A 12-strong England U17 squad has been named to compete at the Europe Netball U17 Championship from 7-10 March in Gibraltar.
Games will take place across two venues in Gibraltar which will host the Netball World Youth Cup for the world’s top 20 teams aged 21 and under in 2025.
England enter the U17 event as defending champions having completed a clean sweep en route to the trophy in 2023 but will face fierce competition to retain their title.
The young Roses will go head-to-head with UAE, Wales, Scotland and either Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland depending on the result of their Play Off Event for the final place in the Championship division.
The majority of the selected squad is made up of athletes from the Roses Academy who have met up for monthly camps since September to support them on their development journey towards being potential senior England internationals.
The group have also recently had great exposure to a competition environment to improve both the technical and tactical sides of their game by taking part in a Europe Netball U19 pilot event where they won all games apart from a narrow one-goal defeat to the England U19 squad.
Prior to the Europe Netball U17 Championship, the England U17 squad will come together for a final preparation camp in Manchester on 17 and 18 February.
Former Rose and Interim Roses Academy Head Coach Leah Kennedy will lead the team, supported by Manchester Thunder Pathway Lead Lauren Palmer.
Kennedy commented: “Europe Netball is a great opportunity to showcase the depth within the squad and the talent England have coming through the system. This exciting group of athletes will be provided a platform to be exposed to international competition. We are really excited about what this group of athletes can showcase across the three days. They provide us with some electrifying, dynamic and creative combinations.
“It’s also such a useful experience to develop potential future leaders. Daisy, who will captain the side, is an influential character both on and off the court. She will be competing at her third Europe Netball bringing that knowledge and experience to the group which working alongside her vice-captain Neve will be invaluable. I’m really looking forward to seeing how they develop across the competition.”
England U17 Squad:
| Name | Position | Franchise |
| Lexi J Win Barrigan | WA, C | Manchester Thunder |
| Millie Burns | GK, GD | Saracens Mavericks |
| Zaneya Cunningham | GD, GK | London Pulse |
| Sascha Dale | WA, C | Team Bath |
| Hannah Gibson | GA, GS | London Pulse |
| Daisy Lees | C, WA | Manchester Thunder |
| Shannon Mahlik | GA, GS | Manchester Thunder |
| Neve Marsden | GS GA | Team Bath |
| Gracie Smith | C, WD | Saracens Mavericks |
| Cody Sullivan | GK, GD | North East |
| Coco Williams | GS, GA | London Pulse |
| Neve Wright | GK, GD | Surrey Storm |
Captain: Daisy Lees || Vice-Captain: Neve Marsden
Reserves:
| Halle Brown | WA, C | Surrey Storm |
| Lois Cowin | GS, GA | Manchester Thunder |
| Onyinyechi Nze | GK, GD | Saracens Mavericks |
| Jessica Wood | WD, GD | Manchester Thunder |
The match schedule will be released following the U17 Play Off Event between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland for the final place in the Championship division.
All matches will be live streamed via the Europe Netball YouTube channel and further information can be found on the Europe Netball website.
