"We've missed getting out there in front of a home crowd and this will be an incredible opportunity to play a top team whilst reuniting both the Roses players and our supporters," said England head coach Jess Thirlby
Wednesday 22 September 2021 14:23, UK
England's Netball team will reunite on court later this year as they host a three-game 'Vitality Roses Reunited Series' against Jamaica.
Jess Thirlby's side will go head to head against the Jamaican Sunshine Girls during three days of international netball action on home soil, subject to COVID-19 travel restrictions.
The three-game series will get underway at the Copper Box Arena in London on 28 November, before moving on to the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham, with consecutive games on December 4 and December 5.
This gives the Vitality Roses squad the opportunity to fine-tune their preparations for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, where England are defending their gold medal title.
The 'Vitality Roses Reunited Series' comes after the previously planned contest between the Vitality Roses and Jamaica was postponed back in January 2021 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic and travel restrictions in place between the two countries.
This will also be the first time since the Vitality Netball Nations Cup in January 2020 that the Roses will play in front of spectators in England, with venues now welcoming back full capacity crowds.
"This is going to be an exciting series for the Vitality Roses and our fans, and is an important part of our preparation for next year's Commonwealth Games," said England head coach Jess Thirlby.
"We've missed getting out there in front of a home crowd and this will be an incredible opportunity to play a top team whilst reuniting both the Roses players and our supporters."
David Parsons, Performance Director at England Netball, added: "We are grateful to everyone in the Jamaica camp for working closely with us to reschedule fixtures after our games couldn't go ahead earlier this year.
"We know Jamaica will bring everything to the court and be a part of a brilliant spectacle of netball.
"It's been a tough 18 months for our sport and everyone in it due to the pandemic, but we are delighted to be getting our national team back on court for fans to see whilst giving our players and coaching team vital time together as we continue to build towards Birmingham next year."
Watch live coverage on Sky Sports Arena, Mix and YouTube channel of England's series in New Zealand as Jess Thirlby's squad continue preparations for the defence of their Commonwealth Games gold medal in Birmingham in 2022