Netball’s Constellation Cup has been postponed until next year, but a Silver Ferns’ home series against England could be on the cards for November.
Netball New Zealand and Netball Australia have made a joint decision to postpone this year’s Constellation Cup due to several factors including Covid-19 requirements and player welfare.
The Silver Ferns will contest the Cadbury Netball Series in Palmerston North over October 21-24 against the New Zealand men, New Zealand A side, and New Zealand under-21s. NNZ are hopeful a Taini Jamison Series, likely against England, will also take place before the end of the year.
The exact dates for the Silver Ferns 2020 international calendar are yet to be confirmed.
Australia’s Super Netball competition does not finish until October 18 and their national players needed sufficient time to rest and recover after a demanding season. Quarantine requirements on both sides of the Tasman, due to Covid-19 remained in place making the process of hosting an event challenging.
Further discussions on when the annual trans-Tasman competition would take place were underway and NNZ head of high performance Keir Hansen said they would continue to explore options to meet the Australian Diamonds early next year in a Constellation Cup.
While the exact dates and details around the series are yet to be confirmed, and pending the Covid-19 situation, both organisations have committed to playing the test series in both Australia and New Zealand. The second 2021 Constellation Cup series will take place in the normal October timeslot, following the completion of both Australia and New Zealand’s domestic seasons.
“While it is disappointing not to be able to meet the Diamonds this year, we understand that in a year such as this, prioritising athlete welfare is paramount,” Hansen said.
He said they were looking at the possibility of playing the Constellation Cup in January or February and were continuing discussions with other Netball Quad Series partners regarding international match opportunities early in 2021.
“There are many factors we must take into account, but we are hopeful of resuming international netball against our long-standing rivals as soon as possible.”
New Australian coach Stacey Marinkovich said postponing the 2020 Constellation Cup was the right decision.
“As the incoming coach, I can’t wait to experience my first Constellation Cup, however the quarantining impacts are a real challenge for the programme and athletes for both countries.
“We’re in the midst of the most intense Super Netball season we’ve ever experienced, so we’ll use this time to recover and regroup to ensure the early 2021 Constellation Cup will showcase the rivalry and talent like never before.”
