How long is the Netball World Cup 2023? Netball World Cup 2023 Board Chairperson Patience Shikwambana added her excitement that the event had finally arrived, saying: “From our side as a board we are actually happy that we’ve come to this point. “It was not easy… I don’t want to say it was smooth sailing. “There were issues and challenges that we had to deal with… but as a board, all that we can say to you is that as we do our opening ceremony tomorrow, you will see that we host a very successful event here in South Africa. “We have always said this event must leave a legacy. It is a legacy that there must be more netball courts in the entire country. “There must be a legacy in terms of inspiring our girls.” Also in attendance at the final press briefing ahead of the tournament was South Africa’s Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Zizi Kodwa. “I was happy to receive a very positive report from all stakeholders that are strategically working towards a very successful tournament,” he said. “I must indicate that for us, hosting an event of this magnitude is to relive the dream of [former president] Nelson Mandela which defines sport as a catalyst and a tool for building a nation. “Therefore for us, it’s not about what happens on the field but also the ability of sport to mobilize and organize people and bring us together. “It is indeed an historic event – its 60th anniversary coinciding with the fact that it’s coming for the first time on African soil,” added Kodwa. The Netball World Cup 2023 gets underway with the defending champions New Zealand taking on Trinidad and Tobago at 9 am on Friday while Tonga faces off with Fiji at the same time. That will be followed by a showdown between 11-time champions Australia and Zimbabwe at 11 am while the She Cranes of Uganda take on Singapore at the same time. The opening ceremony will kick off the evening session before hosts South Africa begin their campaign against Wales at 6 pm and Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls take on Sri Lanka. The final matches of the day will see England up against Barbados and Malawi versus Scotland. Both those matches begin at 8 pm. The Netball World Cup 2023 takes place from the 28th of July to the 6th of August at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. Details on tickets and travel packages and more information on the tournament are all available on the official website (www.nwc2023.org.za) with a range of tickets and packages still on offer.