The Spar Proteas will play a three-match netball Test series against England in the United Kingdom in February, IOL reported.
South Africa, ranked fifth by World Netball, will face the world No 3 Vitality Roses over five days. The first two matches are set for Wembley Arena in London on February 6 and 7.
The tour will end with the third Test at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester on February 10.
“Playing the Vitality Roses at a time like this is very important for us,” said Netball South Africa president Mami Diale. She said the series would allow the Proteas to “gauge their state of readiness ahead of the 2027 Netball World Cup”.
“We have faced England a few times recently and it is always a spectacle,” Diale said. “Playing teams that are ranked in the top five allows us an opportunity to measure ourselves in terms of how far we are, what we need to work on, and what we are doing right.”
The 2027 Netball World Cup will be played in Sydney, Australia. The tournament is less than 330 days away.
The Proteas started 2026 well. They beat the higher-ranked Roses 2-1 in a home series in Johannesburg in January.
Things changed at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. South Africa were seen as podium contenders, but they lost to England in the pool stage.
That defeat kept the Proteas out of the semi-finals. They finished the tournament in fifth place.
Later in the year, a changed Proteas side lost the Africa Netball Cup final to Uganda. The result cost South Africa their continental title. The team is coached by Jenny van Dyk.
The two teams know each other well. Many South African players play in the Netball Super League in the UK.
For England, the series will be their last home matches before they travel to Sydney. The Roses will play Jamaica before they meet South Africa.
“This international series against South Africa forms an important part of our preparations ahead of the Netball World Cup in Sydney,” said England Netball CEO Fran Connolly.
Connolly said it would be the last chance for fans to watch live international netball in England before the World Cup. “We’re looking forward to welcoming South Africa and feeling the support of a home crowd,” she said.
The series will start at Wembley Arena in London on February 6.
Source: this article is based on reporting by IOL Sport. Image: IOL Sport. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice Sports desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Tiyani Mathebula writes about sport for Tzaneen Voice. Tiyani covers Bafana Bafana, the Springboks, the Proteas and the PSL, along with athletics, tennis and local club sport. Match reports and previews focus on results, team news, fixtures and what each game means for South African teams and fans.