The Vitality Roses will face South Africa in a three-match test series in Johannesburg in January and February 2026.
The three-match series will see world number four England take on world number five South Africa on 29 and 31 January and 1 February. After facing New Zealand and Jamaica in London and Manchester this winter, England will travel to South Africa in the New Year. The Vitality Roses’ schedule continues to test them against the world’s top netball nations on their journey to the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
South Africa come into this series after a busy autumn which saw them play international test-series against both world number two New Zealand and world number one Australia away from home.
The last time these two sides met was the final of the 2025 Vitality Netball Nations Cup, which ended 61- 55 in the Vitality Roses’ favour, seeing England claim their first ever Vitality Netball Nations Cup title. In the last five meetings between these sides, England have taken three victories, with South Africa taking two, making this match up one that is sure to be fiercely competitive for fans to enjoy.
England are already set to face New Zealand and Jamaica before the end of the year, with tickets to all home games available now on the England Netball website. This series will mark fans’ final chance to see the Vitality Roses in action before they take to the court at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. As the team fine-tune their combinations and build momentum ahead of one of the sport’s biggest stages, the matches will offer a final glimpse of England’s preparations and their progress against another top-five nation.
Chief Executive Officer at England Netball Fran Connolly said: “With the 2025–26 international window soon to get underway, we’re delighted to announce another test series that will see the Vitality Roses continue to take on the challenge of facing the world’s top netball nations this year. This tour will also be the last chance for fans to see the Vitality Roses in action before they head to Glasgow for the Commonwealth Games, making it an exciting moment to show support for the team as they build towards one of the biggest tournaments in our sport. We can’t wait to watch Jess and the team compete in what I am sure will be another incredibly exciting showcase of some of the top talent in international netball.”
Vitality Roses Head Coach Jess Thirlby said: “We really enjoy the rivalry that has built over the last couple of years with South Africa and it’s clear to see the rise in the standard of their team, with a really talented group of players coming through their ranks both through Norma Plummer’s influence and now under new leadership. We’ve seen that they’re a real threat internationally, and we’ve always really respected that, so to add them into our preparations ahead of the 2026 Commonwealth Games is really important.
“Obviously, South Africa has great memories for us after winning a historic silver medal at the Netball World Cup in Cape Town in 2023, but this is about looking forwards and making sure we challenge ourselves against the best in the world. It’s also a brilliant opportunity for fans to catch a final glimpse of this group before the Commonwealth Games – a moment to see how far we’ve come and where we’re heading. We’re looking forward to finding out a bit more about ourselves but also about them in these match-ups.”
More information on broadcast plans for this series will be announced in due course.
South Africa vs England Test Series Schedule*
Thursday 29 January – Johannesburg
South Africa vs. England – 16:00 GMT (18:00 SAST)
Saturday 31 January – Johannesburg
South Africa vs. England – 15:00 GMT (17:00 SAST)
Sunday 1 February – Johannesburg
South Africa vs. England – 14:00 GMT (16:00 SAST)
With thanks to England Netball
