A total of five Sunshine Coast Lightning players have been selected for both Australia and New Zealand ahead of the 2026 Constellation Cup, presented by Suncorp.
Diamonds Captain Liz Watson is set to face off with Karin Burger as Silver Ferns Captain for the first time as club teammates.
Courtney Bruce and Donnell Wallam have both been named in the Diamonds squad while newly signed goal attack, Georgia Heffernan will pull on the Silver Ferns dress for the 16th edition of the Trans-Tasman rivalry.
Australian Diamonds head coach Stacey Marinkovich said the squad struck a balance between rewarding proven performers and giving the group room to grow.
“This squad reflects the depth we have across Australian netball,” Marinkovich said.
“We’ve got a core of established talent who know what it takes to win at this level, and we’ve also built in the opportunity to test some newer combinations. It’s about making sure we keep evolving as a team while retaining the culture and standards this group has set together.”
Marinkovich also spoke of her excitement to bring the series home.
“There’s nothing quite like playing the Silver Ferns on home soil,” she said.
“This is one of the fiercest rivalries in world sport, and the opportunity to play in front of huge home crowds in Sydney and Melbourne is something this group is really looking forward to.”
The four-match series will begin in New Zealand with matches in Auckland and Christchurch, before crossing the Tasman for the final two tests.
The Diamonds will host the Silver Ferns in match three of the series at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena on Sunday 25 October, with the final match to take place at Melbourne’s John Cain Arena on Wednesday 28 October in partnership with Visit Victoria.
The Constellation Cup will be broadcast live and exclusive in Australia on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel, Kayo and BINGE.
