A year on from making it to their first-ever Netball World Cup final, England’s national team are set to bring the buzz of a home crowd to Manchester’s AO Arenalater this year.
Taking on Jamaica in November, England Netball – a.k.a. The Vitality Roses – will be helping kick off the brand-new Vitality Netball Horizon Series.
Marking the inaugural edition of the competition, the action will kick off with a pair of matches at the AO Arena before England travel to Jamaica for a further two games at the National Indoor Sports Centre in Kingston.
Better yet, tickets for the fast-approaching fixtures go on sale this month.
Want to experience the buzz of live netball? ⚡️
🗓️ The Vitality Roses are next in action on home soil this November against @NetballJamaica!
EN members, don’t miss out on your exclusive early access window before general sale begins on 12 August 🎟️ pic.twitter.com/cJgfZFvLWd
As part of the new four-year tournament series between England and their Caribbean counterparts, there will be two games played in each country annually, and Manchester has been chosen as the city to get things started.
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With 0161’s own netball team Manchester Thunder being the second-most decorated club in the division, with four Super League titles to their name and having only narrowly missed out on a fifth to record-breaking Loughborough Lightning, it feels like the perfect fit.
As for the Jamaicans, commonly known as the ‘Sunshine Girls’ and currently ranked fourth in the world with a huge netball culture, they finished as bronze medallists in last year’s World Cup and will be looking to assert some pressure on the Roses over the course of this multi-year series.
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The first of two international meetings between England and Jamaica takes place on Saturday, 16 November, the second game taking place on the following Sunday.
The following double-header in Jamaica is scheduled for between 25-26 November, to reignite a long-standing rivalry in an exciting new format. You can watch what happened the last time the two sides met down below:
Speaking in an official announcement, Vitality Roses Head Coach Jess Thirlby said: “We’re excited to introduce this new and innovative Vitality Netball Horizon Series against the Sunshine Girls into our international competition calendar.
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“Both nations have enjoyed success at recent major tournaments with Jamaica taking silver at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022 and the Vitality Roses securing silver at the Netball World Cup in South Africa after making our first-ever World Cup final last summer.
The long and competitive history between us both, combined with a shared desire to shake up the world order makes for a tantalising match-up that fans can enjoy every year…
“We have enjoyed series wins at home against Jamaica in recent years which were over ten years in the making and always enjoy playing in these head-to-heads that deliver flamboyant, exciting netball and a showcase of high skill level from both sides. Here’s to more edge-of-your-seat netball as we embark on a new groundbreaking competition programme.”
Pre-sale access for the tournament is already live for England Netball members, who will receive an exclusive 10% discount, but general sale begins on Monday, 12 August from 10am.
You can be ready to buy your tickers for England Netball vs Jamaica at the AO Arena in Manchester HERE.
Featured Images — paddynapper (via Flickr)/AO Arena/England Netball (supplied)
Sport
Kyle Walker announces retirement from international football with England at 35
Danny Jones
Former Manchester City star and England defender has announced his retirement from international football at 35 years old.
He calls it a day for his country with nearly a century of appearances.
Kyle Walker, who has won six Premier Leagues, four Carabao trophies, a pair of FA Cups and a Champions League title with Man City, made his national team debut back in 2011.
Now, nearly a full decade and a half later, he is hanging up his boots on the biggest stage, retiring as England’s most capped right back in history.
As you can see, he confirmed the news in a highlight video looking back on her best moments with the Three Lions.
Sharing a lengthy and emotional statement in the caption, the Yorkshireman wrote: “After more than a decade representing my country, I have decided to retire from international football. Playing for England has always been the biggest honour of my career and something I will always be proud of.
“Thank you to every teammate, coach, manager, the 12th man, and everyone behind the scenes who has been part of the journey. Every roar from the fans pushed the team along, and I’m looking forward to joining them to support the lads in the World Cup.”
His last appearance in an England shirt came in June against Senegal, since dropping out of manager Thomas Tuchel’s first-choice team and future plans, with both form and age no doubt being factored into that decision.
Walker added: “The memories in an England shirt will stay with me forever.”
96 caps 🧢 Five major tournaments 🏴 A #ThreeLions legend ⭐
He went on to sign off by saying, “I also want to thank my family for their support every step of the way. They have made this journey even more special, and I will always be grateful to have shared it with them.”
The Sheffield-born fullback left Manchester last year following a loan spell at AC Milan, before joining fellow Premier League side Burnley FC permanently this past July.
Meanwhile, the Clarets are staring down relegation back to the Championship; however, this step will no doubt help Walker prolong his club career, whether or not he stays in Lancashire.
Where does Walker rank among the all-time England defenders in your mind?
Featured Images — Oleg Bkhambri (via Wikimedia Commons)/England (screenshot via YouTube)
Sport
Wigan Warriors’ Bevan French out for around four months with major muscle injury
Danny Jones
Wigan Warriors player Bevan French has unfortunately been ruled out for roughly four months following a fairly serious muscle injury.
An important playmaker and cog in the wider team, his absence will surely be felt.
French, 30, is said to have suffered a hamstring tear during the win over Toulouse Olympique this past weekend, and while not as severe as a full rupture, Bevan has now been told by the club he will be sidelined for approximately 16 weeks, according to head coach Matt Peet.
Speaking to BBC Radio Manchester after learning the news, he provided a number of updates from the physio room, including the latest on Jai Field, who French had been filling in for at fullback.
While Wigan are currently leading the Super League once again, they will be without one of their key Warriors with just under a dozen games left in the season.
The Greater Manchester club’s quadruple-winning boss and former Coach of the Year admitted that, despite some obvious disappointments in the immediate aftermath, his “positive” and “philosophical” attitude has already kicked in.
He’s quite philosophical, Bevan. He quickly flips a switch.
“Now he knows the timeframe and the schedule for his recovery, like most professionals, he can get his head down now and focus on the present”, said the 41-year-old.
The Australian stand-off/fly-half has regularly run the show in red and white, and even amid periods out of the squad, he remains an understandable fan favourite and integral part of the team when fit.
You only need to hear pundits and peers alike describing him as a “special” talent to know how much of a big miss he’ll be.
As mentioned, Peet also shed more light on Field, who dropped out with appendicitis last week and is himself set for around four to five weeks away.
For now, youngster Noah Hodkinson is being given the chance to fill the void and work his way into the first team after regularly impressing in the reserves.
Nevertheless, they could have really done with him ahead of their upcoming games.
Domestically, all three of Leeds Rhinos, Warrington Wolves and St Helens aren’t far behind them in the table, so it could prove to be a tasty remainder of the 2026 campaign.
You can watch the highlights from the result against Toulouse on Saturday, 7 March, here.
Danny Jones -
7th August 2024 
