Netball World Cup 2023: England Roses name squad for South Africa tournament

Pitman was part of the England squad that won bronze in Liverpool in 2019

Chelsea Pitman says she is "overwhelmed" and "so proud" to be included in the England Roses squad for July's Netball World Cup.

Veterans Jade Clarke and Geva Mentor have been selected for their sixth World Cup.

Eleanor Cardwell and Funmi Fadoju are among five tournament debutants named by head coach Jess Thirlby.

The tournament in South Africa begins on 28 July when England face Barbados in their first pool match.

England Roses' World Cup squad

Helen Housby (GA, GS), Eleanor Cardwell (GA, GS), Olivia Tchine (GS), Natalie Metcalf (WA, GA), Chelsea Pitman (WA), Jade Clarke (C, WD), Laura Malcolm (WD, C, WA), Imogen Allison (WD, C), Funmi Fadoju (WD, GD, GK), Layla Guscoth (GD, GK), Fran Williams (GD, GK), Geva Mentor (GK, GD)

Travelling reserves: Halimat Adio (GK, GD), Sophie Drakeford-Lewis (GA, WA), Amy Carter (C, WD)

Pitman's selection comes after a tumultuous few years where the wing attack was unexpectedly let go by Adelaide Thunderbirds in 2020 before stepping away from netball to train to be a police officer.

She returned in 2022 as a training partner with West Coast Fever, later being recalled to the Roses squad that faced Uganda in October before joining Super League side London Pulse, who she has helped to secure a Super League semi-final.

"I'm still pinching myself, overwhelmed with excitement and so proud. I was so emotional when I found out - I cried like an absolute baby," she told BBC Sport.

"It's incredibly surreal and it's a tough journey I've had to do to get here."

England have never won the World Cup, coming second once in 1975 and winning bronze at the tournament six times, including four years ago in Liverpool.

Seven of the 12 players from that squad are included but Thirlby's inclusion of some less-capped players comes after experienced players Eboni Usoro-Brown, Stacey Francis-Bayman and former captain Serena Kersten retired last year.

Jo Harten also announced her retirement from international netball in April, paving the way for shooter Olivia Tchine, 23, to make her World Cup debut after an impressive year at London Pulse where she has formed connections with Pitman and Clarke.

Mid-courters Imogen Allison and Laura Malcolm will also make their tournament debuts with the latter having appeared at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham last year.

Helen Housby, who scored the winning goal as England beat Australia in the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in 2018, will feature in her third World Cup along with wing attack Natalie Metcalf.

Defender Fran Williams is also included after a stellar season at Loughborough Lightning along with Surrey Storm's Layla Guscoth, who was selected in 2019 but ruptured her Achilles in the group stage and missed the remainder of the tournament.

'Our aspiration is to win'

This will be Pitman's second World Cup in the red dress but after a period of uncertainty the former Australia player was unsure whether she would make it.

"We knew that we'd receive an email or a Zoom call, my negative brain thought if you're getting a call it's going to be bad news," she said.

"I was at the gym and Jess [Thirlby] messaged like 'can you jump on this call?'

"I went to the changing room and luckily no-one was in there and she just said 'you've booked yourself a ticket to Cape Town' and I just started crying I was just so happy."

Pitman was part of the squad that won gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast

This season Pitman has been part of a formidable mid-court partnership with Pulse and England team mate Clarke, England's most capped ever player, who she also lives with.

"She [Clarke] makes me train harder and work harder because she's been around for so long but she's been the best for so long," said Pitman.

She recalls coming home and the pair sharing the news they had both made the squad.

"We literally jumped around the lounge for five minutes and it was like school girls squealing and both of us crying - it was so nice.

"Then I said actually we're older women we shouldn't be jumping around like we're 12!"

After a disappointing showing at the Commonwealth Games last year, where England finished fourth and without a medal, Pitman said the team have made a "fresh start" and believes they have the potential to go all the way.

"It's a new team, another tournament. The World Cup is the pinnacle event for our sport and I believe we can do it," she said.

"Our aspiration is to win. Will it be easy? No. But that's what makes it exciting. Do we have the capacity to do it? Hell yeah."

Pick your World Cup starting seven - 1 = GS; 2 = GA; 3 = WA; 4 = C; 5 = WD; 6 = GD; 7 = GK