By Mulengera Reporters
The 2025 Vitality Netball Nations Cup will see hosts England battle African sides South Africa, Malawi and Uganda for glory across the first two weekends of February, at venues in Nottingham and London.
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The tournament features a round-robin phase in which six matches will be played across February 1, 2 and 8, followed by a third place playoff and final on Sunday, February 9. The first weekend’s matches will be played at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham, while the second weekend will bring the action to London’s Copper Box Arena.
The action gets underway on the late afternoon of Saturday, February 1, with South Africa taking on Uganda, followed by hosts England pitting their skills against Malawi in the early evening.
Sunday, February 2, features Malawi v Uganda and England v South Africa, while Saturday, February 8 closes out the round-robin phase with Malawi v South Africa and England v Uganda.
The top two teams on the standings after the round-robin phase will meet in the final on Sunday, 9 February, preceded by the third place playoff between the remaining two nations.
England will be hoping to build on their successful international window in September and October last year, which saw them beat world No 1 Australia for just the third time, as well as overcome New Zealand with a 2-1 series win.
Vitality Roses head coach Jess Thirlby believes the tournament will be a challenge, as up-and-coming nations continue to be a threat on the international stage.
“It’s important always to make sure we’re paying attention to these emerging – who is on the rise in world netball way out from what will be the next Commonwealth Games in 2026 and Netball World Cup in 2027,” Thirlby said.
“They’ve always got ability and talent in abundance, and when they harness that they’re a real threat on the international stage.”
Spar Proteas assistant coach Zanele Mdodana, meanwhile, believes their invitation to the Vitality Netball Nations Cup is an indication that South Africa is a rising force in the sport.
“Participating in the Vitality Netball Nations Cup is massive for us. To get the invitation says the world wants to see what the Spar Proteas are doing, and they want to keep [their finger] on our pulse,” said Mdodana.
“It’s exciting for the girls to be able to play against higher-ranked teams – yes, we’ve played Malawi and Uganda, and we’ll meet them there again, but also the opportunity to play against England, who have really stepped up their game and caused a couple of upsets.
“So it’s going to be important for us to gauge and challenge ourselves against a team that’s ranked higher than us, and we’re looking forward to that experience.”
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Broadcast details
Saturday 1 February
17:00: South Africa v Uganda – LIVE on SuperSport Events
19:00: England v Malawi – LIVE on SuperSport Events
Sunday 2 February
16:00: Malawi v Uganda – LIVE on SuperSport Events
18:00: England v South Africa – LIVE on SuperSport Events
Saturday 8 February
17:00: Malawi v South Africa – LIVE on SuperSport Events
19:00: England v Uganda – LIVE on SuperSport Events
Sunday 9 February
15:30: Third Place Playoff – LIVE on SuperSport Events
18:00: Final – LIVE on SuperSport Events
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