What is the Netball World Cup?
Netball's world championship, staged every four years by World Netball since the first edition at Eastbourne in 1963. Sixteen national teams contest it, through pool play into a knockout and placement phase. Sydney 2027 changes the model: all 64 matches over twelve days on a single court in one arena, and for the first time a split Cup and Plate competition.[1] [2]
| Season | Pool / Format | Host cities |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Australia — 12th title (61–45 v England) | Cape Town (RSA) |
| 2019 | New Zealand | Liverpool (ENG) |
| 2015 | Australia (58–55 v New Zealand) | Sydney (AUS) |
| 2011 | Australia (58–57 v New Zealand) | Singapore |
| 2027 | — scheduled: first Cup-and-Plate format | Sydney (AUS), 25 Aug – 5 Sep |
Recent editions and the next scheduled tournament.
How do teams qualify?
Six places went automatically on the World Netball world rankings dated 1 December 2025 — host Australia plus New Zealand, Jamaica, England, South Africa and Uganda. The remaining ten come from five regional qualifiers held between August and October 2026, in Asia, Oceania, Africa, Europe and the Americas, each sending two teams.[2] [3]
Who wins?
Australia, more than anyone: their 61–45 win over England at Cape Town in 2023 was a twelfth world title. New Zealand are the only other side to have won it repeatedly, most recently at Liverpool in 2019, and Jamaica, England and South Africa complete the small group of nations that reach semi-finals with any regularity.[1] [2]
Why does it matter?
Because netball is not an Olympic sport, so the World Cup — with the Commonwealth Games — is the whole of its global stage. Every national programme in the sport is built around the four-year cycle, and the regional qualifiers are the only route in.[1] [3]
References
- World Netball — Netball World Cup. Accessed August 2026.
- Netball World Cup Sydney 2027. Accessed August 2026.
- World Netball — five regional qualifiers for Sydney 2027. Accessed August 2026.