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None of the England team that beat the Silver Ferns in the semifinals of the World Cup have will make the trip to New Zealand.
Disappointing and disrespectful is how Netball New Zealand boss Jennie Wyllie sums up England Netball’s plans to send what is effectively a B team to play the Silver Ferns in next month’s Taini Jamison Trophy series.
Wyllie and Silver Ferns coach Dame Noeline Taurua woke up to the shocking news that none of the players who helped the England Roses reach the final at the recent Netball World Cup have been included in the 14-person squad to travel to New Zealand.
Despite the players and staff who attended the World Cup taking a “planned break”, Wyllie says nobody from England Netball gave any warning of the dramatic changes to their now vastly-understrength squad.
Head coach Jess Thirlby will also be staying home.
“Waking up this morning at the same time as our fans to hear this news was quite startling and a real surprise,” Wyllie told 1News.
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Jennie Wyllie has slammed England’s move as incredibly disappointing and disrespectful.
“One of our team sent through the media release and my reaction I don’t think is probably fit for TV… it’s incredibly disappointing and quite disrespectful for our players and for us as an organisation and a country.”
Wyllie has been attempting to contact England Netball by email and text on Thursday but has yet to hear back. She also described her first phone call with Taurua as “really colourful”.
Former Silver Fern and England assistant Liana Leota will take temporary charge of a completely new-look team for the three matches in Christchurch, Porirua and Hamilton that will feature as many as seven potential debutantes.
England sending a team full of names most Kiwi fans won’t recognise is another gut punch for Netball New Zealand’s Taini Jamison Trophy following last year’s mess against Jamaica.
That series descended into a farce when the Sunshine Girls failed to obtain visas in time and only arrived with seven players, forcing the series to be reduced to just two matches and Jamaica’s head coach Connie Francis to name herself on the bench.
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Former Australia coach Lisa Alexander believes there needs to be changes at both domestic and international level to help the Silver Ferns rise again.
Wyllie expects England’s squad to face a fired-up Silver Ferns who will be determined to dominate the under-strength team.
“It appears this was a predetermined rest period for their athletes but I do fail to believe that this isn’t a prime opportunity to put those athletes out there, particularly ones that weren’t tested at the World Cup, and play them against us, the Silver Ferns, who are still ranked No.2 in the world,” she said.
England beat the Silver Ferns in the semifinals of the World Cup but fell to Australia in the decider.
“This series presents a brilliant opportunity for new, returning and current Roses and Future Roses athletes to get much-needed exposure to international competition soon after our World Cup campaign,” Thirlby explained.
“It’s important that we keep up the momentum in the short term but with the longer-term ambition of achieving further success in the next cycle with the World Cup in Sydney firmly in our minds.
“That work starts now and I’m looking forward to supporting this very talented squad through this Taini Jamison series.”
England Netball said their frontline players and staff, including Thirlby, would “return” for their three-match series at home to South Africa in December.
The three-match series against the Silver Ferns begins in Christchurch on September 24.
England squad
Shooters: Sarah Glasgow, Emma Thacker, Berri Neil, Sophie Drakeford-Lewis
Midcourters: Hannah Joseph, Alicia Scholes, Elle McDonald, Amy Carter, Ellie Rattu
Defenders: Ella Bowen, Vicki Oyesola, Halimat Adio, Jayda Pechova, Alice Harvey
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