Venues have been locked in, alongside three historic men's matches, for the Australian Diamonds' International fixture this October.
The Diamonds will first travel across the ditch to visit their Trans-Tasman neighbour with the initial two matches of the Constellation Cup scheduled in New Zealand, in Auckland and Tauranga.
The team will then return to Australia where they will host the Silver Ferns at Melbourne's John Cain Arena before travelling to the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre for the final match of the Constellation Cup fixture.
After a few days rest the Diamonds will begin the three-match England Series against the Roses at Newcastle Entertainment Centre with the last two games to be played at Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena and the Brisbane Entertainment Centre.
In a historic first the incredible talent within the men's squad will also be on display with the Australian men's team scheduled to play two curtain raisers at home.
The first against New Zealand in Melbourne on October 19 and then against the England men's team in Sydney on October 30.
The Aussie men will also take on New Zealand’s men’s team in Auckland on October 12.
Netball Australia is working in partnership with the Australian Men's and Mixed Netball Association to bring the matches to life, showcasing Australia's best male netballers.
AMMNA President Andrew Simons said bringing men's and women's netball together at the international level is a momentous step forward for the netball community and signifies a strong commitment to uniting the sport in the future.
"Elevating the elite profile of the Australian men's netball team has been a long-term goal and this announcement rewards the dedication and commitment of our high-performance athletes and officials, past and present. It also sends a positive message to younger male netballers about the future direction for our sport," Simons said.
"We are proud to be working with Netball Australia to showcase men's netball on the world stage and look forward to building on this collaboration at all levels of netball."
Netball Australia CEO Kelly Ryan said the inclusion of the men's team in the fixture signals a landmark moment for the sport.
"This is a historic announcement for our sport, marking the first time the Australian men's team will play alongside the Australian Diamonds," Ryan said.
"This forms part of our commitment to growing the game for boys and men and making our sport more inclusive for everyone. We are extremely excited to work alongside the Australian Men's and Mixed Netball Association to showcase this country's best male netballers and hopefully inspire the next generation of boys and girls to pick up a netball.
"After almost three years, we can't wait to watch the Diamonds play on home soil and pack stadiums across Victoria, Queensland and NSW."
This will mark the first time in 1088 days since the Diamonds last played on home soil – before Stacey Marinkovich was appointed head coach. The last time they played at home was in 2019 at the Constellation Cup.
Tickets
- Tickets to the Constellation Cup and Australia v England Series will go on sale to the public on August 12. Fans can sign up to the August 10 pre-sale HERE.
- Tickets to the Diamonds matches in Sydney and Melbourne will include access to the men's curtain raisers at home.
Broadcast
- The international fixtures, including both men's matches in Australia, will be broadcast live and exclusively in Australia on Fox Sports, available through Foxtel and Kayo.
- International viewers won’t miss out on any of the action, with details to be confirmed soon on how to watch the Australian Diamonds matches.
Constellation Cup Fixtures
- Wednesday 12 October – Spark Arena, Auckland, New Zealand
- Sunday 16 October – Trustpower Arena, Tauranga, New Zealand
- Wednesday 19 October – John Cain Arena, Melbourne, Australia
- Sunday 23 October – Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, Gold Coast, Australia
England Series Fixtures
- Wednesday 26 October – Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Newcastle, Australia
- Sunday 30 October – Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, Australia
- Thursday 3 November – Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Australia
