Wales are to host their first netball internationals against New Zealand for almost 20 years in 2017.
Welsh Netball have announced the national side will play a two-Test series against the Silver Ferns – the world’s No.2 ranked team – in February with matches on the 7th and 8th.
Wales have played New Zealand just 14 times over the last 60 years, but haven’t hosted a Test match against them on home soil in almost two decades.
Welsh Netball’s chief executive Sarah Jones said: “We are very excited to welcome the Silver Ferns to Wales to play a test match series in February 2017.
“The Ferns are world class and one of the most dominant netball teams in the world, and we feel privileged to host them.
“This will be an exhilarating event for the ever-growing netball community in Wales to watch and get involved with.
“We have some exciting plans in the pipeline to ensure our Welsh Netball members can get as close to the Ferns and Wales players as possible. We will be announcing these opportunities closer to the Tests.”
Both fixtures will be held at the Sport Wales National Centre, Cardiff. Tickets go on sale to the public on Wednesday, December 21st, following a forty-eight-hour priority booking period for Welsh Netball members.
“This will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many of us and we anticipate that these will be sell-out events,” added Jones.
“It is important to us as the National Governing Body to recognise our passionate and committed membership, and therefore provide them with a priority booking opportunity for such exciting fixtures.
“It’s a huge platform for netball in Wales with fantastic global media coverage. It is a significant event on many levels, giving great exposure to elite women’s sport hosted in our great capital city.
“We are working closely with our partners to ensure an unforgettable experience for the fans, and look forward to supporting our extraordinary athletes during the series.”
New Zealand remain unbeaten by Wales, who first met on court in 1963 at the first ever World Netball Tournament held in Eastbourne, England. Their first visit to Wales was in 1982, and the second and last time they made the journey was in 1997.
The forty-eight-hour priority booking period for Welsh Netball members will open at 10am on Monday 19th December. Tickets will go on sale to the public on Wednesday 21st December. Limited ‘premium’ tickets will also be available to purchase – fans will need to be quick to secure the best seats in the house.