THE 2019 Netball World Cup sees 16 countries head to Liverpool, England, with 60 matches played over the 10 day period between July 12-21. Countries have been split into four pools, playing a round robin in that pool before going further depending on their respective success.

The New Zealand Silver Ferns may have been through a rough patch over the last 18 months, but the side are sure to be back with a vengeance at the 2019 Netball World Cup as they look to go one better than their 2018 Commonwealth Games campaign after going down to Jamaica in the bronze medal playoff. The Ferns have been in the rebuild phase since then, with coach Noeline Taurua proving she isn’t afraid of switching up the lineup across the board and using recent international series’ to test out combinations across the board. New Zealand are in Pool B, taking on Malawi, Barbados and Singapore in the opening matches before likely proceeding forward in the competition.

The Ferns have dominant players across every part of the court, but one of the big names is captain, Laura Langman who returns to the side after taking a break from netball in 2018. Langman’s experience and leadership will prove a massive boost to the side, with an innate ability to find the loose ball and produce pinpoint feeds into the goal circle. Joining Langman in the midcourt are Gina Crampton and Shannon Saunders, with Karin Burger providing some versatility able to rotate through the midcourt and defensive circle. With speed and strong defensive capabilities between them, the Ferns midcourt could very well be the difference between a win and a loss.

Defensively, New Zealand have one of the most exciting lineups with an ability to generate turnover ball and feed back down court a speed with their signature flair. Casey Kopua, Katrina Rore, Jane Watson and Phoenix Karaka have all but proved they have what it takes to dominate defensively, so will be a force to be reckoned with against any country they come across credit to their individual skill to recover possession and respective vertical ability. In the chance Rore is unable to play after sustaining an injury in the leadup, Michaela Sokolich-Beatson has been given the call-up with a decision to be made ahead of the competition’s start.

In goals, the skilled pairing of Ameliaranne Ekenasio and Maria Folau will likely start, with accuracy and ability to shoot from anywhere in the circle a real trademark of their game. Joining Folau and Ekenasio in the circle are Te Paea Selby-Rickit and Bailey Mes, who both have the ability to provide a force at the post if required. In recent competitions the Ferns have proved that when they’re on, they’re on, meaning that the consistency will need to be there for the side to come out on top. While known for switching up their lineup in recent competitions, the Ferns are likely to settle into a regular lineup as the series goes on, which could prove to be a massive threat in the final stages.

Fixtures:

Round 1: vs. Malawi, July 12
Round 2: vs. Barbados, July 13
Round 3: vs. Singapore, July 14

Predicted finish: 3rd