Blue & Gold duo Imogen Allison and Jayda Pechova on England duty as Netball World Cup year begins with action-packed January
A new year has arrived and the countdown to this summer’s Netball World Cup will begin in earnest during a busy January of international action for England.
Team Bath Netball’s Imogen Allison is in a 16-strong squad for the Vitality Roses’ three-match series against Commonwealth Games silver-medallists Jamaica, with fixtures being played at the AO Arena in Manchester (11th January) and London’s Copper Box Arena (14th and 15th January).
New Blue & Gold recruit Jayda Pechova, who made her first senior Roses appearances at November’s Fast5 World Championships in New Zealand, is in line to gain more international experience as part of an England A squad that will also face Jamaica on 9th January.
Two days later, ahead of the Roses match in Manchester, England A will take on Scottish Thistles, who have been drawn in the same pool as the Roses for next summer’s 2023 Netball World Cup in South Africa. England A begin their week on Sunday 8th January against the Welsh Feathers, who have appointed former Team Bath coach Emily Handyside (nee Perry) as their new Head Coach.
Teenage defender Pechova, who began studying Sports Performance at the University of Bath in September, is also in the Futures Roses squad to face the England Thorns men’s team in curtain-raiser fixtures ahead of the Jamaica Test Series matches at the Copper Box Arena.
Also in the England squad to face Jamaica are former Team Bath players Sophie Drakeford-Lewis, Layla Guscoth and Geva Mentor, while University of Bath alumna Paige Reed is in the England A squad and Team Bath Academy graduate Molly Hole earns her first Future Roses call-up.
Sadly Tash Pavelin has had to withdraw from the England A squad after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury in Super League training, click here for further details.
