Netball World Cup: How can I watch it and who are the favourites?

England's Eleanor Cardwell at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Credit: PA

Sixteen teams are battling to take the Netball World Cup as the games get underway in South Africa.

England are hoping to secure their first title on the 60th anniversary of the inauguration of the games.

The tournament is being held in Cape Town and is the first time the games have been held in Africa.

The last competition was held in Liverpool in 2019 with New Zealand winning the tournament and England finishing in third.

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The England team won bronze at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Credit: PA

Who is competing?

There are sixteen teams contesting the title, with six qualifying automatically: the hosts and the five other top teams in the world.

The automatic qualifiers are Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, England, Uganda and South Africa.

The other teams in the tournament are:

  • Tonga

  • Fiji

  • Malawi

  • Zimbabwe

  • Singapore

  • Sri Lanka

  • Scotland

  • Wales

  • Trinidad and Tobago

  • Barbados

When are England, Scotland and Wales playing?

Wales is the first UK nation to play in the tournament when they start against host South Africa at 5pm BST.

Two hours later England and Scotland, who are in the same group, will both start matches against Barbados and Malawi respectively.

England and Scotland will play each other in the final of their group games on July 30.

How will the tournament play out?

The group stage will take place from July 28 to July 30 and the games will carry on until the finals on August 6.

The top three from groups A-D will progress to the next stage and be sorted into groups F and G.

Australia are the favourites and won the Commonwealth games in 2022. Credit: PA

The winners of F and G will progress immediately to the semifinals while the remaining teams will have to go through the quarters.

Who are the favourites?

Australia are currently ranked number one in the world and have won the competition 11 times out of 15.

New Zealand are the second favourite as the previous competition winners and holds five titles in total.

The only other team to win the tournament is Trinidad and Tobago when they won alongside Australia and New Zealand in a three-way tie in 1979.

England are ranked third in the world and have finished third three times including in the last three tournaments but have never made a final.

Scotland are ranked 9th in the world and Wales 8th.

How can I watch it?

The first games will be broadcast by Sky until July 31 and then after that, the BBC have the rights to the rest of the tournament.

Games will also be broadcast on BBC Radio 5 Live and Sports Extra.

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