Hulita Veve of Tonga pass to Uneeq Palavi during the Netball World Cup 2023 Pool A match between Tonga and Zimbabwe at CTICC Court 2 on July 30, 2023 in Cape Town, South Africa. Photo: Shaun Roy/Gallo Images
The Tongan Tala netball team has been grouped with heavyweights Australia and England for next year's Commonwealth Games.
The Tala also have South Africa, Malawi, and Northern Ireland in their pool.
The other group comprises New Zealand, Jamaica, Wales, Uganda, Scotland and Trinidad and Tobago.
The seedings are based on the world rankings, with defending champions Australia top seeds, New Zealand second, Jamaica third and England fourth.
Tonga, the only Pacific Island nation at the event, is ranked 9th of the 12 teams.
In Glasgow New Zealand will open the netball tournament on 25 July, 2026 against hosts Scotland.
Semifinals will be played on 1 August, with the medal matches on 2 August.
It will be a scaled-down version of the Commonwealth Games, comprising 10 sports: artistic gymnastics, athletics and para athletics, 3x3 basketball and 3x3 wheelchair basketball, boxing, swimming and para swimming, bowls and para bowls (indoor), judo, netball, track and para track cycling, and weightlifting and powerlifting.
Australia took the gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, defeating Jamaica 55-51.
New Zealand was upset by Jamaica in the semi-final but beat England for the bronze medal.
