AFTER a heartbreaking result at the Commonwealth Games last year off the podium, the England Roses are looking to bounce back this Netball World Cup and go for gold. 

It seemed as though the Roses were on the top of the world, hosting the Commonwealth Games and the previous Netball World Cup, but unable to perform. The loss of several stars over the years in Serena Kersten, Jo Harten and Stacey Francis-Bayman to name a few, has since shifted England’s focus to their up and coming talent.

England superstars Fran Williams and Laura Malcolm are looking forward to the challenge that is to come in the coming days.

“It’s quite nice coming here and getting to enjoy the atmosphere and just focus on the netball and what we’re doing and what we’re thriving off,” Malcolm said.

Williams was a part of the bronze medal team at the 2019 World Cup hosted in Liverpool, but was to then be excluded from the 2022 Commonwealth Games squad in Birmingham. Wanting to push for this team selection this year, Williams realised how much of a privilege it was to be a Rose and to never take selections for granted.

“It just showed me how much it means to me and how much I wanted it, and I think I shocked myself how gutted I was to not be more involved within the squad and last summer. That definitely made me realise how much I want to be a part of it and how special it is and never to take selections for granted,” she said.

The 28-gamer was very open with the team about being so young in the Roses’ last World Cup campaign, being the baby of the side fresh out of the under 21’s camp. Now having the experience of the players behind her, she feels more prepared this time around in her performance and the team’s success.

“All the stuff I’ve done over the last four years has made me kind of what I’m able to contribute now this time round, but I’m really conscious of making sure that this time I really feel like I’m making my impact within the team and that’s on and off the court,” Williams said.

Seasoned campaigner Malcolm made her debut back in 2012, but stamped her position in the midcourt in 2020 featuring in Roses tours since her return to the international stage. Having played in the previous Commonwealth Games, Malcolm now ticks the boxes for the two bigger international netball tournaments there is.

“I just like playing the game and whatever position and whatever bib I get given, I’m just out there trying to do the best I can do,” she said.

Malcolm has since been a consistent player for the Roses being able to play all three midcourt positions with her expertise in wing defence. This year she spent the domestic season with the ANZ Premiership’s Mainland Tactix where she played amongst many different game styles helping her prepare for what is to come in the next week.

“It’s made me think about [the game] completely different defensively and the challenge of coming up against zone after zone every week has made me have to think about it, how to attack it in different ways,” she said.

“So it’s been actually really incredible to challenge myself in that kind of way. The girls were very patient with me and I learned a lot from them and I hope they learned a little bit of something from me as well.”

The current focus in camp has been team building. Focusing on themselves as a team and what brand of netball they want to produce, then shift their focus onto other sides when they approach those hurdles.

“We really value the fact that we’re all very unique and we definitely bring something different to the game, but it’s all contributing to the team plan, to what we can put out there together,” said Malcolm.

“There’s a big vibe of everyone’s, might be a slightly different cog, but we’re all a cog in the wheel at the minute and we’re all just doing our job for the team.”

Only a select few players have experienced that gold medal feeling, but the others are still chasing that adrenaline rush.

“It’s something you can’t, you can’t picture, you can’t imagine that feeling until you’re in that moment,” Williams said.