Netball: England Roses star Geva Mentor finds flight out of New Zealand

England netballer Geva Mentor. Photo / Photosport

English netballer Geva Mentor has been able to secure a route home after facing the prospect of months stuck in New Zealand amid Covid-19 travel restrictions.

Mentor played a crucial role in the England Roses' historic win of the Taini Jamison Trophy series against the Silver Ferns in Christchurch last week.

The 37-year-old defender is based in Melbourne where she captains the Collingwood Magpies in the country's Super Netball league.

The plan was to depart New Zealand shores on an exempt charter flight back to Australia with the Roses but the England squad will now instead fly home via Singapore.

That decision came after confirmation Covid restrictions had forced the Red Roses Test series in Australia to be cancelled.

Maia Wilson of the Silver Ferns gets the ball from Geva Mentor. Photo / Photosport

With quarantine-free travel between here and Australia suspended, and dramatically fewer flights, Mentor is effectively stranded until a seat becomes available.

"The rest of the girls can of course get on a flight back home to England, but that's no good for me and I'm the only one who is effectively stranded here," Mentor told BBC South.

"I've been in conversation with other sporting governing bodies and seeing if there's any other teams stuck here trying to get back into Australia"

Mentor reached out to fans on social media and provided updates on her situation.

She's since had better news and will leave Auckland for Sydney on October 7.