11/07/2019

Netball World Cup Preview: Hosts England in a group with Scotland, Northern Ireland with defending champions Australia

16 of the world's best netball nations will descend on Liverpool tomorrow, hoping to lift the Netball World Cup on 21 July.
Photo from The Guide Liverpool
Hosts England automatically qualified, alongside the top five in the world rankings (correct at the time of qualifying) - Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, South Africa, and Malawi.
In 2018, two teams from five recognised International Netball Federation regions qualified to complete the sixteen teams.

Europe Northern Ireland and Scotland
Oceania Fiji and Samoa
Africa Uganda and Zimbabwe
Americas Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados
Asia Sri Lanka and Singapore

Preliminaries Stage One Groups
In a new tournament format, it begins with four groups of four in the premliminaries stage one, with each playing a round-robin from Friday 12 July until Sunday 14 July.

Group A Australia, Northern Ireland, Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka
Group B New Zealand, Malawi, Barbados, Singapore
Group C Jamaica, South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, Fiji
Group D England, Uganda, Scotland, Samoa

Teams were assigned to these groups by seedings based on world rankings.
Two from the top eight were randomly assigned to the four groups, with one from the 9th-12th seeds and one from the 13th-16th seeds also drawn randomly into each group.

Team Nicknames
England                        Roses

Zimbabwe                    Gems
Northern Ireland        Warriors 
Sri Lanka                      Lankans
Scotland                        Thistles 
Barbados                      Bajan Gems
Australia                       Diamonds 
Fiji                                  Pearls
New Zealand                Silver Ferns 
South Africa                  Proteas
Jamaica                         Sunshine Girls
Malawi                          Queens
Uganda                          She-Cranes 
Trinidad and Tobago Calypso Girls

Preliminaries Stage Two
From Monday 15 July to Thursday 18 July, it will be stage two of the preliminaries round, in which the top three teams from Group A and B will go into Group F, the top three from Group C and D go into Group G, with the bottom placed team from each of the four groups moving into Group E.
From the start of stage two, only Group F and G teams will be competing for the title, with Group E teams competing for placings from 13th to 16th.

In the new three groups, there will be another round-robin, apart from teams that have already played each other in the previous stage (e.g. the top placed team in Group A will be in Group F with the second and third placed teams from Group A) - these teams will not play each other again - instead the result will be carried forward from the previous group.

Play-off and Placings
The top two teams in Groups F and G after stage two of the preliminary round qualify for the semi-finals.
The top placed team from one group will play the second place team from the other.
The winners of each semi-final will compete for gold in the final, with the runner-up taking the silver medal.
The two losing semi-finalists will play for third (bronze medal) and fourth, with the remaining teams playing for placings from fifth down to 16th.

Teams that finish third and fourth in Groups F and G will compete for positions fifth to eighth, third place in one group plays fourth place in the other, with the winner of each of those playing for fifth place, while the losers play for seventh.
The teams that finish fifth in groups F and G will play off for ninth and 10th places.
The teams that finish last in groups F and G will play off for 11th and 12th places.
The top two teams from group E will play off for 13th and 14th place and the bottom two teams will play off for 15th and 16th place.

Preliminaries Stage One Fixtures
Round One - Friday 12 July
09:00 - New Zealand vs Malawi
09:25 - Barbados vs Singapore
11:00 - Australia vs Northern Ireland
11:25 - Zimbabwe vs Sri Lanka
17:00 - Jamaica vs Fiji
17:25 - South Africa vs Trinidad & Tobago
19:00 - England vs Uganda
19:25 - Scotland vs Samoa

Round Two - Saturday 13 July
09:00 - Australia vs Zimbabwe
09:25 - Northern Ireland vs Sri Lanka
11:00 - New Zealand vs Barbados
11:25 - Malawi vs Singapore
15:00 - England vs Scotland
15:25 - Uganda vs Samoa
17:00 - Jamaica vs Trinidad & Tobago
17:25 - South Africa vs Fiji

Round Three - Sunday 14 July
09:00 - New Zealand vs Singapore
09:25 - Malawi vs Barbados
11:00 - England vs Samoa
11:25 - Uganda vs Scotland
15:00 - Australia vs Sri Lanka
15:25 - Northern Ireland vs Zimbabwe
17:00 - Jamaica vs South Africa
17:25 - Trinidad & Tobago vs Fiji


Previous Winners
Year - Host/1st - 2nd - 3rd
1963 - Eastbourne, England/Australia - New Zealand - England
1967 - Perth, Australia/New Zealand - Australia - South Africa
1971 - Kingston, Jamaica/Australia - New Zealand - England
1975 - Auckland, New Zealand/Australia - England - New Zealand
1979 - Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago/Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad & Tobago - N/A - N/A
1983 - Singapore/Australia - New Zealand - Trinidad and Tobago
1987 - Glasgow, Scotland/New Zealand - Trinidad & Tobago, Australia - N/A
1991 - Sydney, Australia/Australia - New Zealand - Jamaica
1995 - Birmingham, England/Australia - South Africa - New Zealand
1999 - Christchurch, New Zealand/Australia - New Zealand - England
2003 - Kingston, Jamaica/New Zealand - Australia - Jamaica
2007 - Auckland, New Zealand/Australia - New Zealand - Jamaica
2011 - Singapore/Australia - New Zealand - England
2015 - Sydney, Australia/Australia - New Zealand - England



Below are some players to watch throughout the tournament, as well as the confirmed squads.

Ones to Watch

Gretel Tippett (Australia)
Age: 26
Height: 1.91m
Position: Goal shooter/goal attack
International debut: 2018
Originally a basketball player, Tippett will be an important playing in the shooting circle for the defending champions.
Making the long journey from down-under, Tippett has had to part with her dog Winnie, as well as her recently born niece and nephew, becoming an aunt to twins - Louie and Isabel.
At her first meeting with the pair, she said she "didn't want to give them back," but managed to prise herself away for the flight from Brisbane to Manchester.
The Queensland Firebird has become a regular starter for coach Lisa Alexander, and is shooting at 96% so far this season in Super Netball.

Shamera Sterling (Jamaica)

Age: 23 
Height: 1.83m 
Position: Goalkeeper/goal defence 
International debut: 2016
Sterling had her breakthrough season with Loughborough Lightning last year, helping her team reach the grand final.
After starring for Adelaide Thunderbirds, she is a household name in the netball world.
One of the sports big characters, 'Sunshine Sammy' is always smiling, known for her flamboyant but agile athleticism on-court.
Sterling's defensive stats from the domestic season will give her country confidence in being a rock at the back - producing 42 intercepts, 21 rebounds and 77 deflections.

Layla Guscoth (England)

Age: 27 
Height: 1.83m 
Positions: Wing defence/goal defence 
International debut: 2015
Guscoth was busy qualifying as a doctor when the Roses won Commonwealth gold last year.
Performances for Team Bath have been consistently solid, warranting her return to the team.
She is tenacious, versatile and tough in the defence, impressing for Adelaide Thunderbirds while taking a research fellowship at the university.

Ameliaranne Ekenasio (New Zealand)

Age: 28 
Height: 1.86m 
Positions: Goal attack/goal shooter 
International debut: 2014
One of the first names on Noeline Taurua's teamsheet, Ekenasio is known for her speed and clinical finishing ability anywhere in the circle.
She comes into the World Cup on the back of an ANZ Championship winning season in her home nation with Central Pulse.
Her husband Damien is a basketballer, and she took time out of the game in 2017 to have her first child, a son called Ocean.

Peace Proscovia (Uganda)

Age: 29 
Height: 1.93m 
Position: Goal shooter 
International debut: 2013
Growing up in a small Ugandan village called Arua in extreme poverty, Proscovia's life was changed when she discovered netball.
She moved to Kampala where she could go to school and hone her skills.
One of the most lethal shooters in the world game, she now captains her country.
It must have be hard to believe that she'd make it this far, when she used to have to walk an hour to get fresh water, and once survived being poisoned by a stranger on a bus.
Now at Sunshine Coast Lightning in Australia, Proscovia had a successful stint at Loughborough Lighting in the Superleague.

Shadine van der Merwe (South Africa)

Age: 26 
Height: 1.78m 
Positions: Wing defence/centre 
International debut: 2018
Van der Merwe saw snow for the first time last winter while playing for Surrey Storm, she thought her season was over before Adelaide Thunderbirds drafted her in to replace injured Beth Cobden.
She may not be flashy, but she's reliable, can carry, and is a commanding presence on court.

Claire Maxwell (Scotland)

Age: 30 
Height: 1.75m 
Position: Wing defence/centre 
International debut: 2009
With 10 years under her belt in the international game, Scotland and Strathclyde Sirens skipper Maxwell is tough, technically sound and an inspirational leader.
Once quoted as saying she will do "whatever it takes to win", she is likely to make her 100th appearance for the Thistles in this tournament - having played 97 times to date.

Samantha Wallace (Trinidad and Tobago)

Age: 25 
Height: 1.94m 
Position: Goal shooter 
International debut: 2015
Vice-captain Wallace will be playing in her second World Cup, as one of the more senior players in the squad despite being just 25.
She is known to have a poker face while playing, but can be a joker in the pack at times.
During a lucrative season in Super Netball, she racked up some of the best shooting stats in a league that is littered with world-class attackers.

Squads

Current world ranking in brackets

Australia (1)

Caitlin Bassett, April Brandley, Kelsey Browne, Courtney Bruce, Paige Hadley, Sarah Klau, Caitlin Thwaites, Gretel Tippett, Jamie-Lee Price, Liz Watson, Jo Weston, Steph Wood.

Jamaica (2)

Romelda Aiken, Jhanielle Fowler-Reid, Vangelee Williams, Jodi-Ann Ward, Stacian Facey, Shanice Beckford, Adean Thomas, Nicole Dixon, Khadijah Williams, Kadie-Ann Dehaney, Shamera Sterling, Shimona Nelson

England (3)

Helen Housby, Joanne Harten, Natalie Haythornthwaite, Rachel Dunn, Serena Guthrie, Jade Clarke, Chelsea Pitman, Natalie Panagarry, Layla Guscoth, Eboni Usoro-Brown, Geva Mentor, Francesca Williams

New Zealand (4)

Maria Folau, Laura Langman, Ameliaranne Ekenasio, Gina Crampton, Bailey Mes, Casey Kopua, Jane Watson, Shannon Saunders, Karin Burger, Phoenix Karaka, Katrina Rore, Te Paea Selby-Rickett.

South Africa (5)

Lenize Potgieter, Ine-Marie Venter, Maryka Holtzhausen, Renske Stoltz, Erin Burger, Izette Griesel, Khanyisa Chawane, Bongiwe Msomi (captain), Shadine van der Merwe, Karla Pretorius, Phumza Maweni, Zanele Vimbela

Uganda (6)

Peace Proscovia, Mary Cholhok, Lilian Ajio, Jesca Achan, Meeme Ruth, Betty Kizza, Racheal Nanyonga, Sylivia Nanyonga, Joan Nampugu, Stella Oyella, Stella Nanfuka, Muhaimuna Naamuwaya

Scotland (7)

Emma Barrie, Kelly Boyle, Lynsey Gallagher, Ella Gibbons, Bethan Goodwin, Sarah MacPhail, Claire Maxwell, Niamh McCall, Nicola McCleery, Hayley Mulheron, Emily Nicholl, Lauren Tait

Northern Ireland (8)

Caroline O'Hanlon, Fi Toner, Lisa Bowman, Shaunagh Craig, Niamh Cooper, Ciara Crosbie, Michelle Drayne, Gemma Lawlor, Emma Magee, Michelle Magee, Lisa McCaffrey, Neamh Woods

Malawi (9)

Laureen Ngwira, Carol Mtukule, Towera Vinkhumbo, Joana Kachilika, Grace Mwafulirwa, Takondwa Lwanzi, Thandie Saenda, Bridget Kumwenda, Alinafe Kamwala, Joyce Mvula, Sindie Simutowe, Jane Chimaliro

Trinidad and Tobago (10)

Jameela McCarthy, Tahirah Hollingsworth, Kalifa MCollin, Samantha Wallace, Daystar Swift, Shaquanda Queena, Onella Jack Hill, Aniecia Baptiste, Rhonda John Hart, Shantel Seemungal, Shernece Seemungal, Candice Gueteto

Barbados (11)

Amanda Knight, Brianna Holder, Damisha Croney, Latonia Blackman, Rhe-Ann Niles-Mapp, Rieah Holder, Samantha Browne, Sheniqua Thomas, Shonica Wharton, Shonette Azore-Bruce, Shonte Seal, Tonisha Rock-Yaw

Zimbabwe (13)

Adelaide Muskwe, Claris Kwaramba, Felisitus Kwangwa, Joice Takaidza, Ndaizivei Madzikangava, Patricia Mauladi, Pauline Jani, Perpetua Siyachitema, Rudo Karume, Sharon Bwanali, Sharleen Makusha, Ursula Ndlovu

Samoa (14)

Ann Helen Nu'uali'itia, Ariana Luamanu, Toa Tanimo, Brooke Amber Williams, Eseta Autagavaia, Gene Nafanua Solia-Gibb, Lenora Misa, Rachel Rasmussen, Sanita To'o, Afi Lafaiali'i-Sapolu, Soli Ropati, Tee Salanoa

Fiji (17)

Adi Vakaoca Bolakoro, Alisi Galo, Aliti Toribau, Asilika Sevutia, Ema Mualuvu, Episake Kahatoka, Kaitlyn Fisher, Kelera Nawai, Laisani Waqa, Lydia Panapasa, Matila Vocea, Unaisi Rauluni.

Sri Lanka (18)

Chathurangi Jayasooriya, Darshika Abeywickrama, Gayani Dissanayake, Tharjini Sivalingam, Thilini Waththegedara, Gayanjali Amarawansa, Hasitha Mendis, Deepika Darshani, Dulangi Wannithilake, Dulanga Dhananji, Elilenthini Sethukavalar, Nauchalee Rajapakse

Singapore (26)

Lee Pei Shan, Charmaine Soh, Tan Xin Yi, Toh Kai Wei, Carmen Goh, Kimberly Lim, Shawallah Rashid, Kwok Shuyi, Aqilah Andin, Melody Teo, Sindhu Nair, Joanna Toh


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