Dominant Australia reclaim netball World Cup title with win over England
Sign up now: Get the biggest sports news in your inbox
Australia's Sophie Garbin (centre) evades England's Geva Mentor (right) during the final of the Netball World Cup.
PHOTO: AFP
Follow topic:
CAPE TOWN – Sophie Garbin scored 27 goals as Australia extended their record number of netball World Cup titles to 12 with a commanding 61-45 victory over England in the final of the 2023 edition staged in Cape Town on Sunday.
The 26-year-old shot 82 per cent while teammate and fellow goal shooter Kiera Austin, 25, had an 88 per cent record.
Said Australia coach Stacey Marinkovich: “Credit to Sophie and Kiera. They’re young players and they’ve had big years in SSN (Suncorp Super Netball) and ups and downs at different points, but to come on in a World Cup final and have to shoot and run and connect when they haven’t been out there for a couple of days... It just shows the character they’ve got.”
Her opposite number Jess Thirlby added of the pair: “We weren’t really able to steal enough balls off them. We rely so heavily on an incredible world-class defensive unit but you can’t give the ball away, and then for that to be found wanting when they can’t win it back. They were the better team in this final.”
It was a first appearance in the final for England after they stunned defending champions New Zealand 46-40 in Friday’s semi-final but they were outplayed by an Australian side that improved as the contest went on.
The score after the first quarter was 13-13 but Australia won each of the next three to romp to a comfortable victory in front of a sell-out crowd at the first netball World Cup staged on African soil.
“We are obviously gutted with a losing margin like that in our first final, but such is the difference between seasoned finalists and a team in their first final,” Thirlby told the BBC. “We are really grateful for the silver medal and over time, I’m sure that it (the achievement) will sink in.”
England beat Australia 56-55 in the pool stage but could not repeat that performance in the decider.
“We had the better of them the other day and they had the better of us today,” England shooter Eleanor Cardwell told the BBC.
“There are so many positives. This is the first World Cup final for every name on the team sheet and a lot of those Diamonds players have a whole lot of experience.
“I am super proud of us making history. Last year at the Commonwealth Games we came fourth and were gutted. This year we’ve got a silver medal.”
Jamaica took the bronze medal with a 52-45 victory over New Zealand in the third-place play-off. The next World Cup will be staged in Sydney in 2027. REUTERS
