England have made history by reaching the Netball World Cup final against Australia; the final will be live on Sky Sports Max for non-Sky Sports subscribers, and Sky Sports Arena on Sunday from 4.30pm
Sunday 6 August 2023 16:13, UK
September 4 1975 - that is the last time an England Netball team came close to being crowned Netball World Cup champions.
Even then, the tournament existed in a round-robin format, Australia becoming the eventual winners with England in second place.
Since the World Cup changed its format in 1991, it has been a string of heart breaking semi-final defeats for the Vitality Roses.
Semi-finals lost in 1991, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015, and 2019 made finishing just out of the spotlight the norm for the Roses. That is, until now.
Ever since 1999, the Netball World Cup final has been contested by Australia and New Zealand but on August 5 2023, England upset the status quo.
With their 46-40 win over reigning champions New Zealand, they wrote history and a new narrative for English netball.
The new narrative has been built out of a difficult period for England, a fourth place finish at the 2022 Commonwealth Games leaving many questioning this side and their resilience.
But diamonds are formed under pressure and Jess Thirlby's side regrouped, worked hard, and decided as a team to show everyone what they are really made of.
Like we have seen before with the Lionesses and the Red Roses, the success of current stars comes from the work of those before, England stalwart and Commonwealth Games hero Jo Harten cheering on from the sidelines as England finally cemented themselves as World Cup finalists.
As we saw with those teams too, it is when a mix of youth and experience combine that the dream finally happens.
Just as Jill Scott retired from the game of football as a Euros winner, Geva Mentor could leave her sixth and final World Cup as a champion.
Just as Alessia Russo and Chloe Kelly announced themselves as England's future stars, so too have Olivia Tchine and Funmi Fadoju.
Just as Sarah Hunter was the indomitable force in a world-leading Red Roses side, Layla Guscoth and Helen Housby showed once again why they are big game players.
Just as these players became household names, so too could the Vitality Roses.
Although some history has already been written, England will know that there is one final match that could make them immortal, that could take English netball to stratospheric heights- to beat Australia in a World Cup final.
The storyline is clear to see: Australia have not missed a World Cup Final since 1963, England are in their first.
They have beat the Diamonds once already in this tournament- can England do it again for World Cup glory and a new winners name in lights?
Non-Sky Sports customers can watch Netball World Cup final on Sky Max, channel 113, on Sunday August 6 from 4.30pm. Sky Sports customers can also watch on Sky Sports Arena.
England co-captain Layla Guscoth...
"We have received so much criticism over the past year and if people could see the hard work behind the scenes. Everyone deserves it so much.
"We are so grateful to have the chance to play in a World Cup Final. We celebrate, we rest, and we come back tomorrow."
England's Fran Williams...
"That game was a grind from the start. I thought everybody played their roles really well and you have to grind them down.
"They are so strong in defence the way they play as a unit and I think we stuck to the game plan today and everybody played their role.
"There is a privilege in coming on later in the game - I have watched it out, I have seen what I can do.
"People who have gone before me to tire out some players then I can go out and win some ball. I think we have really been on a roll with our mental resilience and how we can just go goal for goal."
