Malawi and Uganda, who we know will capture the imagination of the public.”