The Lionesses got the nation buzzing. We want to keep that mood going

The Netball World Cup starts today at the M and S Bank Arena in Liverpool with England facing Uganda in their first match. It has already been a defining summer for women’s sport and captain Serena Guthrie tells Neil Squires how determined her team are to keep the ball rolling.

Q AHow much of an inspiration has the success of the Lionesses been?

Massive. We were fortunate enough to meet them at St George’s Park and spend half a day sharing each other’s journeys. They were kind enough to send us some England shirts so we’ve had them on every game showing our support. What they have done in making the nation buzz makes us really excited that we can do the same. We want to win gold but we also want to have a positive impact on people. Not just young girls. Young boys, adults, families, bus drivers, truck drivers – we want everyone to know what we are up to. made some great friendships through netball and that swayed me.

QEngland’s dramatic Commonwealth final win over Australia 15 months provided one of the iconic images of the Games. You stayed out in Australia to play league netball afterwards. How did they take it?

AThe Aussies were gutted. I had mums coming up to me telling me I had broken their daughter’s heart. I was like: ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to’. But they were respectful because they recognised we had earned the right to that medal. I hung it up in my room and every day I’d look at it to check it really had happened.

QHaving beaten Australia in that final, do you see yourselves as World Cup favourites?