England netball Roses to face rivals Australia and New Zealand

England won the bronze medal at the 2019 World Championships in Liverpool.

England's Vitality Roses will fly to Australia and New Zealand to face the world number one and two sides as they prepare to defend their Commonwealth title next year.

They will play the world champion Silver Ferns in a three-match series on the 20, 22 and 24 September.

Jess Thirlby's side will then face the Australian Diamonds in October in another three-game series.

The tour will take place subject to New Zealand's government lockdown levels being reduced after a local outbreak of Covid-19 in the country.

All three national sides have been working together to navigate the changing travel restrictions and quarantine regulations between the countries.

"To organise a tour of this magnitude at this time has been incredibly challenging due to the ongoing global pandemic and the restrictions to travel, testing programmes and quarantine periods as per government regulations across the world," said England Netball performance director David Parsons.

It will be the first time England have faced either side since October 2020.

Australia will no doubt see these games as a chance to intimidate the Roses ahead of next summer's Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. The Diamonds will be seeking revenge after losing their title in dramatic fashion to England on the Gold Coast in 2018.

Head coach Thirlby said the tour "provides us with the world-class playing and training opportunities that are so critical to our preparations for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham next July."

Gold Coast stars Geva Mentor and Serena Guthrie are part of the 15-strong England squad with Helen Housby and Jo Harten among those joining for the Australian leg.

Full squad:

Ella Clark, Rhea Dixon, George Fisher, Eleanor Cardwell, Sophie Drakeford-Lewis, Laura Malcolm, Hannah Joseph, Serena Guthrie, Beth Cobden, Imogen Allison, Jade Clarke, Geva Mentor, Layla Guscoth, Francesca Williams, Vicki Oyseola.

Australia leg only: Stacey Francis-Bayman, Joanne Harten, Helen Housby, Natalie Haythornthwaite.