Nickname(s) | Vitality Roses The Roses | ||
---|---|---|---|
Association | England Netball | ||
Confederation | Netball Europe | ||
Head coach | Jess Thirlby | ||
Asst coach | Liana Leota | ||
Captain | Fran Williams | ||
Most caps | Jade Clarke (208) | ||
World ranking | 2 [1] | ||
First international | |||
England 25–3 Scotland GEC Ground, Wembley, 7 May 1949 | |||
Netball World Cup | |||
Best result | 2nd (1975, 2023) | ||
Commonwealth Games | |||
Appearances | 7 (Debuted in 1998 ) | ||
2022 placing | 4th | ||
Best result | 1st (2018) |
The England national netball team, also known as the Vitality Roses, represent England Netball in international netball tournaments such as the Netball World Cup, the Commonwealth Games, the Netball Quad Series, the Taini Jamison Trophy, the Fast5 Netball World Series and the European Netball Championship. They have also competed at the World Games. England made their Test debut in 1949. Their best result in a major tournament is a gold medal in the 2018 Commonwealth Games. As of 17 October 2024, England are ranked second in the World Netball Rankings.
England made their Test debut on 7 May 1949 during a series that also featured Scotland and Wales. Both matches were played at the General Electric Company ground on Preston Road, Wembley. England won both matches 25–3. The match against Scotland is believed to be England's first international. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] In 1954, England played Northern Ireland for the first time. [6] On 12 May 1956, England hosted a touring Australia. It was the first time England played an overseas team. Australia won 14–11 at Harringay Arena before a crowd of more than 5,000. [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] Later in 1956, England played an away series against South Africa, winning all three tests. [6] [11]
England have competed at every World Netball Championships and/or Netball World Cup since the inaugural 1963 tournament. [12] [13] [14] Their best performances have been in 1975 [15] and 2023 when on both occasions they finished second. [16] [17] [18]
Source: [12]
Between 1985 and 1993, England competed at the World Games. [50]
Tournaments | Place |
---|---|
1985 World Games [51] [52] [53] [54] | 4th |
1989 World Games [55] [56] [57] | |
1993 World Games [58] [59] | 4th |
Source: [50]
England have competed at every netball tournament at the Commonwealth Games. Between 1998 and 2014, Australia and New Zealand contested every final and won every gold and silver medal between them. [60] [61] However, in 2018, England caused a major surprise when, with a team coached by Tracey Neville and captained by Ama Agbeze, they defeated Australia in the final. Helen Housby scored in the final second to give England a 52–51 victory. As a result England became only the third team to both reach the final and win the gold medal. [62] [63] [64] [65] At the 2018 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards, England's last second win over Australia was voted sporting moment of the year. England were also named Team of the Year. [66] [67] [68]
Sources: [61]
Since 2008, Netball New Zealand has hosted the Taini Jamison Trophy series. The series features New Zealand playing against visiting teams. England competed in the inaugural 2008 series and have been regular participants ever since. [84] [85] In 2021, they won the series for the first time. It was the first time that England had won a series in New Zealand. The England team were coached by Jess Thirlby and captained by Serena Guthrie. [86] [87] [88] [89] In 2024, England won the series for a second time. The team was again coached by Thirlby and this time captained by Fran Williams. [90] [91] [92]
Since 2016, England have competed in the Netball Quad Series, playing against Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. [103]
Since 2009, England have played in the Fast5 Netball World Series. In 2011, with a team coached by Anna Mayes and captained by Jade Clarke, England defeated New Zealand 33–26 in the final to win their first major tournament. [126] In 2017 Fast5 Netball World Series, with a team coached by Tracey Neville and captained by Ama Agbeze, England won the series for a second time. In the final they defeated Jamaica 34–29. [127] [128] [129]
England have regularly played in the European Netball Championship, playing against teams such as Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. England are the competition's most successful team. [140]
Tournaments | Place |
---|---|
2005 European Netball Championship [141] | |
2006 European Netball Championship [142] | |
2007 European Netball Championship [143] | |
2008 European Netball Championship [144] | |
2009 European Netball Championship [145] | |
2010 European Netball Championship [146] | |
2011 European Netball Championship [147] | |
2012 European Netball Championship [148] | |
2013 European Netball Championship [149] | |
2015 European Netball Championship [150] | |
2016 European Netball Championship [151] | |
2017 European Netball Championship [152] | |
2019 European Netball Championship [153] [154] | |
Source: [140]
The current squad was selected for the 2024 Taini Jamison Trophy Series.
England roster | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Players | Coaches | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
Sources: [155]
The following England netball internationals have been inducted into England Netball's Hall of Fame.
Inducted | Player | Appearances | Years |
---|---|---|---|
2001 | Mary Thomas [156] [157] | 1948 | |
2001 | Kendra Slawinski [157] [158] [159] | 128 | 1983–1995 |
2001 | Mary French [160] [161] [157] | 1949–1957 | |
2005 | Anne Stephenson [21] | 1960s | |
2007 | Colette Thomson [162] | 89 | 1975–198x |
2008 | Amanda Newton [163] | 100 | 1996–2008 |
2009 | Karen Atkinson [164] | 100 | 1997–2011 |
2013 | Sonia Mkoloma [165] | 123 | 1999–2015 |
2014 | Jade Clarke [166] | 208 | 2003– |
2015 | Pamela Cookey [167] [168] | 114 | 2004–2015 |
2015 | Geva Mentor [169] | 175 | 2001–2023 |
2018 | Olivia Murphy [170] [171] | 95 | 1997–2006 |
2018 | Tracey Neville [172] | 81 | 1996–2008 |
2018 | Ama Agbeze [171] [173] | 2001– | |
2020 | Eboni Usoro-Brown [174] [175] | 116 | 2008–2022 |
2020 | Joanne Harten [176] | 117 | 2007–2023 |
2020 | Maggie Jackson | 1984–1987 | |
The following England netball internationals were members of the squad that won the gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. [80] At the 2018 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards, they were also named Team of the Year. [66] [67] [68]
Player | Appearances | Years |
---|---|---|
Ama Agbeze [173] | 2001– | |
Eboni Beckford-Chambers [175] | 116 | 2008–2022 |
Jade Clarke [166] | 208 | 2003– |
Beth Cobden [179] | 35 | 2016– |
Kadeen Corbin [180] | 72 | 2011–2021 |
Jodie Gibson [181] | 25 | 2013– |
Serena Guthrie [182] [183] | 110 | 2008–2022 |
Joanne Harten [176] | 117 | 2007–2023 |
Natalie Haythornthwaite [184] | 86 | 2015– |
Helen Housby [185] | 102 | 2014– |
Geva Mentor [169] | 175 | 2001–2023 |
Chelsea Pitman [186] [187] | 52 | 2017–2023 |
Coach | Years |
---|---|
Rena Stratford [188] | 1956 |
Ellen Marsh [19] [21] | 1963 |
Mary French [23] [25] [189] | 1967–1975 |
Joyce Wheeler [190] | 1979 |
Irene Beagles [191] | 1983 |
Gerry Cornwell [192] | 1985 |
Heather Crouch [34] [52] [193] | 1985–1987 |
Betty Galsworthy [56] [194] | 1989–1991 |
Liz Broomhead [37] [59] [195] | 1993–1995 |
Mary Beardwood [38] [70] | 1998–1999 |
Julie Hoornweg [196] [197] | 1999–2002 |
Lyn Gunson [39] [198] [199] | 2002–2003 |
Margaret Caldow [199] [200] [201] | 2004–2007 |
Sue Hawkins [41] [199] [202] | 2007–2011 |
Maggie Jackson [203] [204] | 2010 |
Collette Thomson [205] | 2011 |
Anna Mayes [126] [206] [207] | 2011–2015 |
Tracey Neville [172] [208] [209] | 2015–2019 |
Jess Thirlby [210] [211] | 2019– |
Liana Leota [212] | 2023 |
Kendra Slawinski, originally known as Kendra Lowe, is a former England netball international. Between 1983 and 1995 she made 128 senior appearances for England. She represented England at the 1983 and 1987 World Netball Championships and at 1985 and 1989 World Games and captained the team at the 1991 and 1995 World Netball Championships and at the 1993 World Games. In 1996, she was awarded an OBE for her services to netball.
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Tracey Anne Neville is a former England netball international and a former England head coach. As a player, she was a member of the England teams that won bronze medals at the 1998 Commonwealth Games and the 1999 World Netball Championships. As a head coach she guided Northern Thunder/Manchester Thunder to Netball Superleague titles in 2012 and 2014. Between 2015 and 2019 she served as England head coach. She subsequently guided England to the gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and to bronze medals at the 2015 and 2019 Netball World Cups. In 2016 she was awarded an.
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Ama Agbeze is an England netball international. She was captain when England won the gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. In 2019 she received an for her services to netball. She was also a member of the England team that won the bronze medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. As of 2020, Agbeze has played for at least sixteen different club teams in England, Australia and New Zealand.
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