The Arena and Convention Centre (ACC) Liverpool will form the hub of the bid which has been launched in partnership with Liverpool City Council and UK Sport as part of its Gold Event Series.

The ACC Liverpool complex, located on the former Kings Dock in Liverpool, contains three separate venues that will be used for the event.

The 8,300 Echo Arena will stage all the matches of the tournament, while the Exhibition Centre will be the proposed athlete training venue.

In addition, the BT Convention Centre will host the International Netball Federation (INF) Congress that runs alongside the World Cup while the new four-star Pullman hotel, also located on the ACC Liverpool site, would be the official INF event hotel.

"Liverpool is an iconic city immersed in sport and, with its global reputation and warm welcome, would be the perfect host to showcase the Netball World Cup 2019 to the world," said England Netball chairman Cheryl Danson, who handed over the bid document to INF chief executive, Claire Briegal today.

"Through ACC Liverpool we are able to offer the INF a wonderful single site venue that includes the competition arena, training venue, INF Congress venue and event hotel.

"All these facilities are interlinked and situated on a World Heritage waterfront site, perfectly located to deliver the most seamless and athlete centred Netball World Cup ever."

England Netball chairman Cheryl Danson (left) hands over the Liverpool 2019 bid document to INF chief executive, Clare Briegal today ©England Netball



The Gold Event Series aims to invest more than £40 million ($68 million/€50 million) of National Lottery funding to bring up to 100 of the world's most prestigious sporting events to the UK by 2023.

UK Sport chief executive Liz Nicholl revealed her delight at the bid for the 2019 Netball World Cup, claiming that the sport is experiencing "unprecedented" growth in the UK.

"I really do believe that Liverpool can provide the perfect platform to help the International Netball Federation develop and grow the sport, not just in England but globally," added Nicholl, a former chief executive of England Netball.

"With access to the UK's huge 'Be Inspired' ticketing database inherited from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, we can also guarantee the arena will be full of passionate and knowledgeable fans.

"The UK is building a global reputation for staging outstanding major sporting events with its compelling mix of world class facilities, great infrastructure and technical know-how as well as its army of experienced volunteers.

"I am convinced we can deliver a remarkable tournament in 2019 that will galvanise the growth of netball and positively enhance perceptions of women's sport in the UK and beyond."

The ACC Liverpool complex is the main focus of the city's bid to host the 2019 Netball World Cup ©ACC Liverpool



The Netball World Cup was launched in 2013 after the INF rebranded the Netball World Championships.

The first edition of the rebranded tournament is set to take place in Sydney, Australia, from August 7 to 16 next year.

The competition will see the world's top 16 teams taking part, with hosts and defending champions Australia looking for an 11th world title after their win at the previous World Championships in Singapore in 2011.

England has hosted the Championships twice before, including the inaugural event in Eastbourne in 1963 and Birmingham in 1995.

Australia are the defending netball world champions after winning a 10th title in Singapore in 2011 ©Getty Images



Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, is confident the city would be an ideal host for the 2019 tournament should its bid be successful.

"One of our assets is our people and with a huge and diverse regional population of seven million, every competing athlete is assured a home welcome," he said.

"What's more, with two airports within 45 minutes of the city, and located just two hours by train from London, teams and fans have many options to get to Liverpool.

"Drawing on the unique history and iconic status of Liverpool, and as a former European Capital of Culture, we are also uniquely placed to work with the INF to create a stunning Opening Ceremony that will further boost the profile of the Netball World Cup.

"And with our piazza setting, the tournament will come alive both inside and outside ACC Liverpool."

England is the first country to publicly declare it intention to stage the 2019 Netball World Cup.

Briegal confirmed to insidethegames that two other countries have expressed an interest in hosting the event but would not disclose their identities until an evaluation of their bids has been completed by October and they submit a formal bid.

"This will be followed by presentations from the bidders to the INF Evaluation Panel in November," added Briegal.   

"The Evaluation Panel will then make its recommendations to the Board of the INF in March 2015 and the decision will be announced at that time. 

"The winning bid will be presented to INF Members at Congress in August 2015."

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