photo taken from @ldnmavericksnetball on instagram
The modern dress in netball has been worn as part of the uniform since the early 2000’s but in recent years, there has been a change from the tradition. Players from the very top of the game to the grassroots level are starting to dislike the figure-hugging short design that it tends to have.
In 2022, it was said that in the following year, Netball Australia would change to a new “inclusive” uniform including the option to have a singlet, bodysuit, shirt and skirt, shorts or long pants. This would therefore recognise the personnel preferences, religious beliefs and the different climates but in the Commonwealth games, they all wore dresses and this took a turn.
In a game versus England in the Commonwealth Games is where the malfunction first came apparent with many players pulling them down: “I feel like, as a netballer, I’m always tugging my dress down… Obviously we’ve noticed lots of the comments from other people, but on the court we’re used to dresses coming up and down.” says Australian Sophie Garbin.
Netball Uniform has always been a growing problem, whether that is sports bras or different colour shorts under the dress showing a different colour to the dress itself.
England and Manchester Thunder Shooter Eleanor Cardwell has always been an advocate for change in the sport and the use of sports bras with her saying: “When I’m comfortable in my kit, I perform my best. Why should you wear clothes that don’t fit correctly or feel horrible?”
London Mavericks changed confidence for women in the elite level sport as in 2025 it was announced that they would change the way their kit is designed from 2026 onwards. Dresses are still in, with many still wearing the option but they also included the option of shorts, skorts, leggings and longer vests, including a variety for everyone.
The team believe that it will make the sport more welcoming to the young generations that are scared from the sport year after year because of the way that the dress will suit their body type.
Ex-London Mavericks and England defender Razia Quashie said to the BBC that: “I always train in leggings and that’s what I feel most comfortable in, rather than the traditional dress.”
“To be able to wear this on the court in a match is something that I know will help me feel my best, which can only have a positive impact on performance.”
She also stated that the new choice will help the youngsters stay involved, allowing them to dress in a kit that would suit them best rather than an outfit that might be unflattering or uncomfortable, dragging them away from the sport.
Netball is a rapidly growing sport for females and to continue the growth, the uniform needs to be inclusive for everyone involved.
To round off 2025, the current number four faces New Zealand (current number 2) and Jamaica (current number 3). The squad will remain the same across the two series, but against Jamaica, Natalie Metcalf returns to the roses after her maternity leave. Imogen Allison misses out on selection this time round due to Injury.
England face New Zealand (world number 2) for the Vitality Netball International Series in Manchester and London.
They first face each other this weekend at the Copperbox Arena, London. 15th November sees the first test with a first centre pass at 5pm with the two returning the following day (16/11) with pass starting at 3pm. They finish the series in Manchester at the AO Arena on 19th November, with the first centre pass at 7pm.
Vitality Netball Horizon Series:
Jamaica are the next opponents for the Vitality Roses who currently sit 3rd in the World rankings. There will be two games in Jamaica and two games in England across two weeks. They first are tested in Kingston Jamaica on the 6th December with a start of 10.30pm before returning the following day to start at 11pm.
The two then face off at the Copperbox in London across the 13th and 14th December (starting at 2.15pm and 2pm respectively). All games across the two series will be shown on Sky Sports for followers of the sport in the UK.
photo taken from @englandnetball on instagram
Players to Watch across the series:
Funmi Fadoju:
After a stellar season with London Pulse in the Netball Super League, the defender looks to carry on what she started. Her performances on the pitch helped her pulse side win the treble for the first time of the new era (Super Cup, Regular League and Final). Her passing and defending, on and off the ball, makes her one to watch across the two series.
Eleanor Cardwell:
The shooter returned to Manchester for her third stint after being in Australia for two seasons (Adelaide Thunderbirds and Melbourne Mavericks respectively) ahead of the 2026 season. The shooter has won silver at the Netball World Cup and Netball Nations Cup as well as winning the NSL with Thunder on 4 occasions and her calm under pressure shooting will help the side against New Zealand and Jamaica respectively.
Jaz Brown:
After her performances for Birmingham Panthers in 2025, she found her spot on the England Netball squad for the first time and moved to the NIC Leeds Rhinos for the 2026 season. The defender is clinical on the ball and challenges a number of shooters when in the circle to prevent goals raining in, proving her one to watch across the season.
The Vitality Roses are set for a huge finish to 2025 with two blockbuster international series lined up against New Zealand and Jamaica, both of whom sit inside the top five in the World rankings.
With the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow drawing closer, these matches are a chance for Jess Thirlby’s squad to fine-tune combinations and test themselves against two of the world’s most physical and tactically testing sides.
Image taken from West Coast Fever Instagram
The Fixtures:
Vitality International Test Series (November 2025): England will host the Silver Ferns in a three-match series split between London’s Copper Box Arena and Manchester’s AO Arena, in what will be a repeat of the 2024 Taini Jamison Cup.
Vitality Horizon Series (December 2025): The last test for 2025 is a home-and-away clash with the Jamaican Sunshine Girls. England will travel to Kingston before welcoming the Sunshine Girls to London as the Roses look to lift the Rhone-Hornsby Cup for the first time, after a closely contested series saw Jamaica take the title last year.
Image taken from England Netball website
The Roses Squad:
England Netball named a Roses programme for 2025–26, featuring a blend of established internationals and exciting young talent pushing through from the Future Roses pathway.
The players included are as follows:
Halimat Adio, Imogen Allison, Jas Brown, Eleanor Cardwell, Amy Carter, Beth Cobden, Funmi Fadoju, Sasha Glasgow, Helen Housby, Nat Metcalf, Berri Neil, Tash Pavelin, Lois Pearson, Razia Quashie, Ellie Rattu, Emma Rayner, Paige Reed, Alicia Scholes, Jessica Shaw, Olivia Tchine, Anya Williams, Francesca Williams, Yomi Wilson
Players to Watch:
Fran Williams – GD/GK (West Coast Fever) After captaining England to victory at both the 2024 Taini Jamison Trophy and the 2025 Netball Nations Cup, Williams has firmly established herself as the Roses’ defensive leader.
The ex-Loughborough Lightning defender is calm under pressure and since playing in Perth for the West Coast Fever, has proved herself against some of the world’s best attackers, tallying up 10 intercepts, 38 deflections and 16 rebounds in the SSN 2025 season (10 games played). She’ll be pivotal in organising England’s backline against Jamaica’s towering shooters and New Zealand’s rapid attacking units.
Image taken from West Coast Fever Instagram
Helen Housby – GA/GS (New South Wales Swifts) Housby remains England’s most potent attacking weapon. Renowned for her composure in clutch moments and her ability to create space under intense defensive pressure, she consistently delivers when it matters most; over in the SSN she registered 167 goals at 76.1% and delivered the most goal assists for the New South Wales Swifts with 271. Housby’s SSN and international experience will be crucial up against world-class defenders like Jamaica’s Shamera Sterling-Humphrey and New Zealand’s Kelly Jury.
Image taken from England Netball
Funmi Fadoju – GD/GK (London Pulse) London Pulse’s player of the Final has the ability to turn matches with intercepts and deflections, making her one of the most exciting defenders in world netball. Fadoju’s 2025 season proved how vital she will be in Thirlby’s Roses as she recorded impressive stats that include: 18 rebounds, 27 pickups, 120 deflections, 31 intercepts and 77 gains. Her match ups with the tall holding shooters expected in these series are sure to help showcase her agility and timing at the highest level.
Image taken from England Netball
Amy Carter – C/WA/WD (Manchester Thunder) Manchester Thunder captain, Amy Carter, provides balance and poise through the middle third with her controlled feeding and smart positioning, which will be able to help England maintain attacking structure under pressure. Throughout the 2025 NSL season, Carter racked up 14 pickups, 23 deflections, 11 intercepts and 18 gains, helping her side reach the preliminary finals with a heavily rotated squad. Carter’s ability to steady transitions and dictate tempo will be invaluable against two of the world’s most dynamic midcourts.
Image taken from Amy Carter’s Instagram
Why These Series Matter:
With the World rankings being so close, this run of games will allow the Roses to benchmark against the best, with New Zealand and Jamaica sit directly above and below England in the world rankings. These games are the perfect indicator of where the Roses stand heading into the Glasgow Commonwealth Games next summer.
Alongside seeing how the Roses cohort will rise to the occasion against top sides, these games allow for the building of combinations as Thirlby has a wealth of options across court, with new names coming into the fold and returning players hoping to make their mark once again. These series are just as important for finding the right partnerships under pressure as they are for seeing how the International scene has progressed from the World Cup.
Finally, with the Commonwealth Games approaching, these games will allow the Roses to build momentum. A strong finish to 2025 could carry England into 2026 brimming with belief with tests that promise intensity, physicality and skill.
More than just preparation, they are stepping stones toward something bigger. For the Roses, this is the perfect chance to see how England measures up against two of the most formidable forces in world netball, who have challenged the side in past competitions, and to dream about what might be possible when the team walks out in Glasgow in 2026.
20 teams head to Gibraltar this weekend as the Netball World Youth Cup kicks off. The teams were placed into pool groups of five in November and will play in a round robin format until the final days of the week tournament.
Each team will play each other once in their pool groups with the games being able to end in a draw. Based on their pool rankings, teams are reshuffled so if a team finishes fifth they still are in with a chance as they are placed into pool J to battle it out for 17-20th place. These games will also be played in a round robin format and can also be played to a draw.
In the pool stages, if you finished 1st or 2nd, they will be playing for 1-8th with the 3rd and 4th place finishers will be playing for a place between 9th and 16th. These games will not be allowed to be drawn (maybe even having extra time) and will be played in the quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals.
Games will be shown on NetballPass and YouTube for Free. The final three days of the competition and closing ceremony will be exclusive to NetballPass.
Netball World Youth Cup Ball | photo taken from @netballworldcup on instagram
Take a look at the 20 teams:
Pool A:
Pool A consists of New Zealand, Gibraltar, Malaysia, Cook Islands and Zambia. The Cook Islands have reached 3rd place which remains their highest international achievement meanwhile for Gibraltar, the U21 made their debut in the Challenge Cup and came away with a gold medal.
Malaysia: Haisya Abdul Qayyum, Izzazrin, Ahmad Yani, Nuriz Amir Din, Eileen Kong Inn Ci, Farwiza Mohd Fauzi, Maizaturizwana Mohd Ridzuan, Adalia Mustazal, Ellysa Norman Effendy, Fatin Rahmad, Pavitrah Sathiaseelan, Humaria’ Shaharuddin and Akhma Suhhaimi.
Gibraltar: Alexandra Dellipiani, Anna Howard, Natasha Mena, Sophia Shacaluga, Cellene Griffins, Demi Zammit, Neima Roberts Cantrell, Sophia Purkiss Galan, Arabella Duck, Emma Torres, Freya Artell and Lorena Davidson.
New Zealand: Amelia Walmsey, Charlotte Manley, Ella Southby, Josie Seymour, Kaiya Kepa, Kate Taylor, Khanye-Lii Munro-Nonoa, Laura Balmer, Losa Fifita, Sarah Guiney, Serina Daunakamakama, Taiana Day.
Pool B:
Pool B contains Australia, Samoa, Scotland, Singapore and Northern Ireland. Australia have competed in every WYC since the tournament’s debut in 1988 and have won it four times, the last was in 2009. Samoa finished in 11th last competition and Singapore has competed in the competitions since 2009.
Northern Ireland: Catelyn Burns, Joy Ebbinghaus, Emilia Gordon, Tillie Irvine, Mia Lanigan, Zoe Maynard, Rosa McCloskey, Ana Mulholland, Alice O’Brien, Mica Quinn, Eva Ramsey, Immi Shaw.
Singapore: Charlotte Megan Rui Lee, Faithmaria Ifeoma McKevin Lawrence, Divya Mathilda B, Tian Ning Faith Tay, Kimberly Jing Ting Koh, Li Xuan Lee, May Xin Tham, Naeya Chandra Sanders, Norah Paul Gabriel, Tessa Shu Hui Teh, Yasmin Iman Binte Rizal Idwin, Zulfa Rashad D/O Rayhan.
photo taken from @netballni on instagram
Pool C:
Pool C has England, Jamaica, Tonga, Wales and Sri Lanka. England’s highest place is 2nd in 3 tournaments (2009, 2005 and 1992) and Jamaica will be in their sixth World Cup. Tonga are welcomed to their first WYC with Wales competing in the competition since 1988.
Lastly, Pool D has Fiji, South Africa, Malawi, Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago. Barbados have competed in five competitions (including the last competition in 2017) and their highest finish was 7th in 2013. Fiji’s highest finish was in 2017 after they placed fourth and hosted the first Netball Youth World Cup in 1992 with South Africa having consistently finished in 5th place in the competition.
South Africa: Jade Atkins, Renezia Andrews, Ametisse Bandu, Kyla Dames, Mbali Diphoko, Lisa Ingwersen, Luca Keun, Bianca Lubbe, Nonkcubeko Mjaliswa, Phophi Nematangari, Zahrah Noah, Giada Prinsloo, Luane Smith, Karla Victor and Kiara Van Eeden.
Some players to watch from each home nation would be Hannah Knightbridge (England), Wales’ Dani Carr, Zoe Maynard from Northern Ireland and finally Scotland’s Cerys Finn.
Knightbridge is England’s captain and after her season with London Pulse in the NXT Gen, she is a player to watch helping the movement across the court from the centre pass to the shooting third.
Dani Carr had a stellar season with the Team Bath NXT Gen squad after finishing second in the inaugural competition and her shooting excellence will help the Welsh feathers in Gibraltar.
Zoe Maynard from Northern Ireland has been in the ranks for a while now as she looks to help move her side from the centre third and create goals after helping Team Bath in the Senior PDP set up.
Finally, after her time with London Mavericks in the NSL, Cerys Finn is looking to help the thistles defend as many chances as they get and help their Scottish side get a good place in the rankings.
