VITALITY NETBALL NATIONS CUP – ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW

A squad of 15 players will represent England in the Vitality Netball Nations Cup in February.

The Vitality Netball Nations Cup is being held across the next two weekends – on 1 and 2 February at Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena, and 8 and 9 February at the Copper Box Arena in London. The tournament sees the Vitality Roses take on world ranked number five, South Africa, number six Uganda and number seven Malawi, completing an international window which, as our map earlier in this issue shows, has seen England face all six of the seven top netball nations ranked around themselves.

11 of the squad that played in the Vitality Netball Horizon Series against Jamaica in November have been named in the squad, along with Zara Everitt, Paige Reed and Alicia Scholes, who all competed at the FAST5 Netball World Series late last year and Emma Thacker, who was called up to the squad following an injury to Lois Pearson and will make her debut for England if she takes to court.

SQUAD

Eleanor Cardwell (due to return from injury), Natalie Metcalf (due to pregnancy) and Helen Housby (due to club commitments) were unavailable for selection.

Vitality Roses Head Coach Jess Thirlby said: “We’re looking forward to kickstarting 2025 with the first Vitality Netball Nations Cup to feature the top three African nations. All three teams continue to rise up in world netball and have been actively playing more competition of late. South Africa showed that they have real talent coming through their system when we last played them in December 2023, with a number of impressive debutants taking to court “Uganda and Malawi have posed real threats to top teams over the last few years, and we welcome the opportunity to play against their respective styles and challenge ourselves against their ability to keep possession, prolific shooting talent and ball-hungry defenders.

Funmi Fadoju and Fran Williams defend against Malawi’s Joyce Mvula

Berri Neil in action against Uganda

“I could not be prouder of this team’s achievements in recent months, winning the Taini Jamison Series against New Zealand and picking up important match wins against both Australia and Jamaica all with a new, young and exciting squad who are keen to establish themselves and do things that no Vitality Roses team have done before.”

Tickets are still available for some of the Vitality Netball Nations Cup fixtures, you can get yours here. And if you can’t make it to the arenas, then you can watch all matches live on Sky Sports – don’t forget to tune in!

ONES TO WATCH

England: Imogen Allison

Club: Queensland Firebirds

Age: 26

Imogen Allison is a Sport and Exercise Science graduate who made her debut in 2020 after being involved in the England setup for several years, beginning in the Roses Academy at 16 right through until she was 21.

She gained a taste of international netball through winning bronze at the Netball World Youth Cup and formed a great partnership alongside Serena Kersten (née Guthrie) for Team Bath and internationally.

After making her senior major international competition debut at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, she played a key role the following summer in the Vitality Roses’ history-making, silver medal-winning Netball World Cup campaign in South Africa.

South Africa: Khanyisa Chawane

Club: LexisNexis Cardiff Dragons

Age: 29

Midcourt maestro Khanyisa ‘KC’ Chawane started playing netball at the age of nine and has been an integral part of the SPAR Proteas team since 2018. She was part of the World Cup squad that finished fourth in 2019 and represented the Proteas again in the 2023 Netball World Cup in her home country.

She was made captain of the national side in August of last year. KC says: “It’s a privilege to lead such a talented and dedicated group of players. I’m committed to leading by example, with passion, integrity, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. I’m looking forward to making South Africa proud.”

KC has played for various teams in her home country and for Team Bath and the LexisNexis Cardiff Dragons in the Netball Super League, covering all three midcourt positions.

Uganda: Mary Cholhok

Club: Queensland Firebirds

Age: 28

Now featuring alongside Imogen Allison at Firebirds after having played in the Netball Super League for six years – in which she was top scorer four times, including an incredible 975 goals last season – Mary Cholhok is one of the most revered shooters in world netball.

She marked her final season in the Netball Super League by winning the League with Loughborough Lightning, her third title after having also been triumphant in 2021 and 2023.

Off the court, Cholhok has spoken candidly about balancing an elite netball career with motherhood, with her young son Jackson joining her in the UK during the 2023 and 2024 seasons, proudly cheering on his mum from the sidelines.

Malawi: Joyce Mvula

Club: Leeds Rhinos

Age: 30

Star shooter Joyce Mvula started playing netball at age 13 and became the first Malawian to play in the Netball Super League after she was signed by Manchester Thunder following the 2015 Netball World Cup. She played for Thunder from 2017 until 2022, winning titles in 2019 and 2022, a year in which she scored 774 goals.

After a stint with New Zealand side Central Pulse, Mvula played for Leeds Rhinos in 2024 and will do so again this season.

Internationally, she first played for the Malawi Queens in 2010 and has represented her country in an amazing four Netball World Cups, finishing as her country’s top scorer and the entire tournament’s second-top scorer in South Africa in 2023.

VITALITY NETBALL NATIONS CUP SCHEDULE

Saturday 1 February – Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham

South Africa vs. Uganda – 15:00

England vs. Malawi – 17:00

Sunday 2 February – Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham

Malawi vs. Uganda – 14:00

England vs. South Africa – 16:00

Saturday 8 February – Copper Box Arena, London

Malawi vs. South Africa – 15:00

England vs. Uganda – 17:00

Sunday 9 February – Copper Box Arena, London

Third-place play-off – 13:30