THE 2023 Netball World Cup is almost here, and to help count down to the tournament we here at Rookie Me Central will be previewing all the competing teams and seeing how they might fare at the tournament.

Today it is the team who hosted the last World Cup, England.

HISTORY OF ENGLAND AT THE NETBALL WORLD CUP

If England’s history at the World Cup was a colour, it would be bronze. That is because the English have finished third six times in the 15 edition history of the tournament. They did finish second once, back in 1975, but have never won the World Cup.

RECENT HISTORY

Recent history certainly has not been pretty for the English.

After not earning a medal at a home Commonwealth Games, despite winning a series against the Jamaicans in January, the English finished third at the Quad Series, only picking up two wins against South Africa.

Especially with the Jamaicans rising up the ranks and becoming more dangerous, England will really want to turn things around this tournament and return to being a strong contender to the top two teams Australia and New Zealand.

KEY PLAYERS

Remarkably off to only her first World Cup, Eleanor Cardwell is coming into this year’s World Cup in a rich vain of form after helping guide the Adelaide Thunderbirds to their first Suncorp Super Netball title in 10 years.

She will team up at the World Cup with Helen Housby, who also comes into the World Cup off the back of a strong domestic season.

Up the other end, Fran Williams really elevated her game in the Netball Super League this season, and will head to the World Cup with more of a target on her back. She will team up in defence with the likes of Geva Mentor, who is off to her final World Cup and will provide a very level head for what is at times a very young Roses side.

ENGLAND FIXTURE (start times local)

Friday 28th July – 8pm – Barbados

Saturday 29th July – 6pm – Malawi

Sunday 30th July – 4pm – Scotland

ENGLAND SQUAD

Imogen Allison, Eleanor Cardwell, Jade Clarke, Funmi Fadoju, Layla Guscoth, Helen Housby, Laura Malcolm, Geva Mentor, Natalie Metcalf, Chelsea Pitman, Olivia Tchine and Fran Williams

Reserves: Halimat Adio, Amy Carter and Sophie Drakeford-Lewis