Netball: Silver Ferns set to square off with NZ Men in quad-series

The world champion Silver Ferns will suit up against three NZ teams in netball quad-series next month.

The four-day competition will see the Silver Ferns take on NZ Men, an NZ A side and NZ U21s at Palmerston North from October 21-24.

Netball NZ chief executive Jennie Wyllie is looking forward to another edition of the series that proved such a pivotal event last year.

"We're delighted to be able to confirm this series in such challenging and uncertain times," says Wyllie.

"The Cadbury Netball Series played such a big role in the Silver Ferns build-up to last year's successful Netball World Cup campaign and it will be instrumental again looking ahead to international games later this year."

The NZ Men comfortably won both matches against the Silver Ferns in last year's series.

Wyllie says the series will showcase the best netballers in the country, as well as play a part in the NZ U21 team's preparation for next year’s Netball World Youth Cup in Fiji.

"This is an opportunity to see our elite athletes competing against each other and what better way for our U21 players to prepare for their pinnacle tournament than by taking on the best in the world," she says.

Coach Dame Noeline Taurua believes the quad series is a superb way to keep the team's momentum going, while also unearthing some future international prospects.

"This is not only for South Africa [Netball World Cup in 2023], but the cycle beyond," she says.

"While we want to continue with that explosive game and high tempo netball, we need to be patient and make sure we are growing the capability of our athletes at the rate they can handle it."

The series will likely be the Silver Ferns' only chance to get on court in 2020, after the Constellation Cup was postponed until next year.