The competition will be live on Sky Sports; the Vitality Netball Legends Series is a new tournament named to represent the netball players who are making their mark on the international stage
Thursday 12 November 2020 19:16, UK
England Netball has revealed its plans to host a four-match test series against Jamaica at the end of January 2021, which will be the first international competition on home soil in a year.
After extensive planning, plus regular conversations with Public Health England, Jamaica's Sunshine Girls have agreed to travel to the UK for a period of isolation before facing the Vitality Roses on court.
The Vitality Netball Legends Series is a new tournament, which has been named to represent the netball players who are making their mark on the international stage.
After January, the series will convert to the autumn annually and will see England face a different world-class team in each edition.
Each year, England Netball will name the trophy for the series after a different legend in the netball world. For the first installation of the series, the Sunshine Girls and the Vitality Roses will battle for the Jean Hornsby Cup, named in honour of England Netball's first black player.
"We are absolutely delighted to announce that international netball will once again be showcased on home soil," Fran Connolly, CEO of England Netball said.
"After an incredibly tough year for not only netball, but all sport, we didn't know if this series would be possible. Getting the Vitality Roses to New Zealand for a tournament there in November was a huge feat, but to now be able to host some competition ourselves, is a huge privilege.
"Whilst this series will look different from what we're used to, without fans in attendance, we know that the netball family will be cheering on the Vitality Roses from homes across the country.
"A tremendous amount of work and effort has gone into making this possible, and we will be following extensive medical guidance and ensuring strict safety protocols are in place throughout for the safety of all involved.
"There's still a lot of work to do but we are so pleased to be able to get this series agreed," Connolly added.
"Thank you to everyone at England Netball for their tireless work, Public Health England for their ongoing guidance and Netball Jamaica for making this happen."
The exact dates, venue and times of the series, which will be live on Sky Sports, will be announced in due course.
