Why Proteas chose Ellis Park for England Test series

The series, scheduled for 29 January to 1 February, will see the England Roses arriving in the country two weeks before the first centre pass.

Diale says Ellis Park was chosen primarily for logistical and financial reasons, noting that hosting the series in cities like Cape Town or Durban would be far more expensive.

She emphasised that NSA simply does not have the budget to stage the event anywhere else. 

"Ellis Park is a suitable venue because of logistic purposes, but it is also financially viable for us to host the event in Johannesburg. The venues in Cape Town and Durban are very expensive."

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Diale also revealed that Ellis Park was not NSA’s first choice.

They had hoped to host the series at the Durban ICC, which boasts a capacity of over 5,000 spectators—significantly more than Ellis Park.

However, financial constraints forced them to abandon the idea and keep the series in Gauteng.

The newly elected NSA president added that the decision to secure England as opponents was made at the request of the national coaches.

Their ambition is to push South Africa into the top three of the world rankings, and Diale believes competing against higher-ranked teams is essential for growth and development.

"The aim is to play against the top three nations in the world until the team manages to defeat them because we want to see ourselves part of that elite bracket of Netball nations. In 2025, we went to Jamaica, England, and Australia to test ourselves."

Before turning their attention to England, Diale says NSA’s focus is on defending both the men’s and women’s Africa Cup of Nations titles in Malawi.

The tournament kicks off this weekend, serving as their immediate priority.