The Silver Ferns' upcoming Constellation Cup series against Australia has been rescheduled due to the impact of COVID-19 on both sides of the Tasman.
The Silver Ferns had been scheduled to play matches against the Diamonds in Brisbane and Cairns in October, before travelling to Auckland and Wellington for the final matches.
But both Netball New Zealand (NNZ) and Netball Australia have agreed to reschedule the four-match series due to the closure of the trans-Tasman travel bubble.
NNZ chief executive Jennie Wyllie says they're determined for the competition to go ahead and are working with their Australian counterparts to determine the new dates and locations for the series.
"We are committed to keeping this series on our calendar in what are really challenging times given the respective COVID-19 status on both sides of the Tasman," Wyllie says.
"Both nations want to play the Constellation Cup as they look ahead to next year's Commonwealth Games, but we also understand the realities that this pandemic has created for international sporting events and the challenges faced with international travel."
Being able to play the test matches in front of crowds is a high priority for both governing bodies, Wyllie adds, which is unlikely at anything other than COVID-19 alert level one.
"We know how much our fans love these battles between the Silver Ferns and Australia so remain hopeful that a rescheduled series would allow for this to happen," she says.
In March, the Silver Ferns won the Constellation Cup series 3-1 to snap a nine-year drought.
New Zealand will play a three-test series against England, starting September 20.
