TONIGHT it all begins.
Tonight Australian time will see the 2023 Netball World Cup get underway in Cape Town South Africa, with 16 countries taking to the court over the next few weeks all aiming to reach the pinnacle of world netball.
As with any major tournament, different teams have different goals. There are teams like Tonga and Wales who are returning to the World Cup scene after not competing in 2019, while there are also teams like South Africa who are desperate for a strong performance at home and to bridge the gap between themselves and the world’s best.
Then there are the realistic true contenders of the tournament. This World Cup is realistically a battle in four – Australia, England, Jamaica and New Zealand. South Africa may pull a few shock results, but considering they have not medalled at the World Cup since 1995, 2023 probably will not be the year they change that.
Australia, England, Jamaica and New Zealand are normally the big contenders for major tournament, but the biggest questions this time around will be about the Sunshine Girls. Over the last few years they have really grown in the netball world and their silver medal at last year’s Commonwealth Games really cemented their growth.
There will also be some questions around the English team, who seem to be slipping in the pedigree of world netball but will no doubt be keen to bounce back and really have a strong tournament.
Regardless of whoever ends up winning the whole tournament, this will still be a historic World Cup. It is being hosted on the African continent for the first time, certainly a monumental moment in the history of African and world netball.
Netball World Cup 2023 Day One Fixture
9am – New Zealand v Trinidad & Tobago and Tonga v Fiji
11am – Australia v Zimbabwe and Uganda v Singapore
6pm – South Africa v Wales and Jamaica v Sri Lanka
8pm – England v Barbados and Malawi v Scotland
Netball World Cup 2023 Team by Team Previews
2023 Netball World Cup review: Australia
THERE was plenty of gold to match the Diamonds’ green as Australia won its 12th Netball World Cup. The Diamonds looked in trouble after going down to England and having to play a red-hot Jamaica, but as they always tend to do, they just found a way. There was a stage where failing to medal, […]
2023 Netball World Cup review: England
ENGLAND fell agonisingly short of a Netball World Cup gold medal, but was able to still claim the silver, improving on its Commonwealth Games performance last year. The Roses went undefeated all the way to the final, but were unable to match Australia for four quarters in the decider. The Roses can come away knowing […]
2023 Netball World Cup review: Jamaica
A HEARTBREAKING loss to Australia in the second successive international tournament meant Jamaica had to settle for the podium, finishing third in the 2023 Netball World Cup. The Sunshine Girls topped their groups and looked to be favourites against the world number ones, but the Diamonds found a way to get over the line. Though […]
2023 Netball World Cup review: New Zealand
REIGNING champions New Zealand ultimately went home from Cape Town without a medal, which will leave the Silver Ferns with a frustrated feeling. However, they did lose shooter Grace Nweke early, and were forced to reshuffle, still only losing to Jamaica and England. The Silver Ferns survived a scare against South Africa where they drew, […]
2023 Netball World Cup review: Uganda
UGANDA was one of the stories of the Netball World Cup, finishing sixth overall and not being blown away by any nation. Even when coming up against the likes of Jamaica, New Zealand and South Africa, Uganda held its own to qualify sixth initially in the playoffs. The best was yet to come for the […]
2023 Netball World Cup review: South Africa
HOST nation South Africa would have mixed emotions at the end of the 2023 Netball World Cup. On one hand, the Proteas showed signs of development, including a draw with New Zealand and coming agonisingly close to a semi-finals spot. On the other hand though, the Proteas were unable to finish inside the top five […]
2023 Netball World Cup review: Malawi
MALAWI secured seventh spot at the 2023 Netball World Cup after overcoming Tonga in the playoff match. The Queens only went down to England and Australia in the group stages, but falling to Uganda in the playoffs meant they gave up their second African nation spot at the tournament. Though never completely out of games, […]
2023 Netball World Cup review: Tonga
TONGA was regarded as a nation to watch in the 2023 Netball World Cup, not necessarily in terms of winning, but when it came to upsetting the apple cart. The Tala, which featured a host of players familiar with especially Australian, but also New Zealand and England leagues, won three of its six group matches […]
2023 Netball World Cup review: Wales
WALES stepped up in the ninth placed playoff to defeat rivals Scotland to cap off an all-round solid Netball World Cup performance. Aside from heavy losses to Jamaica and New Zealand, the Feathers were largely competitive, knocking off Sri Lanka and Trinidad & Tobago in the group stage to make it to the playoffs. A […]
