The Silver Ferns have been confirmed in the same pool as England in next year's Commonwealth Games.
Photo: Photosport Ltd 2021
Birmingham 2022 has announced the netball match schedule following confirmation of the top 6 qualifiers, which also includes Australia, Jamaica, South Africa, and Malawi.
Despite not holding the World Cup or Commonwealth Games titles, Australia are still ranked number one in world netball.
So in a repeat of the 2018 Commonwealth Games, the Diamonds have been drawn alongside Jamaica and South Africa in Group A.
The Silver Ferns, who are ranked second in the world, will have to contend with England and Malawi in Group B.
Each pool plays preliminary matches against the other teams in their pool. The top two teams in each pool will advance to the semi-finals.
The Ferns will be desperate to finish the top of their group to avoid a likely meeting with Australia in the semi-finals.
But that won't be easy having been grouped with hosts England, who recently beat an under-strength Silver Ferns 2-1 in Christchurch.
The Roses also had a couple of key players missing from that series.
But it's a draw that Silver Ferns' coach Dame Noeline Taurua would have been planning for, knowing the pools are based on world rankings.
The Silver Ferns are current holders of the World Cup but it's been a long time since New Zealand held both pinnacle titles at the same time.
The last time was a brief period in 2006/07.
New Zealand's opening game will be against Malawi on the 1st August.
The Ferns were shocked by Malawi at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games before being beaten by England.
That meant they had to play Australia in the semi-final, which they lost, before going down to Jamaica in the bronze medal match.
The England Roses stunned the netball world when they beat a clinical looking Australia in the final.
Thousands of tickets have already been sold for the netball.
Unlike previous Commonwealth Games, where the netball final has always been played on the last day of competition, it will be held on the penultimate day of the Games.
