Netball: England's Roses heading to New Zealand, Australia to play Silver Ferns, Diamonds

By RNZ

The England Roses will make a tour downunder to play the Silver Ferns and Australian Diamonds in September and October.

New Zealand will host the Roses in Christchurch in a three-test series on September 20, 22 and 24.

England players boarded a flight on Thursday morning and will enter managed quarantine upon arrival in Christchurch.

Following the games in New Zealand, the Roses will head to Australia to play the Diamonds for the first time in three years.

The three-match series planned for October will mark the first time international netball has been played on Australian soil for more than 700 days.

Netball New Zealand, England Netball and Netball Australia have worked closely with their respective governments since the beginning of the year around MIQ prospects and logistics.

Netball New Zealand chief executive Jennie Wyllie says the latest COVID-19 outbreak has added a great deal of complexity around organising the test series.

"We have been working closely with Government, Sport NZ and High Performance Sport NZ over many months to facilitate this tour," she says.

"We want to ensure our athletes have the best possible opportunities to compete, as we head towards the Commonwealth Games in 2022, but the health and safety of our players, administrators and fans is our priority, and we will continue to follow all Government guidance."

Tickets will be released for the matches, if and when Christchurch moves to Alert Level 1.

Netball Australia chief executive officer Kelly Ryan agrees the series is important preparation for the Commonwealth Games.

"It will be particularly exciting to watch a number of the Australian-based Roses, who play in the Suncorp Super Netball League, go up against their teammates at the international level."

The Roses were last in New Zealand in 2020, with the Silver Ferns winning the Taini Jamison Trophy series 3-0.

The Silver Ferns will also travel to Australia for the Constellation Cup in October.

RNZ