England Netball | Coaching line-ups revealed for autumn international fixtures

A busy month is ahead for the Vitality Roses and Future Roses, with the Vitality Netball Horizon Series, FAST5 Netball World Series, and England A fixtures all taking place this November.

The coaching line-ups for each series have been revealed, featuring a wealth of expertise and experience ready to guide each squad through their upcoming fixtures.

For the Vitality Netball Horizon Series, which will be staged on 16 and 17 November at the AO Arena in Manchester with a reverse leg on 25 and 26 November in Kingston, Jamaica, Vitality Roses Head Coach Jess Thirlby will be joined by Anna Stembridge as her Assistant Coach.

Stembridge joins the team with extensive coaching experience, both for the Vitality Roses and in the Netball Super League (NSL). Most recently, she was the Assistant Coach during the 2024 Taini Jamison Trophy, where the Vitality Roses secured the series win for only the second time ever, with wins in New Zealand in the first two games of a three-match test series.

Earlier this year, Vitality Roses Head Coach Jess Thirlby commented on Anna’s appointment: “Anna brings great knowledge and experience of the global game, and we’ve also worked closely in previous roles, with a mutual respect that allows us to hit the ground running straight away.”

Tickets are still available to watch the Vitality Roses face the Jamaica Sunshine Girls on Saturday 16 November and Sunday 17 November here.

The coaching team for the FAST5 Netball World Series, set to be held in Christchurch, New Zealand from 9-10 November, will be led by Roses Pathway Head Coach Sonia Mkoloma, with Future Roses Assistant Coach Lauren Palmer serving as Assistant Coach.

Mkoloma expressed excitement for the upcoming series, which UK fans can watch on NetballPass by purchasing a pass, saying: “The squad is a mix of experienced players from the Vitality Roses environment and players from within the Future Roses squad, with some experiencing the senior international stage for the first time. It will be a great learning experience for all the players as they face the challenges of the modified game. I look forward to seeing them step up and perform in the red dress.”

The coaching team for two behind-closed-doors England A fixtures on Tuesday 12 and Thursday 14 November in Manchester will be led by Roses Academy Assistant Coach Tamsin Greenway, who will act as Head Coach, with Karen Greig and Lauren Palmer as Assistant Coaches for these fixtures.

Vitality Roses Head Coach Jess Thirlby emphasized the importance of these fixtures, stating: “These fixtures offer individuals opportunities for positional development, exposure to different styles of play, and more playing time for our less experienced or returning-from-injury players. England A fixtures have played a significant role in uncovering new talent over the years, and we are eager for these matches.”

The full list of fixtures and timings are as follows:

Vitality Netball Horizon Series

Saturday 16 November, 16:00 – AO Arena, Manchester

Sunday 17 November, 14:00 – AO Arena, Manchester

Monday 25 November, 23:30 GMT, National Indoor Sports Centre, Kingston, Jamaica

Wednesday 27 November, 00:00 GMT, National Indoor Sports Centre, Kingston, Jamaica

FAST5 Netball World Series

Friday 8 November, 23:30 (GMT) Saturday 9 November, 12:30 (NZDT) England vs. South Africa

Saturday 9 November, 2:30 (GMT) 15:30 (NZDT) England vs. Jamaica

Saturday 9 November, 5:45 (GMT) 18:45 (NZDT) England vs. Uganda

Sunday 10 November, 0:30 (GMT) 13:30 (NZDT) New Zealand vs. England

Sunday 10 November, 2:00 (GMT) 15:00 (NZDT) Australia vs. England