The Netball World Cup contenders

By: Melissa Woods Time published 2023-07-27 at 02:26 PM (GMT +10:00)

A rundown of the top five teams at the Netball World Cup in Cape Town, at which New Zealand will defend their crown as Australia hunt a 12th title.

Australia
Australia Picture: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

THE NETBALL WORLD CUP CONTENDERS

*Australia

World ranking: 1

2019 World Cup: 2nd

Player to watch: Liz Watson. The Australian midcourt star is the best in the business, regularly topping the stats sheet with her work rate. She also brings a cool head to a high-stakes environment.

*New Zealand

World ranking: 2

2019 World Cup: 1st

Player to watch: Grace Nweke. The 21-year-old goal shooter made a name for herself at last year's Commonwealth Games. Standing 193cm and impressively accurate, Nweke proves a handful for most defenders.

*England

World ranking: 3

2019 World Cup: 3rd

Player to watch: Eleanor Cardwell. England shooter Cardwell was named player of the match in Adelaide's Super Netball grand-final victory this season. The 28-year-old is a threat from anywhere in the goal circle.

*Jamaica

World ranking: 4

2019 World Cup: 5th

Player to watch: Shamera Sterling. Like Cardwell, Sterling was part of Adelaide's Super Netball triumph. A stand-out defender, she was also key as the Sunshine Girls won Commonwealth Games silver in 2022.

*South Africa

World ranking: 5

2019 World Cup: 4th

Player to watch: Karla Pretorius. The 33-year-old defender won player of the tournament at Liverpool 2019, and in her third World Cup is set to thrive on the home stage.