Netball World Cup: England fixtures, pool opponents and route to final
All eyes may be on the Fifa Women’s World Cup but England’s netball side are in the southern hemisphere ready to begin a World Cup campaign of their own.
Starting today and concluding on 6 August South Africa play hosts to the Netball World Cup, and England are in with a shot.
So who do England play, who are the favourites and what do the sport’s chiefs say?
Pools
England are in pool B alongside world No6 side Malawi, world No10 Scotland and world No14 Barbados.
Favourites Australia take on Tonga, Zimbabwe and Fiji while second favourites New Zealand face Uganda, Trinidad & Tobago and Singapore.
The other of the top four sides in the world, Jamaica, take on hosts South Africa as well as Wales and Sri Lanka.
England fixtures
- Barbados, 7pm, Friday 28 July
- Malawi, 5pm, Saturday 29 July
- Scotland, 3pm, Sunday 30 July
After the group stages, the top sides in Pool A and Pool B will enter Pool F and the top teams in Pool C and Pool D will enter Pool G.
Teams will play a further three matches against the teams they haven’t played before semi-finals and finals.
The final will take place on 6 August.
What the chief says
England Netball chief executive Fran Connolly said: “With the nation eagerly preparing to rally behind the Vitality Roses, we know that this competition will serve as a catalyst for incredible interest in our sport.
“The team have been working tirelessly to prepare for this moment, and we are confident that their performances will inspire and captivate audiences up and down the country.
“The World Cup offers a unique opportunity for us to showcase the brilliance of this sport and we are absolutely poised to capitalise on this moment which we hope will inspire a new generation of netball enthusiasts.
“The beauty of netball is that there is a place for everyone aged 5-95 to belong, flourish and soar.”