England's Vitality Roses will welcome South Africa for a three-Test netball encounter across February, with every match broadcast live on Sky Sports. According to Sky Sports, the fixtures form a crucial part of England's build-up to the 2027 World Cup in Australia.
The Vitality Roses, ranked third globally, will take on fifth-ranked South Africa at Wembley Arena in London on February 6 and 7, with the series concluding at Leicester's Mattioli Arena on February 10. These matches represent important preparation ahead of the tournament, which takes place in late August and early September 2027.
England and South Africa have a recent competitive history. The Vitality Roses defeated the Proteas 58-54 in their final pool match at this summer's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, a result that sent England through to the semi-finals at South Africa's expense. However, South Africa had the upper hand in their previous Test series in January 2026, winning that encounter 2-1 with a decisive 65-50 victory in Johannesburg.
Before facing the Proteas in February, England will play Jamaica in home and away fixtures during the autumn months.
World Cup venue and format confirmed
The 2027 Netball World Cup will be staged entirely at a single venue for the first time. Tournament organisers have confirmed that all 64 World Cup matches will be played at Afterpay Arena in Sydney Olympic Park, rather than being spread across multiple locations. The competition will feature 16 nations competing over 12 days, with Sydney's Afterpay Arena having previously hosted the 2015 World Cup final, which drew 16,752 spectators.
Fran Connolly, chief executive of England Netball, outlined the significance of the South Africa series.
This international series against South Africa forms an important part of our preparations ahead of the Netball World Cup. We now have two opportunities to test ourselves against world-class nations, including fixtures at home and away, that will put us in the best position possible heading into the summer. We're looking forward to welcoming South Africa and feeling the support of a home crowd behind us.
Mami Diale, president of Netball South Africa, echoed the importance of the fixture.
Playing the Vitality Roses at a time like this is very important for us - this allows us to gauge our state of readiness ahead of the World Cup. We have faced England a few times recently and it is always a spectacle. Playing teams that are ranked in the top five is very important because it allows us an opportunity to measure in terms of how far we are, what we need to work on and what we are doing right.
What comes next for the World Cup
The World Cup draw is scheduled for December 2026, with the detailed match schedule to be released afterwards. Supporters keen to attend can secure tickets, with ticket presales beginning on November 10, 2026, and general sales opening on November 12.
