Australia defeated England with a scoreline of 61-45 in the 2023 Netball World Cup final played in Cape Town to dash the latter’s hopes of securing their first Netball World Cup title.
Despite a valiant effort from Jess Thirlby’s team throughout the full 60 minutes, the world’s top-ranked side proved to be in a league of their own, tightening the screws on England in the second half to claim their 12th world title.
Thirlby acknowledged the disappointment of the loss, stating that the margin of defeat was the most disheartening aspect. She emphasized that the team’s effort and belief were not lacking, but the disparity between England’s single finals appearance and Australia’s 12 finals appearances was evident. Nevertheless, the Roses reached their first World Cup gold-medal match, defying expectations as underdogs, similar to their triumph at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
England initially signalled their potential to cause an upset by defeating Australia in the pool stages and securing their first World Cup victory against the Diamonds. Their belief grew further when they overcame defending champions New Zealand in the semi-finals. However, Australia, being astute students of the game, learned from their previous defeat to England and made necessary adjustments. Thirlby admitted that proactive changes made by the opposition, errors made by her team, and limited turnovers were all factors that worked against England. Top 6 teams:
- Australia
- England
- Jamaica
- New Zealand
- Uganda
- South Africa
13. Zimbabwe