For most of netball’s history, a match between New Zealand’s Silver Ferns and England was rarely a fair fight — the Ferns usually won, and often comfortably. Over the past decade that has changed, and the two sides now meet as near-equals whose games are frequently decided in the closing minutes.
This guide sets out their recent results, the moments that turned a mismatch into a genuine rivalry, and where the contest stands after New Zealand’s gold-medal run at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Every score below has been checked against match reports and official sources.
Key Points
- New Zealand has dominated the fixture historically, winning the great majority of meetings since the 1940s.
- England’s breakthrough came at the 2023 Netball World Cup, where they beat the Silver Ferns 46–40 to reach a first-ever final.
- England won the 2024 Taini Jamison Trophy series 2–1 in New Zealand — their first hold on the trophy since 2021.
- New Zealand won the November 2025 series in Great Britain 2–1 and beat England 61–54 at the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
- Recent Tests are often decided by only a handful of goals.
From mismatch to modern rivalry
How one-sided it used to be
The scale of the old imbalance is easy to forget. When England beat the Silver Ferns 42–38 in the opening Test of a 2014 series in New Zealand, it was widely reported as only their fourth win over New Zealand in more than 50 years. New Zealand levelled that series and took it on aggregate score.
England’s wider record tells the same story. Their first international was a 25–3 win over Scotland at Wembley in 1949, their best Netball World Cup finishes are runner-up in 1975 and 2023, and their only Commonwealth Games gold came in 2018. For most of that period New Zealand’s fiercest opponent was Australia, not England — a rivalry covered in our guide to the Silver Ferns versus Australia and the trans-Tasman Constellation Cup.
What changed
England’s rise was gradual, then sudden. A full-time national programme, more England players competing in Australia’s professional league, and a strong generation of defenders and shooters steadily closed the gap through the late 2010s. Their 2018 Commonwealth Games gold, sealed with a last-second goal against Australia, announced them as a genuine top-three nation. By the 2020s, a meeting between the Silver Ferns and England was no longer a formality for either team.
Recent Silver Ferns v England results
The table below lists their most recent meetings, newest first. A one-off international is known as a Test; a series is decided over two or three Tests.
Recent Results
| Date | Match | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 2026 | Commonwealth Games semi-final, Glasgow | New Zealand 61–54 |
| 19 Nov 2025 | Series decider, Manchester | New Zealand 55–49 |
| 16 Nov 2025 | Second Test, London | England 61–58 |
| 15 Nov 2025 | First Test, London | New Zealand 61–58 |
| Sep–Oct 2024 | Taini Jamison Trophy, New Zealand | England won series 2–1 |
| Sep 2023 | Taini Jamison Trophy, New Zealand | New Zealand won series 2–1 |
| Aug 2023 | World Cup semi-final, Cape Town | England 46–40 |
The 2023 World Cup semi-final
The rivalry’s defining moment came at the 2023 Netball World Cup in Cape Town. England beat the reigning champions 46–40 in the semi-final — their first win over New Zealand at a World Cup, and enough to reach the final for the first time in their history. England lost that final to Australia, but knocking out the Silver Ferns confirmed the shift in the balance of power.
The 2024 and 2025 Test series
Since then the teams have traded series. In late 2024, England won the Taini Jamison Trophy — the prize contested when the sides meet in New Zealand — taking the series 2–1 on New Zealand soil, their first hold on that trophy since 2021.
New Zealand answered in November 2025. On a three-Test tour of Great Britain, the Ferns won the opener 61–58 in London, lost the second Test 61–58, then took the decider 55–49 in Manchester to claim the series 2–1. Goal shooter Grace Nweke anchored the attacking end in the deciding win. The result was one of the standout moments of New Zealand’s 2025 sporting year (Wikipedia).
The 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow
The sides met again in the semi-finals of the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Under head coach Noeline Taurua, New Zealand delivered their most complete performance of the tournament to win 61–54. The Ferns then beat Jamaica 56–48 in the final to take Commonwealth netball gold for the first time since 2010, while England lost the bronze-medal match to Australia 68–50.
Competitions behind the rivalry
New Zealand and England meet across several events, and it helps to know what each one is:
- Taini Jamison Trophy — the perpetual trophy contested when England tours New Zealand for a Test series, named after a former Silver Ferns coach.
- Netball World Cup — the sport’s flagship tournament, held every four years; New Zealand has won it five times.
- Commonwealth Games — netball has featured since 1998; the Glasgow 2026 title was New Zealand’s second gold, after 2010.
England also hosts New Zealand for stand-alone Test series, such as the 2025 Vitality International Series, which sit outside these named trophies.
Sources
- NZ Herald — Silver Ferns v England, 2026 Commonwealth Games semi-final
- 1News — Silver Ferns end Commonwealth Games gold drought with win over Jamaica
- Sky Sports — New Zealand 55–49 England, 2025 Vitality International Series decider
- Sky Sports — England 46–40 New Zealand, 2023 Netball World Cup semi-final
- Sky Sports — 2024 Taini Jamison Trophy series, won by England 2–1
- Silver Ferns — New Zealand win the 2023 Taini Jamison Trophy
- Team England — England national netball team record and results
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Who leads the Silver Ferns v England rivalry?
New Zealand holds a heavy historical advantage, having won the vast majority of meetings since the 1940s. England has closed the gap sharply since the late 2010s, but across every match ever played New Zealand remains well ahead.
When did England first beat New Zealand at a World Cup?
In 2023, when England won the semi-final 46–40 in Cape Town. It was their first World Cup win over New Zealand and took them to a World Cup final for the first time.
What is the Taini Jamison Trophy?
It is the trophy the two teams play for when England tours New Zealand for a Test series. New Zealand won the 2023 edition 2–1 and England won in 2024, leaving the contest finely balanced.
Who won the 2026 Commonwealth Games netball gold?
New Zealand. The Silver Ferns beat England 61–54 in the semi-final and Jamaica 56–48 in the final in Glasgow, claiming their first Commonwealth netball gold since 2010.
How close are the two teams now?
Very close. Their recent Tests have regularly been decided by three to seven goals, and both series and tournament knockouts have gone either way since 2023.
