WHILE international netball was dealt a big blow with the cancellation of the test series between England Roses and the Jamaica Sunshine Girls, England Netball has introduced the 2021 Vitality Netball Legends Series, with three matches taking place on the evenings of January 20, 22 and 24 between the Roses and Vitality Netball Superleague (VNSL) All Stars. The three-match series will be played behind closed doors, so as to remain within strict COVID-19 protocols, but will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Mix, Sky Sports Arena and the Sky Sports YouTube channel.

The Roses squad remains unchanged to what was announced to take on Jamaica for the Jean Hornsby Cup, with returning stars Serena Guthrie, Helen Housby and Layla Guscoth amongst the headliners. Guthrie will co-captain the team alongside Nat Haythornthwaite, with the midcourt duo expected to inject plenty of speed and excitement into the front-end.

As for the All Stars squad, the VNSL is chock full of impressive players making the side one to watch give the calibre of exciting talent on offer. While a confirmed list of All Stars is yet to be named, it is expected that the side will be made up of a host of homegrown U.K. talent, as well as confirmed international VNSL depth such as Malawian Joyce Mvula (Manchester Thunder), New Zealander Liana Leota (Severn Stars), and Ugandan Mary Cholhok (Loughborough Lightning). The squad will be coached by Manchester Thunder head coach Karen Greig, assisted by the likes of Wasps coach Mel Mansfield and Roses Academy head coach Sheonah Forbes.

Roses head coach Jess Thirlby praised the decision for the series to go ahead, stating that the competitive atmosphere and spectacle are crucial for the development of netball in the UK and further exposure of the sport.

“This series will provide vital exposure for both netball and women’s sport as a whole and will enable the Vitality Roses to gain valuable on court time as we look towards the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games,” Thirlby said.

“We have a real wealth of talent in the Vitality Roses squad and the Vitality Netball Superleague clubs and I am sure netball fans the length and breadth of the country will be excited to see live elite netball and their favourite players for club and country return to the court for what promises to be a brilliant series of netball.

“The players from both sides are excited to be a part of this special series, and we are all looking forward to getting the games underway, giving our fans a glimpse of what is to come for domestic netball in this country.”

“This series is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the talent in the Vitality Netball Superleague, give some of the international new-comers the chance to make their mark on the domestic game, and enables our players to get vital court time at the highest level,” Greig said.

FULL ENGLAND ROSES SQUAD:

Serena Guthrie (C)
Natalie Haythornthwaite (C)
Helen Housby
Jade Clarke
Layla Guscoth
Eleanor Cardwell
George Fisher
Laura Malcolm
Sophie Drakeford-Lewis
Beth Cobden
Imogen Allison
Fran Williams
Razia Quashie
Vicki Oyesola
Summer Artman

MATCH DETAILS:

Wednesday, January 20, 6pm local (5am AEDT, Thursday, January 21)
Friday, January 22, 6pm local (5am AEDT, Saturday, January 23)
Sunday, January 24, 6.30pm local (5:30am AEDT, Monday, January 25)