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Tadious Manyepo-Sports Reporter

ZIMBABWE netball continues to gain key traction with the senior team, the Gems, getting an invitation to participate in the four-team Celtic Cup International Test Series early next month.

The 10-day, globally-acclaimed meet, is scheduled to kick-off on November 1 with Zimbabwe keen to make an impact on their debut, not in a small part as this tournament also has some bearing on world rankings, according to Netball World. The Gems got the invitation last month and they will start camp in Harare tomorrow to tune-up for the historic contests that will feature hosts Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales.

Zimbabwe Netball Association (ZINA) secretary-general Rachiel Tinorwiraishe revealed yesterday that the Gems were ready to participate in the prestigious competition.

“We got an invitation and we are delighted as ZINA. The Celtic Cup International Test Series will feature four teams including Zimbabwe, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales and it will run from November 1-10,” said Tinorwiraishe.

“We are very proud and grateful at the same time to be afforded a chance to participate in such huge competitions such as this one’’.

“We have more than just one reason to celebrate participating in this event. These are world ranking games and the more we compete with better countries and win, the better we become.

“The exposure that comes with playing in a tournament like this one is incredible and we can’t wait to be in Scotland.”

She said the competition will also serve as a platform to prepare the players for the 2027 World Cup qualifiers and the tournament proper.

Australia will host the quadrennial event in three years.

“We are going to Scotland to compete but above all, we will use the experience to gauge where we stand as a team, to identify our strengths and weaknesses and see what we need to improve as we begin preparations for Australia 2027,” she added.

“We are privileged to have received the invitation and that shows we are slowly but surely improving our status in netball across the world.”

Head coach Ropafadzo Mutsauki will drill the provisional squad, which he will then trim to 15 including three reserves before the team leaves for the European country on October 30.

This will be the Gems’ first international assignment since their participation in the African Championships held in Gaborone, Botswana exactly a year ago.

Billed to punch well in the absence of powerhouses South Africa, Zimbabwe were not at their best and could only clip third place.

The disappointing showing came at the back of another below-par 13th-place finish in the World Cup held in Cape Town, South Africa in July last year.

But both setbacks haven’t swayed how Zimbabwe is portrayed across the globe, especially after defying odds on their debut appearance at the World Cup held in Liverpool, England in 2019.

The Gems arrived there as outright underdogs but they stood toe to toe with the best, played with so much composure, and floored some fancied opponents to secure an incredible eighth-place finish by their standards.

And they will be eager to show the same spirit displayed back then when they tackle their highly-regarded opponents next month.

The Gems are not far off the trio they will face as they are ranked 13th in the world while Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland are ninth, 10th, and 11th, respectively.