WHILE it is uncertain when the international season will start given the COVID-19 pandemic, the England Roses have released their squad for the 2020/21 campaign with some familiar faces back amongst the mix and some young up and coming players joining the full time program.

With players spread across the world, there are multiple ways to enter the England Roses program. The P1 route is in place to cater for athletes based in the UK, while the P2 route is tailored towards those playing abroad in leagues such as the Suncorp Super Netball in Australia  and ANZ Premiership in New Zealand.

The majority of players selected for the 2020/21 international season stem from the P1 route with 16 athletes chosen via this pathway. Eight players from the P2 route make up the rest of the Roses team with all of them coming from Super Netball. These players include Australian come England Roses representative Kate Shimmin along with a host of others.

After taking time out from the international circuit, Serena Guthrie is a welcomed return for the Roses with the talented midcourter able to light up the court with her flair, dynamic movement and defensive pressure. Jo Harten also took a break from international duties last year but will once again be a key cog in the goal circle for the Roses in the upcoming international season. Beth Cobden also returns to the fray after an untimely anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury last year.

With no Eboni Usoro-Brown with the defender announcing her pregnancy Vitality Netball Superleague (VNSL), fan favourite Razia Quashie will be one to watch on the international stage. She is one of six Saracens Mavericks to be chosen for the Roses with the likes of experienced heads Jodie Gibson and Kadeen Corbin also amongst the names selected for the Roses.

In her second year with the Roses, Yasmin Parsons will be hoping to gain some more court time to really assert herself on the competition but will have to compete with the experienced Jade Clarke, who has 176 caps to her name. The future is bright for the Roses with George Fisher steadily developing her craft under the post and looking to fill the role of Rachel Dunn, with the experienced goaler not named, while there is plenty of excitement surrounding midcourters Imogen Allison, Gabby Marshall and Laura Malcolm.

But the announcements did stop there with the Roses camp releasing the name of eight players in their Roses Future programme which is designed to develop the skillset of young netballers with the intention of preparing them for international duties. They are provided with guidance when it comes to juggling careers and education while also experiencing high level training.

The squad has a really good mix of experienced talent and young players making for an exciting international season ahead given just how much England has progressed in recent years.

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P1 athletes: Serena Guthrie, Jodie Gibson, Vicki Oyesola, Razia Quashie, Imogen Allison, Gabriella Marshall, Sophie Drakeford-Lewis, Kadeen Corbin, Natalie Panagarry, Beth Cobden, Fran Williams, George Fisher, Jade Clarke, Yasmin Parsons, Eleanor Cardwell, Laura Malcolm.

P2 athletes: Jo Harten, Helen Housby, Stacey Francis, Layla Guscoth, Geva Mentor, Chelsea Pitman, and Nat Haythornthwaite, Kate Shimmin.

Roses Futures: Amy Carter, Beth Ecuyer-Dale, Kira Rothwell, Olivia Tchine, Zara Everitt, Jessica Shaw, Iona Christian, Halimat Adio.