The England Roses are gearing up to face Uganda’s She Cranes in a three-match Vitality Netball International Series this autumn, which will see them play on home soil for the first time since being crowned Commonwealth Games champions in April.
The highly anticipated event will take place from 27 November to 2 December, with the Echo Arena in Liverpool – home of the Netball World Cup 2019 – hosting the first match of the Series against the She Cranes.
The action will then move on to the iconic Copper Box Arena in London for the second and third matches.
The Series will come just seven months after England made history at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games by winning England’s first ever Games and defeating home favourites Australia 52-51.
England will once again be facing the She Cranes who they narrowly beat in their journey to gold at the Commonwealth Games by 55-49. On their return to England, the Roses will most certainly be looking to demonstrate their talent on an international stage.
Ama Agbeze, Captain of the England Roses, said: “It’s really exciting to be back on home soil for the first time since the Commonwealth Games. The support we’ve had from back home was relayed to us on the Gold Coast, but it’s difficult to grasp its extent from afar. I’ve not been back to the UK since the Games and it’s great to hear that there’s a buzz around netball.
“We only beat the She Cranes by six goals at the Games so it was not a walk in the park. The She Cranes play with athleticism and poise, and we’ll be looking at building pressure across the course of the game to force them into error.
“Given the game is one of the few international hit outs prior to the World Cup, I’m sure our Head Coach will be looking at various combinations as well as individual performances.”
The Vitality Netball International Series is expected to be a challenging and exhilarating affair as the England Roses’ preparations for the Netball World Cup 2019 ramp up.
England’s Head Coach, Tracey Neville, is preparing the Roses to defend their second place position in the International Netball Federation’s World Rankings, which is their highest position to date.
Tracey said: “Uganda are an orthodox team. We had a tough game against them at the Commonwealth Games, in which we only managed to beat them by six goals. Although we started the game well, their resilience to possess the ball made it really difficult for us to create many opportunities, something we will be looking to improve in November.
“The series will give us an opportunity for us to look at, work on and expose more players and also build on solidifying combinations. The African countries are getting stronger with Uganda leading the way, so it further challenges us building into World Cup.
“The Roses are leading into a tough couple of months in the international calendar and their resilience is paramount, especially in their three match series against Uganda.”
Tickets for the Vitality Netball International Series against Uganda are now on sale and can be purchased via The Ticket Factory.
Courtesy of England Netball
