England Netball have announced that the Vitality Roses will travel to New Zealand to play a three-match international test series against the Silver Ferns in September and October 2024.
The Vitality Roses will play the Silver Ferns on Sunday 29 September at The Trusts Arena in Auckland, on Wednesday 2 October at Te Rauparaha Arena in Porirua and on Sunday 6 October at ILT Stadium Southland in Invercargill.
The two sides last met in Leeds at the Vitality Netball Nations Cup in January 2024, where the Vitality Roses defeated the Silver Ferns 58-57 in a thrilling match that was decided in the final seconds.
Vitality Roses Head Coach Jess Thirlby said: “Playing a Silver Ferns side in New Zealand is always a welcome opportunity in our international calendar. Not only do they continue to be a huge challenge on the court with firepower to test us across every position, but they have such a rich heritage in the game which always makes for such a great atmosphere and contest.
“Our rivalry has strengthened in recent years, and we welcome the chance to pit ourselves once again against the world number two and their distinctive style in this three-match series. With both teams looking to close the gap on the world number one in Australia, we look forward to preparing our Roses team well, being part of a competitive series and elevating our performance levels.”
Following the Vitality Roses’ history-making second place finish at the Netball World Cup in the summer, the team has completed a successful international window in which they have set the tone for their ambitions moving forward. This test series follows the Vitality Roses’ victory against the Silver Ferns in the opening match of the Taini Jamison Trophy in September 2023. The Silver Ferns went on to win the next match and the series decider, taking the series 2-1. Back at home, the Vitality Roses then took a 2-1 test series victory over the South African Proteas, before reaching the final and finishing in second place at the Vitality Netball Nations Cup in front of thousands of home fans.
A squad announcement and more information on the broadcast plans for these matches will be shared closer to the time.
