Australia shine like Diamonds to lift Netball World Cup trophy

Australia dominated England in three quarters for a deserved 61-45 win to be crowned 2023 Netball World Cup champions at Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) on Sunday.

It was the 12th World Cup victory for the gutsy Australian Diamonds and will be sweeter because they have dethroned long-standing rivals New Zealand, who finished fourth.

It was a special occasion for legendary wing defender Ash Brazil, as this was her swansong, ending her career in the yellow colours of Australia.

It is heartbreak for the England, who beat New Zealand 46-40 in the semis for their first appearance in the final, as they came agonisingly close to what could have been their first World Cup success.

The first quarter was a tight affair ending with the teams level at 13-13, but when halftime arrived the Australian Diamonds upped their tempo to take a four-point lead.

As the match progressed, the Aussies continued to assert themselves and it was no surprise that by the end of the third quarter they led the game by a sizeable 10 goals.

With goal shooter Sophie Garbin in inspired form in the goal circle, the Diamonds took the game by the scruff of the neck in the final quarter as they ended the final played in front of a vocal crowd that included President Cyril Ramaphosa — there to present the trophy — with a lead of 16 goals.

Earlier, the Sunshine Girls of Jamaica shone brightly as they beat dethroned New Zealand 52-45 in their exciting bronze medal match.

Jamaica, who lost to Australia in the semifinal, dominated the Silver Ferns winning three of the four quarters to end their competition as the third-best team in the world.

After their defeat, New Zealand coach Noeline Taurua said they would take it on the chin.

“When I look at our team, we are probably 130 or 150 caps and there is a difference with regards to experience and maturity out on court. The only way you can get caps is by players being out there on court,” Taurua said.

“We will lick our wounds, take accountability for where we are and it is interesting because one of our young ones said to me that what you have to remember is that netball has evolved.

“There are about six teams who are vying for the top spot and we know we are not number one, two or three at the moment.

“We know other teams are clipping at our heels and for netball that can only be a good thing because you can’t just have New Zealand and Australia vying for things. We take it on the chin and will be accountable for our actions.”

In the morning session, South Africa suffered an embarrassing 49-47 defeat to Uganda in their fifth/sixth place match as the hosts ended the tournament with a whimper.