The NWC2023 will be held in Cape Town, South Africa from 28 July to 6 August 2023, with Australia, Barbados, England, Fiji, Jamaica, Malawi, New Zealand, Scotland, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Uganda, Wales and Zimbabwe all set to compete for the trophy.

The last WN World Rankings update was published on 15 August and included all the matches played at the Commonwealth Games Birmingham 2022 and identified the six pre-qualified teams for the Netball World Cup.  

Since then it has been a very busy period for international teams, including four NWC2023 regional qualifiers held in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas, a number of international series such as the Constellation Cup, Australia v England and Taini Jamison Series; in fact over 120 matches have been played.

This has resulted in a record number of teams (53) achieving a WN World Ranking, and over 30 teams changing places.

World Netball stated, within the top eight teams England swapped places with Jamaica and now hold 3^rd, while Malawi has done likewise with Uganda, respectively 6^th and 7^th, and Tonga move into 8^th ahead of Wales in 9^th.

Uganda’s and Jamaica’s rankings have been impacted by their failure to fulfil fixtures during August and September.

"While for the rising teams, England’s success in their series against Uganda, Tonga’s victory at the PacificAus Series and Malawi finishing runners-up at the NWC2023 Qualifier, Africa, have made a difference."

Six teams reached the requirement to play six or more matches to be eligible for a World Ranking in this period, with the Philippines entering at 22^nd, Eswatini in 29^th, Brunei at 34^th, India at 38^th, and Chinese Taipei and Maldives at equal 46^th position. 

In Asia, Sri Lanka moved up three places to 16^th in the rankings after finishing the event unbeaten, whilst runners-up, Singapore, also moved up four places to 30^th.

Elsewhere, Isle of Man moved up one to 25^th after finishing 4^th at the NWC2023 Qualifier – Europe, whilst Scotland retain 10^th after finishing 2^nd at the same event. After five victories at the NWC2023 Qualifier – Americas St. Vincent and the Grenadines also moved up one place to 20^th.

Now the sport is returning to a full international calendar World Netball will reconsider the number of matches required to earn a world ranking, which was reduced from 8 to 6 as a result of the global Covid-19 pandemic and the break in international play.

The NWC2023 draw is expected to take place on 30 November at East London, in South Africa’s Eastern Cape.