Netball: NZ, England share pool at world championships

New Zealand and England, the world's second and third-ranked teams, will compete in the same pool at the world netball championships after the preliminary draw was made yesterday.

The Silver Ferns head group B, which also includes England, Fiji and the Cook Islands.

World champions Australia will contest group A with Jamaica, South Africa and Trinidad & Tobago.

Two more teams will be added to those groups. The makeup of groups C and D will be decided on the outcome of preliminary playoff matches, meaning 24 teams will compete in July's championships.

The Silver Ferns beat England 3-0 in the United Kingdom last month, and a return series between the pair will be played in New Zealand in June just before the world championships.

- NZPA