England to Host 2031 Netball World Cup at Co-op Live — SkimNews
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- England Netball will host the 2031 Netball World Cup for the fourth time, with the tournament to be staged at Manchester's Co-op Live indoor arena, World Netball and England Netball announced on Thursday.
- World Netball president Liz Nicholl said the governing body reviewed England Netball's "strong bid" and is "confident" in another "thrilling international event," the source quotes.
- England reached a World Cup final for the first time in 2023 in Cape Town but lost to 12-time champions Australia, having also finished runners-up in 1975 when the tournament used a league format.
- Previous UK hosts were Eastbourne for the inaugural 1963 edition, Birmingham in 1995, and Liverpool in 2019, according to the announcement.
- Baroness Sue Campbell, who joined England Netball as chair in January 2025 and was previously the FA's director of women's football during England's 2022 European Championship win, called the Manchester hosting "a hugely exciting prospect."
- England finished fourth at the recent Commonwealth Games after a bronze-medal loss to Australia, while the source notes a 10-year plan to professionalize the sport via the Netball Super League will be "well advanced" by 2031.
- Netball is also pushing for inclusion in the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, the source adds, and the Co-op Live arena hosted this year's Netball Super League Grand Final in front of more than 8,000 fans.
Why it matters: England has reached two World Cup finals (1975, 2023) without winning, and hosting the 2031 edition gives the Roses a home-stage shot at a first title just as their 10-year Super League professionalization push matures — though they'll still need to dethrone 12-time champion Australia, who beat them in the 2023 final and the recent bronze-medal match.
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